The Leadership and EducAtion Framework (LEAF) Initiative is a Maynooth University teaching and learning project led by Centre for Teaching and Learning and funded under the HEA Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) call. The initiative supports leadership in teaching and learning through development and enactment of a Maynooth University (MU) Education Framework, with work continuing through its phased implementation.
A key milestone in Phase 1 was the launch of the LEAF Literature Review: Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Design through Education Frameworks and associated executive summary in November 2025, available via the National Resource Hub.The review examines how education and curriculum frameworks support teaching and learning enhancement, academic leadership and curriculum design in higher education. The review, which examines national and international models, is integral to the ongoing work of developing an MU Education Framework, supporting a whole-of-institution approach to curriculum design and the embedding of key educational priorities.
The initiative has now entered Phase 2, focusing on collaborative design of a Programme and Module Leaders Toolkit to support colleagues leading teaching and learning enhancement using the MU Education Framework. This work is being undertaken by a cross-disciplinary Senior Teaching and Learning Fellowship Team representing the Faculties of Social Sciences, Science and Engineering, and Arts and Humanities.
The initiative is guided by a LEAF Advisory Group of students and staff and supported by an External Expert Advisory Panel comprising Irish and international colleagues with expertise in education framework development.
