The Provision of An Evaluation of Curious Minds, Research Ireland’s Primary School Science Programme for Research Ireland

Description

The Curious Minds primary school programme is directly managed by Research Ireland’s EPE team. The aim of the programme is to support Ireland’s STEM Education policy 2017-2026 by emphasising the need to move away from rote memorisation towards engaged, skills-focused learning. Elements of the Curious Minds programme which assist in this initiative include: 1. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers In collaboration with ESERO Ireland, Curious Minds offers free CPD training for all primary school teachers – focusing on how STEM can be taught in a practical, hands-on manner. 812 teachers took part in the 2025 Summer courses (online and in-person) and 12-15 whole-school sessions took place for each workshop offered for the 2024/25 school year. 2. Classroom Resources The Curious Minds website has 100+ free resources available to support STEM teaching and learning, designed to complement the primary school curriculum. There were 27,930 resources download from the website in 2024. 3. Partnerships with teacher training colleges Curious Minds do CPD sessions in colleges every year to encourage an inquiry-based approach to STEM learning early in teacher training. Previously partnered with Froebel College of Education and are currently partnered with Marino College. 4. An awards programme for schools The Curious Minds awards give teachers and students the opportunity to celebrate their school’s STEM achievements. Registration for the awards opens at the start of the school year, with the submission deadline closing early May. Teachers record a log of evidence of STEM activity to submit online. In 2025, 397 primary schools received a Curious Minds award. 5. A network of science, heritage and discovery centres offering non-formal learning opportunities Research-Ireland accredited centres provide programmes and workshops designed using the Curious Minds inquiry-based framework. Currently, there are 42 members in the network, who attend quarterly meetings organised by Curious Minds