DCU Institute of Education
DCU Institute of Education
photo of DCU letters at entrance on St Pat's campus

Dublin City University facilitates Synapses project Pre-Service Teacher Workshops

Image of the DCU letters on DCU's St Patrick's Campus
Over ninety pre-service teachers at Dublin City University’s Institute of Education participated in a dynamic series of workshops organised by the DCU Synapses team. These workshops prepared students for integrating Sustainable Citizenship into their future teaching practices using the syllabus of the upcoming Leaving Certificate subject, Climate Action and Sustainable Development, which is set to launch in Ireland in September 2025.

The workshop series introduced students from various BSc programmes in pre-service teacher education, including Physical Education and Mathematics, Physical Education and Biology, and Science Education. Programme topics covered foundational concepts, active teaching methodologies, and innovative lesson-planning techniques. The programme emphasised the integration of the Synapses resource repository and various technology tools, helping students develop skills for effective and sustainable education aligned with the learning objectives of the Climate Action and Sustainable Development curriculum.


Key highlights from the workshops included teaching sustainability with technology, where pre-service teachers explored the TPACK model, which integrates content, pedagogy, and technology to enhance teaching. Student teams researched sustainability apps and presented their findings in engaging multimedia formats. Additionally, the teachers developed comprehensive lesson plans emphasising inquiry-based learning and cooperative strategies while analysing various teaching methodologies and incorporating them into their plans.


Central to the workshops were students being introduced to the Synapses portal and the repository of evaluated resources. Student reviewed and provided feedback on 26 Synapses resources, revealing that all of the evaluated resources promoted the Green Competencies required for Sustainability Citizenship. These competencies ranged from embodying sustainable values, embracing complexity, envisioning sustainable futures and acting for sustainability. Students strongly recommended using these resources to promote sustainable citizenship with students.


By the end of the programme, student teams presented lesson plans that integrated evaluated Synapses resources, showcasing innovative approaches to Sustainable Citizenship education. Prizes were also awarded to the student teams that developed and presented the most innovative and creative lesson plans using the Synapses resources. This hands-on experience positions these future educators to inspire meaningful action on climate change and sustainability in their classrooms.