Explore UCD

UCD Home >
overlay image

About

About:

On 8th December 2018, University College Dublin (UCD) School of Education commenced PINNACLE, an important new project to support the education and training of women teachers in India and Pakistan. The project has grown since that time and is now recognised as one of the most successful programmes in the School of Education at UCD.

This project is funded with the generous support of the Presentation Sisters in Ireland (North East Province), who liaised with Professor Deirdre Raftery, UCD, to come up with a unique project that would help their teachers and principals in the Developing World. Working closely with Professor Marie Clarke, they have developed the project to a second phase which has provided new and exciting oportunities for continued professional development. 

Project Aims:

  • To create a systematic and research-based response to the changing management/leadership needs in Presentation schools in the Developing World, at a time when local women (Sisters and lay women) are ‘taking up the reins’ and assuming leadership of Presentation schools worldwide.
  • To ensure that women teachers experience the kind of world-class education and training that has a major impact on education in the Developing World.

We invite you to follow these links to find out more about our research:

(opens in a new window)https://doi-org.ucd.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/0305764X.2020.1749560

(opens in a new window)https://www-tandfonline-com.ucd.idm.oclc.org/doi/full/10.1080/00309230.2021.2004175

Frequently Asked Questions about PINNACLE:

What is the PINNACLE project?

The PINNACLE project is a funded research project which aims to support teachers in India and Pakistan through professional development.

What does the project involve?

The project provides fully funded scholarships for teachers to register with University College Dublin on the MA (Mentoring Leading and Global Learning) academic programme.

How will this course be taken by the scholarship students?

The course will be taken by students online with specialized support from academic tutors over a three-year period.

Will it involve any travel to University College Dublin?

Scholars will be brought over to Ireland to attend a Pre-sessional language course the summer before they start their MA degree online in their home country. They may also be required to attend a PINNACLE Summer School in Ireland by arrangement.