Research | Fighting Words

Institute of Education at Dublin City University

Fighting Words at Dublin City University

Background

Collaboration between Fighting Words and various staff members on programmes at the DCU Institute of Education started in the early days of Fighting Words and has only grown and expanded over the years.

In 2018, the relationship evolved to a formal partnership between Fighting Words and Institute of Education, funded by the Department of Education.

The purpose of the collaboration is to progress creative writing and creative engagement in education through teacher education and research. Our Education Director Nora Nic Con Ultaigh is based at the Institute of Education as the Fighting Words Fellow, functioning as the Education Director for Fighting Words.

Research at DCU

Academic researchers have conducted studies into the effectiveness of the Fighting Words model for over a decade.

In 2014, the DCU Centre for Culturally Responsive Evaluation and Assessment carried out an evaluation of Fighting Words marking the start of a productive research relationship that to date has resulted in the publication of several academic articles, and further research on the Fighting Words model.

A Different Way of Being

"A Different Way of Being", DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre’s Inclusive Systems and Inclusive Arts Education Key Principles: A Strategic Framework for Fighting Words’ Poverty and Social Inclusion Commitments.

Authors: Dr. Una McCabe, Professor Paul Downes, Dr. Sylwia Kazmierczak-Murray, DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre 2025

Creative engagement as an approach for human rights education

Ó Cuanacháin, C. (2023), Creative Engagement as an Approach for Human Rights Education, in Mallon, B., Waldron, F., & Ní Cassaithe, C. (Eds.). (2023). Pushing the Boundaries of Human Rights Education: Concepts, Challenges and Contexts (1st ed.). Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003321644

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“Let the kids express themselves”: A Study of Primary and Post-Primary Teachers’ Experiences of Bringing the Fighting Words’ Creative Writing Model Into the Classroom (Dr Alfredo Salamao Filho, 2021)

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Fostering Creativity Through the Participatory Arts, (Dr Irene White, 2021)

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Participatory arts for creativity in education (PACE) model: exploring the participatory arts as a potential model for fostering creativity in post-primary education, (Dr Irene White, PhD thesis, Dublin City University, 2020)

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Fighting Words as revolutionary pedagogy: a Freirean reading of young people’s experiences of a socially-engaged creative writing centre, (Dr Irene White, Dr Francesca Lorenzi and Dr James O'Higgins Norman, 2018)

Irene White, Francesca Lorenzi & James O’Higgins Norman (2018): Fighting Words as revolutionary pedagogy: a Freirean reading of young people’s experiences of a socially-engaged creative writing centre, Pastoral Care in Education, DOI: 10.1080/02643944.2018.1527389

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The development of a model of creative space and its potential for transfer from non-formal to formal education, (Dr Irene White and Dr Francesca Lorenzi, 2016)

White, I., Lorenzi, F. The development of a model of creative space and its potential for transfer from non-formal to formal education. Int Rev Educ 62, 771–790 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11159-016-9603-4

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DCU Report on the Fighting Words Model (Dr Irene White and Dr Francesca Lorenzi, 2015)

The launch of 1, 2, Spraoi! - a maths story collaboration between three Irish-language medium schools, Fighting Words, the Institute of Education, DCU and COGG.

Teacher Education and Collaborations Across DCU

As part of its affiliated role as a Fellow in DCU, Fighting Words contributes to primary and post-primary teacher education programmes in DCU while also developing partnerships with other departments and research centres. We also work with clubs and societies to facilitate creative writing initiatives, such as the Neurodivergent Society, Enactus DCU and the Dungeons and Dragons Society.

Here are some examples of our collaborations:

Maths Through Story and Creative Writing

Mathematical creativity, the importance of creative story for learning and communicating maths, and the importance of mathematical logic and structure for writing, are all themes we explore with the fourth year BEd students at DCU's Institute of Education. Every year, the group produces some very creative mathematical stories.

We have also worked with young authors in schools around the country, as Béarla agus as Gaeilge, to publish collections of maths stories. Here are two examples:

We developed resources for teaching maths through story and as Gaeilge - you can find them here.

If your school is interested in booking maths through story workshops or for related information, please contact Nora Nic Con Ultaigh, Education Director at nora@fightingwords.ie

close-up of 1, 2, Spraoi!

Students reading at 1, 2, Spraoi! book launch

Fighting Words and Drama in Education

Partnering with the School of Arts Education and Movement in the DCU Institute of Education, and the BEd Year 3 Drama Specialism group, Fighting Words supports student teachers to write, produce and perform a play. Together with Fighting Words mentors the students explore themes related to children's rights and produce playlets in groups that are combined and presented to 6th class students in Glasnevin Educate Together National School.

2020 - Zooming Meatballs
2021 - Harsh Realities

Creative Anthology

Fighting Words mentors worked with the DCU Neurodivergent Society to produce an anthology of stories, poems and songs called The Art of Divergence.

The emerging evidence from the DCU research can contribute to curriculum reform and policy discussions related to creativity and creative writing in education.