DICE: Development & Intercultural Education

BACKGROUND

The DICE Project promotes and supports the integration of development education and intercultural education in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and across the Primary School Curriculum. The DICE Project’s work is guided by common values, which underpin a development education and intercultural education approach. These include a commitment to: Social justice; Human Rights; Sustainable Development; Respect and Empathy; Diversity; Global Citizenship; Anti-racism; and Equality.

CURRENT PROJECTS

The DICE Project is a collaborative partnership project between four institutions involved in Initial Teacher Education at Primary Level; Dublin City University, Marino Institute of Education, Maynooth University and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick. 

The Project, which is funded through a Strategic Partnership with Irish Aid, seeks to develop and extend capacity among staff to integrate development education and intercultural education into ITE programmes. Student teachers complete modules in development education and intercultural education as part of the Bachelor of Education, B.Oi, and Professional Masters in Education programmes. Development education and intercultural education are also embedded in the daily lives of the partner institutions through Global and Social Justice weeks and awareness raising events such as films, exhibitions, and fairs. These initiatives support student teachers to develop the necessary values, knowledge and skills to integrate development education and intercultural education across relevant areas of the Primary School Curriculum and into their classroom practice.

Research, contributions to conferences and publications along with a programme of continuous professional development (CPD) for teacher educators are core components of the DICE Project.