Further details are available here.
Research In Lifelong Guidance Honorary Special Interest Group: Annual Report 2023
Research In Lifelong Guidance Honorary Special Interest Group: Annual Report 2024
2024 has been a busy year for the Research in Irish Lifelong Guidance Group, who are committed to our aim to contribute to the exploration and advancement of research in lifelong guidance in Ireland, from early childhood, primary, post-primary, further education and higher education, as well as wider career development sectors.
In March, in MTU at the Institute of Guidance Counsellors Conference : Two of the RiLG members Dr. Petra Elftorp and Dr. Jennifer McKenzie delivered a workshop to two groups at the conference entitled ‘Supporting Lifelong Guidance Practitioners to Engage in Research and Evidence-Based Practice’. This workshop provided the opportunity to explore ways lifelong guidance practitioners can integrate research into their practices and addressed the challenges of keeping up-to-date with research developments within the constraints of a busy work environment. Discussions with participants during the two groups included topics such as practical methodologies, definitions of evidence-based practice in the context of guidance, and the prospect of research as a viable career path.
In April in MU at the ESAI Annual Conference,: Two of the RiLG members Dr. Petra Elftorp and Dr. Jennifer McKenzie attended the ESAI Annual where they were delighted to be asked to participate in a Special Interest Group (SIG) presentation.
In May, four of the RiLG members attended the launch of the Strategic Plan (2024 – 2027) of the Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) in Portlaoise. This provided an excellent opportunity to network with many guidance colleagues from across the lifespan as the IGC strategic plan recognises the need to invest in research that delivers policy-relevant insight for both IGC and its stakeholders.
In October, all members of the RiLG hosted the first Research -Meet Community of Practice, on Tuesday 15th, from 3pm – 4pm. Hosting this meeting online provided the opportunity to engage with more lifelong guidance professionals working across many sectors nationally, to consider their research interests, their concerns about conducting research in their field, and the focus of future Research-Meet events.
Finally, in November, three members of the RILG attended the conference of the International Association of Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG). Dr Petra Elftorp co-delivered a workshop with colleagues from across the UK on The Role of School Staff in Careers Work: A comparison of England , Ireland and Scotland. Ms Aisling Muray- Fleming delivered a poster presentation, highlighting her innovative research with valuable insights on the theme of her Doctorate research on primary school guidance.
Details of the RiLG and our activities in 2024, and those planned for 2025 are available on the links below. We are looking forward to hosting our second online Research-Meet in February, and delivering our next IGC Conference workshop in March on “Guiding every journey through research –Building evidence-based practice in guidance counselling, improving quality, inclusivity and advocating for your practice” . For further information on the RiLG, we welcome queries through our webpage:
Research in Irish Lifelong Guidance
https://sites.google.com/view/researchinlifelongguidance/activities
Submitted by Dr. Jennifer McKenzie,
On behalf of the RiLG
December 2024
