Alignment and Coherence in the Context of Policy and Curriculum Development in Ireland: Tensions, Debates, and Future Directions

Abstract

AbstractAlignment and coherence between vision, content, pedagogy, and assessment are critical components of successful curriculum design. Equally important is an alignment and coherence between the curriculum and wider education policies. “Crafting” such coherence in a time of policy change is an ongoing, dynamic, and intricate process for all actors and sectors in the education system as they adapt to make connections with and integrate reforms within their professional practice. In the Irish context, education policy development is centralized relative to many jurisdictions. Policy development responsibility has been devolved to a wide range of educational agencies, with varying levels of autonomy, under the aegis of the Department of Education. This has led to a messy and fluid diffusion of policy responsibility at the center, where there is often an insufficient awareness of how various policies relate to and cohere with one another.This chapter explores the complex and diffuse education policy landscape in Ireland with a particular focus on primary schooling and its implications for curriculum development and enactment in schools. Framed at the interface between the curriculum and wider education policy, the chapter critically analyzes the multiple and dynamic influences on curriculum development within the wider policy ecosystem and the power dynamics inherent in these relationships. The chapter concludes with key messages and implications for the Irish context that will resonate with international experiences.KeywordsCurriculum alignmentCurriculum coherenceCurriculum reformIrelandPolicy landscapePrimary school