Doodle STEAM: Building Parental Confidence in STEAM Activities

Challenges:
Challenge 1: Difficulty recruiting an evaluator
Cause: No initial tender applications despite wide outreach
Solution: Increased budget using internal funds; researcher secured but project delayed by several months
Challenge 2: Ethical approval delays
Cause: Lengthy ethical approval process and staff time required for form completion
Solution: Approval eventually granted, but future projects should factor in longer lead-in for ethics
Challenge 3: Low school participation in evaluation
Cause: Ethical approval restricted recruitment to Dublin 24 schools; School staff time needed to engage with programmes and research
Solution: Only 4 schools included (vs. 10 planned); future evaluations may need broader ethical clearance
Challenge 4: Lack of Cork-based trainer
Cause: Doodle STEAM training mostly concentrated in Dublin before the current roll out and therefore no local Doodle STEAM trainer for Munster staff
Solution: Staff travelled for training; now resolved via rolling AQS recruitment and development of online training
Challenge 5: Misaligned grant timing
Cause: Funds arrived in January, mid-academic year
Solution: Programme launch delayed; not enough schools onboarded initially to meet spend targets
Challenge 6: Need for extended delivery window
Cause: Delays from recruitment and ethics processes
Solution: Secured 3-month grant extension to complete programme delivery

Findings:
1. Doodle STEAM successfully engaged parents in STEAM learning
Parents gained confidence and practical skills to support their children’s STEAM education at home.
2. Children showed increased curiosity and creativity
Structured activities helped develop problem-solving skills and interest in STEAM careers.
3. Parent-child learning strengthened relationships
Shared sessions created a positive learning environment and extended STEAM engagement into the home.
4. Programme delivery was consistent and well-supported
HSCLs used structured manuals, handbooks, and online resources to deliver sessions effectively.
5. Facilitator training scaled nationally
44 HSCLs trained across two years, enabling delivery in 33 schools-exceeding the original target of 25.
6. Local relevance and accessibility were prioritised
Sessions were held in schools, making participation easy and familiar for parents.
7. Programme design responded to community needs
Built on proven models (Doodle Den/Families) and tailored to DEIS school contexts.
8. Children’s outcomes were formally evaluated
This funding enabled recruitment of a researcher to assess child impact, addressing prior evaluation gaps.
9. Public funding expanded geographic reach
Programme ran in five counties, demonstrating scalability and national relevance.
10. Inclusive, replicable model established
Programme met its core objectives and offers a strong foundation for future early STEAM education initiatives.

Learnings:
1. Researcher recruitment needs stronger incentives
Initial outreach failed; future tenders should budget competitively and allow more lead-in time.

2. Ethics approval can be a bottleneck
The ethical approval process was time-consuming; future projects should start ethics applications early and allocate staff time accordingly.

3. School research recruitment is context-sensitive
Ethical restrictions and staff limitations on time limited school participation; broader approval and earlier engagement with schools are essential.

4. Regional training gaps affect access
Lack of local trainers in Cork created travel burdens; rolling AQS recruitment and online training are effective solutions.

5. Grant timing must align with school calendars
January funding arrival clashed with academic cycles; future planning should anticipate school-year rhythms.

6. Flexibility in timelines is crucial
Delays required a grant extension; building contingency time into project plans can safeguard delivery.