The recent adoption and phased implementation of the Primary Curriculum Framework (2025) and its associated subject specifications represent a key stage in the ongoing development of primary education in Ireland. This study explores the implementation of the reform in practice, examining the integration of Arts Education (Drama, Music and Art) within Social and Environmental Education (SEE), which comprises the subjects of History and Geography. The study is positioned at a critical juncture where the “Knowing and Acting” of educational reform meets the pragmatic realities of the classroom. The Primary Curriculum Framework (2025) emphasises holistic development and creative agency, while also reducing the mandated minimum time allocation for dedicated Arts Education in Stages 3 and 4 (3rd to 6th Class) in order to accommodate an expanded curriculum.

This research explores how arts integration, through the use of creative pedagogies, offers a robust solution to this temporal constraint. By repositioning the arts as the primary vehicle for understanding SEE, rather than as isolated subjects, the research tests a model in which teacher–student collaboration and innovation blur traditional subject boundaries. Drawing on Irish and international literature, the study responds to a recognised policy–practice gap in arts integration, where curriculum intentions are frequently challenged by limited time, variable teacher expertise and the absence of shared integration frameworks.

Pending ethical approval, the study will involve an 8-week pedagogical design cycle across all four curriculum stages (Junior Infants to 6th Class), commencing in Autumn 2026, and will focus on teachers’ professional judgement and experiences of arts integration. Central to this cycle is the utilisation of the arts to facilitate learning in a playful and exploratory manner. This playfulness is theorised not as a lack of rigour, but as a pedagogical stance characterised by “possibility thinking” (Craft, 2005), metaphor and embodied exploration. Such an approach aligns directly with the aims of the Primary Curriculum Framework (2025), which envisions a curriculum where agency is nurtured through engaging and imaginative experiences.

Through a pragmatist lens, the research focuses on teachers’ perceptions of effective practice during the initial term of the new Arts Education and SEE Specifications rollout. The pedagogical cycle utilises Drama for perspective taking, Music to evoke a sense of place and Art to represent social and environmental change. Data will be collected through surveys, structured reflection, classroom observation and teacher interviews, providing insight into how creative pedagogies are enacted in classrooms. The research evaluates how these multi-modal approaches allow for the grasp of complex social and environmental systems, by centring the creative pedagogies employed by teachers at the centre of teaching and learning.

Drawing on findings emerging from the literature review, early analysis highlights that while arts integration supports conceptual connection and engagement, implementation can become tokenistic without teacher agency, planning time and shared pedagogical models. Anticipated outcomes suggest that this integrated model can help bridge the implementation gap between policy documentation and classroom practice by enhancing teacher confidence and professional agency. Following a detailed literature review, preliminary indications suggest that the playful and aesthetic qualities of the arts support classroom practices that help students connect ideas across disciplines. Furthermore, the study expects to demonstrate that arts integration optimises the limited time available in Stages 3 and 4 of the Primary Curriculum Framework (2025), effectively restoring creative space through pedagogical efficiency. As an emerging researcher, the author seeks to contribute evidence on how creative arts practices can translate policy into classroom action, providing timely insights for teachers, school leaders and curriculum designers, contributing to the successful realisation of Ireland’s new educational vision for primary education.

This research employs a multiphase mixed methods sequential design grounded in a pragmatist worldview. This design prioritises the practical effects of pedagogical actions and evaluates the use of an 8-week pedagogical design cycle through the lens of teachers’ professional experiences of integrating the arts into SEE. Research Phases and Data Collection Pending ethical approval, the study will comprise four chronological phases designed to capture teacher perceptions across all four curriculum stages: Phase 1: Pre-Cycle (Quantitative) Baseline data will be gathered using a Teacher Pedagogical Self-Efficacy Scale (TPSES). This survey will assess teachers’ confidence, perceived competence and attitudes towards integrating Drama, Music and Art into History and Geography prior to the 2026 adoption of the specifications. Phase 2: 8-week Pedagogical Design Cycle (Qualitative) During the cycle, qualitative data will be generated through researcher observation of classroom practice, teacher focus groups and semi-structured interviews. This phase will document teachers’ experiences of employing creative pedagogies and their reflections on the feasibility of arts integration within the SEE curriculum. Phase 3: Post-Cycle (Quantitative) Following the cycle, the TPSES survey will be re-administered to the same cohort, allowing for statistical comparison of changes in teacher confidence and their professional evaluation of arts integration within SEE as a viable instructional model. Phase 4: Synthesis and Reflection (Qualitative) The final phase will involve follow up semi-structured interviews with teachers. These interviews will serve to explain the quantitative results and provide nuanced professional reflections on the impact of reduced Arts time in Stages 3 and 4, and whether arts integration and creative pedagogies successfully mitigated these constraints. Analysis The analysis will utilise convergent synthesis, where qualitative themes regarding teacher agency and the playful manner of instruction are integrated with quantitative changes in teachers’ confidence in their professional practice. The pragmatist evaluation focuses on practical applicability, identifying which arts integrated strategies teachers found most effective in translating the 2025 specifications into meaningful classroom experiences during the initial 2026 adoption period.

The recent implementation of the new Irish Primary Curriculum specifications prompts a re-evaluation of how educators adopt a more flexible approach to subject boundaries. This research demonstrates that the successful implementation of the Primary Curriculum Framework, particularly its emphasis on creativity and agency, is contingent upon supporting teachers in the implementation of creative pedagogies through arts integration with SEE. While the reduction of dedicated time for the arts in Stages 3 and 4 poses a systemic challenge, this study illustrates that teachers can effectively use the arts as fundamental tools for understanding the social and environmental world. Focusing on teacher opinions and professional judgment, it is envisaged that this 8-week pedagogical design cycle will show that a playful manner of learning is viewed by educators as an efficient and meaningful way to meet the requirements of the new specifications. The anticipated results suggest that when teachers are empowered to integrate Art, Music and Drama into History and Geography, their instructional methods become more inclusive and sustainable. This directly supports the Primary Curriculum Framework's (2025) aim of fostering "active citizenship" and "agency" through practitioner expertise. Ultimately, this research project suggests that the success of the initial adoption of the specifications depends on moving beyond rigid administrative routines toward classroom practices shaped by teachers’ expertise and initiative. Through documenting the effectiveness of this multiphase mixed-methods 8-week pedagogical design cycle, the study aims to provide a vital, evidence based roadmap for school leaders and policy makers. It suggests the playful agency afforded by arts integration is what allows the curriculum to become a lived experience. In the evolving Irish educational landscape, the professional judgment of the teacher remains the essential connective link between policy intent and classroom practice.

Biesta, G. (2003). Pragmatism and Educational Research. New York: Bloomsbury. Biesta, G. (2022). World-centred Education: A View for the Present. London: Routledge. Burnaford, G., Brown, S., Doherty, J., & McLaughlin, H. J. (2007). Arts integration: Frameworks, research & practice. Washington: Arts Education Partnership. Craft, A. (2015). Creativity, Education and Culture. London: Routledge. Cremin, T., & Chappell, K. (2021). Creative Pedagogies: A Systematic Review. Research Papers in Education, 36(3), 299-331. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research. London: Sage. Department of Education (2023). Primary Curriculum Framework: For Primary and Special Schools. Dublin: Government Publications. Department of Education (2025). Specifications for Arts Education (Art, Music, Drama, and Digital Media). Dublin: NCCA. Department of Education (2025). Specifications for Social and Environmental Education (History and Geography). Dublin: NCCA. Dewey, J. (1934). Art as Experience. New York: Minton, Balch & Co. Eisner, E. W. (2002). The Arts and the Creation of Mind. Yale University Press. Fetters, M. D., & Molina-Azorin, J. F. (2023). The SAGE Handbook of Mixed Methods Research Design. London: SAGE. Greene, J. C. (2007). Mixed Methods in Social Inquiry. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Kenny, A., & Jaber, H. (2025). Hearing and creating soundscapes to explore agency and belonging in intercultural schools. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 25(26). O'Toole, J., & Dunn, J. (2002). Pretending to Learn: Helping Children Learn Through Drama. Melbourne: Pearson. Ring, E. and O’Sullivan, L. (2025) Play, learning and teaching in a redeveloped primary curriculum. Dublin: National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. Robinson, K., & Aronica, L. (2015). Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education. New York: Penguin. The Teaching Council (2016). Cosán: Framework for Teacher Learning in the New Curriculum. Maynooth: The Teaching Council. Thomson, P., & Hall, C. (2023). Schools and Cultural Citizenship: Arts Education for Life (1st ed.) Routledge. Winner, E., & Vincent-Lancrin, S. (2013). Art for Art’s Sake? The Impact of Arts Education. OECD Publishing.