Centre for Gifted Research Overview

In 2016 the parents of all 13,000 active CTYI students were invited to take part in a survey to capture their experiences and beliefs around bringing up high ability children. The survey covered demographic information about the parents and their children and a quantitative and qualitative exploration of their experience with the Irish education system, with CTYI and its programmes and with what it means to provide for highly able students in a way that is both effective and equitable.

The 1,600 responses make this report one of the world's largest sources of data on the parents of highly able students, and it has yielded a range of insights which will be invaluable to parents, educational policymakers and anyone interested in providing an appropriate education to academically able students.

Along with the 2016 report on Educator's beliefs and practices around the highly able and the forthcoming report on the students' own opinions, the Centre for Gifted Research is building a comprehensive set of resources describing the highly able in Ireland and exploring how best to provide for them.

Please find below a pdf copy of the executive summary of the report, outlining its main findings, as well as a pdf copy of the full report with all of the methodological details.

Click here to view the full report for 2019:

Gifted Education in Ireland: Parents’ Beliefs and Experiences

Click here to view the summary report for 2019:

Gifted Education in Ireland: Parents’ Beliefs and Experiences

CTYI Gifted LGBTQ Research

Orla Dunne, CTYI Residential Coordinator and Garda Vetting Officer, is currently conducting a research study as part of her Educational Doctorate thesis, with CTYI and the Institute of Education at Dublin City University. The research project seeks to explore the effects of organisation/ school climate and culture on the experiences of gifted lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) post-primary students in Ireland. Orla is working under the supervision of Dr. Colm O’Reilly (Director of CTYI) and Prof. Joe O’Hara (School of Policy and Practice, Dublin City University). The questions have been approved by the DCU Research Ethics Committee.



If you have received an invitation to take part in the study please follow one of the below links:



If you are under 18 (Parental Consent is required)- https://forms.gle/4u4AbEBmmUAGYVnN6

If you are over 18- https://forms.gle/cjocrvvYPokUbNSw7



You can also access the Plain Language Statement for parents and students below.

Parent Plain Language Statement

Student Plain Language Statement