Trinity Access Programmes

Contact Us Trinity Access Programmes
Goldsmith Hall
Pearse Street
Dublin 2
Ireland

View the contact page for more contact and location information

tapadmin@tcd.ie

IMPACT Programme

Innovative Maths Pedagogy And Creative Teaching (IMPACT) Programme  

The IMPACT Programme is a professional development initiative for second-level teachers of mathematics in Ireland. It supports teachers to plan and implement units of learning that use engaging teaching approaches, helping students to understand and enjoy mathematics. Teachers can work towards an IMPACT badge, and schools with strong teacher participation in the badge can earn a school-level  IMPACT flag. 

Project Background 

Higher-level mathematics often acts as a significant barrier to students from socio-economically disadvantaged (SED) backgrounds seeking to enter STEM degrees, limiting their access to courses and careers that rely on strong mathematical foundations. Recognising this challenge, Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) developed the Access Maths initiative with the support of Three Ireland and a number of private donors. The initiative aims to make mathematics more engaging, meaningful, and accessible by equipping teachers with innovative strategies and resources to try new approaches in their classrooms. By supporting teachers in these ways, the project aimed to help more students stay with and succeed in higher-level mathematics, keeping STEM pathways open for those who wish to pursue them. 

The IMPACT Programme 

Building on the success of an initial pilot, TAP has established the IMPACT Programme: a professional development initiative for second-level teachers of mathematics in Ireland. It supports teachers to plan and implement units of learning that use engaging teaching approaches, helping students to understand and enjoy mathematics. Teachers can work towards an IMPACT badge, which recognises and showcases innovative classroom practice, while schools with strong teacher participation can earn a school-level IMPACT flag that celebrates and highlights their collective commitment to innovative mathematics teaching. 

  

The programme offers: 

  • Professional learning opportunities for teachers of mathematics, focused on teaching approaches for the Junior Cycle Mathematics curriculum 
  • Collaborative planning and reflection opportunities with other teachers of mathematics 
  • Practical classroom resources and ideas 
  • Recognition of excellent teacher practice through the IMPACT badge 
  • Recognition of excellent practice within a mathematics department through the IMPACT flag 
  • A residential programme and in-school support from our Teacher Fellow for selected scholarship recipients teaching in schools serving areas of socio-economic disadvantage 

  

The programme runs on a rolling annual basis, welcoming new schools while continuing collaboration and shared learning with previous participants. We offer a suite of professional development opportunities throughout the school year. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please complete the form available here. 

If you are a second-level teacher of mathematics in Ireland and would like to learn more about participating in the IMPACT Badge or IMPACT Flag, please contact the Programme Coordinator, Eleanor Byrne, at e.byrne@tcd.ie. 

 

Trinity Staff contact information: 

Eleanor Byrne: Teacher Fellow, Programme Coordinator & Mathematics Teacher  

Email: e.byrne@tcd.ie  

Rónán Smith: Associate Director of Research, Policy and Data 

Email: ronan.smith@tcd.ie