A Guide to a Multi-Domain Model of Living and Education

David Carter

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN:
  9781035843930
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Navigating the complexities of school life can be a daunting task for young people, educators, and parents alike. This book aims to provide practical guidance and insights to those who find themselves struggling in the educational landscape. While grounded in academic theory and evidence-based research, the primary focus of this book is on offering tangible solutions and real-world examples. Through a series of stories, vignettes, and problem-solving scenarios, the authors explore the challenges faced by students, teachers, and parents from various perspectives. By delving into these narratives, readers are likely to find answers to the questions that prompted them to pick up this book in the first place. The authors propose a model for change called the Multidomain Model of Education and Living (MDM), which aims to facilitate and enhance collaborative relationships between home and school, as well as within these two domains. Rather than advocating for sweeping, top-down changes that are often met with resistance, the MDM offers a flexible framework that can be adapted in part or in its entirety to suit the unique needs of each school community. The authors draw upon their own experiences in the Irish education system to illustrate how these ideas can be further developed and implemented. By inviting parents, guardians, pupils, and school staff to consider incorporating elements of the MDM into their own schools, the book serves as a catalyst for meaningful dialogue and incremental change. Ultimately, the authors believe that lasting transformation in Irish education will not come from above or below, but rather from the middle, where people come together to engage in open and constructive conversations. This book is a vital contribution to that ongoing dialogue.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• About the Author
• Dedication
• Copyright Information ©
• Acknowledgement
• Prologue
• Introduction
• It Shouldn’t Be This Way
• Their Stories
• Problems with the Educational System as Pupils and Parents See It
• Problems with the Educational System as We See It
• One Size Does Not Fit All
• Preface
• Our Pathway to an Alternative Way Forward
• Our Context and Vision
• Systemic Theory
• TCIS
• MDM as the Way Forward
• Multi-Domain Model
• MDM Framework for School
• MDM Support Skills Set and Setting
• How MDM Framework Works
• Implementing MDM in Schools
• Language We Use
• Diversity and Inclusion
• Initial Contact
• Who Is the Customer?
• The Referral System
• The Relationship Between School and Home ‘Discipline’
• A Systemic Model of Behavioural Support
• Collaborative Problem Solving
• Working with Troubled Children
• Therapy with Young People
• Family Therapy
• Curriculum, Programme and Daily Routine
• Attendance
• Home Contact and Providing Family Support
• Staff Well-being and Avoiding Burnout
• Putting MDM into Practice
• MDM in Practice
• Our Vision
• Our Hope for This Book:
• Further Reading and Supporting Theory
• The Structure of the Irish Primary and Secondary Education System
• The System Is Failing a Sizeable Cohort of Young People
• Hierarchies
• Critical Theory
• Thomas Kuhn and the Paradigm Shift
• Re-Engagement Policy
• Impact of Covid on the Disadvantaged
• References
• References