Board of management oversight of primary school ethos (Republic of Ireland): an examination of current practices, challenges, and implications

The research reported in this paper sought to determine the level of awareness among school principals in primary schools in Ireland where homophobic bullying is concerned. International research has previously shown that school leaders as animators of school climate are often lacking in their responses to this type of bullying [Walton, G. 2004. “Bullying and Homophobia in Canadian Schools: The Politics of Policies, Programs, and Educational Leadership.” Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education 1 (4): 23–36; Pizmony-Levy, O., and J. G. Kosciw. 2016. “School Climate and the Experience of LGBT Students: A Comparison of the United States and Israel.” Journal of LGBT Youth 13 (1–2): 46–66; Taylor, C. G., E. J. Meyer, T. Peter, J. Ristock, D. Short, and C. Campbell. 2016. “Gaps Between Beliefs, Perceptions, and Practices: The Every Teacher Project on LGBTQ-Inclusive Education in Canadian Schools.” Journal of LGBT Youth 13 (1–2): 112–140]. We sought to ascertain whether school principals in Ireland have had experience of dealing with this type of bullying, whether they believe it is a significant issue and what they perceive their role to be in relation to addressing homophobic bullying. The research focused on the views of school principals because of the critical role they play in policy implementation and school organisation. The research revealed that one in every two school principals had responded to homophobic bullying and that these same principals did not always consider the use of homophobic pejoratives to constitute homophobic bullying. The paper points to the need for further education and training for school leaders on the topic of homophobic bullying otherwise their perspectives will contribute to the many silences that surround this topic in primary schools in Ireland.

This study aims to explore the professional learning and development needs of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) as strategic leaders in primary schools in Ireland. With the SENCO role lacking formal recognition in Irish policy, this research is important to identify the support structures necessary to enhance their effectiveness in leading inclusive education. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, theoretically framed by Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and Wenger’s Community of Practice model, the study first surveyed 371 SENCOs to assess their professional learning experiences and needs. This was followed by semi-structured interviews with nine school leaders, including SENCOs, SENCO principals, and principals, to gather in-depth insights into the role’s dynamics. The Department of Education’s school database was used to contact participants. Data analysis utilised descriptive statistics for the survey and reflexive thematic analysis for the interview data. Key findings indicate a significant demand for formal SENCO-specific professional learning programmes, with a focus on leadership, evidence-informed practices, and community engagement. The study concludes that professional learning for SENCOs should be structured around transformative social learning models and should include postgraduate courses and communities of practice. The research calls for policy development to formally recognise the SENCO role, and provide a coherent framework for their professional learning and development to ensure inclusive educational practices are effectively led and implemented in Irish schools.

Parents reported experiences of support for diabetes management in schools are variable. Recent data from European countries are sparse and experiences in the Irish primary school setting have not been described previously. To describe parents' experiences of support for diabetes management in primary schools in Ireland. Questionnaires were distributed through nine regional and tertiary paediatric diabetes services to parents of children aged 4-13years with type 1 diabetes attending primary school. Data sought included patient demographics, treatment regimens, diabetes education of school staff, assistances received, and interactions between the school and family. Responses were received from 418 parents of primary school children with type 1 diabetes. Twenty-six percent of children were not on intensive insulin therapy. Children on a multiple daily injection regime who were unable to self-administer insulin had administration facilitated by attendance of a parent in 95% of cases. Seventy-eight percent of parents were phoned by the school regarding diabetes management, particularly those of younger children (p < 0.001). More than half of parents attended the school at least once per month to assist with diabetes management, particularly those of younger children (p < 0.001). Younger children were also more likely to have a special needs assistant (p < 0.001) and have a written management plan (p = 0.001). Our research has demonstrated deficits in care with respect to access to intensive insulin therapy, individualised care plans and a high burden on families which should be addressed through the National Clinical Programme for Paediatrics and Neonatology and relevant government departments.

Schooling in Ireland is compulsory from the age of six until 16. Most primary schools are privately owned but state-funded and provide education for children from the ages of four to 11 or 12 years. Around 95% of primary schools are denominational in their intake and management. Alternative option to parents is provided by the new Community National (CN) and Educate Together (ET) schools. CN schools were set up in response to parental demand in areas with considerable numbers of immigrants, and where children were not able to secure places in local schools. Two such schools were established in September 2008 and a further three in September 2010. These schools provide an additional option for parents, and are designed to meet the demand for different approach in providing religious and moral education. These schools provide faith formation for different religious groups during the school, distinctly different from the approach adopted by the currently 58 ET schools that teach children about different world religions with an optional faith formation component after school, organised by the parents. There has been a growing demand for alternative schools, as the proportion of the population who do not belong to the Catholic faith has increased. There are also two state-funded Islamic primary schools in Ireland, both in Dublin, and one Jewish school. All state schools follow a centralized curriculum. Pupils are not generally permitted to repeat a school year (see Department of Education, 2003).KeywordsCultural CapitalResearch TraditionMigrant ChildImmigrant StudentIrish SocietyThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

This article presents a comparative analysis of teachers’ perspectives on their faith, spiritual convictions, and approaches to religious education in Catholic primary schools in Ireland and South Korea. The study shows that teachers’ religious beliefs significantly influence how they perceive spirituality, teach religion, and approach interreligious engagement. Some teachers prioritise transmitting faith, while others, even without belief in God, express a sense of the sacred connected to spiritual awareness. They seek to appreciate the sacred in every moment and nurture children’s innate spirituality, fostering a connection to the meaning of life. The research highlights the role of teachers’ beliefs in shaping their pedagogical approaches to interreligious education beyond the boundaries of a singular Catholic tradition. It particularly underlines their understanding of the broader context of spirituality, whether rooted in religious beliefs or not, and how it relates to the intersection between secular and faith worldviews. While Korean teachers often emphasise Catholic identity more prominently, both, Irish and Korean teachers integrate interreligious learning and align their teaching with broader spiritual values that enrich the diverse educational landscape. This paper contributes valuable insights into the complex interplay of religious beliefs, spirituality, and engagement in interreligious contexts.

Issues of pedagogy are critical in all aspects of early childhood education. Early childhood mathematics is no exception. There is now a great deal of guidance available to teachers in terms of high‐quality early childhood mathematics teaching. Consequently, the characteristics of high‐quality early childhood mathematics education are clearly identifiable. Issues such as building on young children’s prior‐to‐school knowledge; engaging children in general mathematical processes; and assessing and documenting children’s learning are some of the key aspects of high‐quality early childhood mathematics education. The extent to which teachers of four‐ and five‐year‐old children in primary schools in Ireland incorporate current pedagogical guidance in early childhood mathematics education was explored in 2007 in a nationally representative questionnaire survey of teachers of four‐ and five‐year‐old children attending primary schools. This paper presents some of the findings of the study in relation to teachers’ self‐reported challenges, difficulties and priorities in teaching early childhood mathematics. Implications are drawn for professional development, curriculum guidance and educational policy.

The experiences of migrant children in the Catholic primary school in Victoria in the 1950s and 1960s

All learning is emplaced. It happens somewhere and it involves material things. It is located and situated. This paper focuses on spaces and places outside of the classroom where lessons about ‘self’ and ‘other’ are learnt. Drawing on recent research (‘Space, place and the making of masculinities in primary schools in Ireland’, O Donoghue, Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 2006, volume 3), the paper analyses the stories/narratives of a group of ten and eleven year old boys, stories that tell of how they learn to speak, act and perform masculinities in school spaces and places. These performances, ‘naturalized’ through repetition and regulation, happen in spaces that exert significant effects on boys by opening up/closing off certain behavioural possibilities. The paper makes visible processes of doing and re/presenting research into masculinities and schooling in, with and through art. It argues that a research approach drawing on theories and processes of contemporary art practice offers much for conceptualizing, doing and representing research and provides opportunities that other research methods close off.

Radical transformation of Ireland’s special education system has occurred over the past three decades. National and international policy and legislative drivers for a more inclusive approach to education have resulted in greater levels of mainstreaming, with one exception. Provision for autistic children is increasingly provided through special classes: discrete classes attached to mainstream schools. This paper presents findings from a qualitative exploration of the benefits and challenges attributed to autism class provision in mainstream primary schools in Ireland, from the perspective of teachers and school principals. The findings reveal a role for autism special class teachers that is multi-faceted, rewarding, challenging, and directly related to the extent to which the special class is systematically included with whole school policy and practice. The significance of leadership and collaboration in promoting inclusive approaches to autism class provision features strongly in the findings and influences schools’ willingness to establish special classes. Micro-exclusion emerged as a theme and is linked to school culture and ethos. Findings contribute unique perspectives of school personnel, and recommendations create awareness of the benefits and challenges associated with autism special class provision and inform future innovation at a time when inclusive policy agendas and practices relating to autism provision arguably contradict each other.

Technical Graphics is one of the technology subjects taught at Junior Certificate level in post- primary schools in Ireland. The Junior Certificate examination is held at the end of the Junior Cycle in post-primary schools, which caters for students aged from 12 to 15 years. As a teacher of Technical Graphics for the past seven years, I have gained a great understanding and insight into the different topics in the subject and how they are perceived by students. I concur with the State Examinations Commission report (2008) that students lack an understanding of the rotation element of transformation geometry, one of the six topics covered on the Junior Cycle Technical Graphics course. The purpose of this study is to implement a new teaching methodology through the use of SolidWorks in an effort to improve the students’ visualization, spatial awareness and understanding of transformation geometry. I engaged in an action research study of my own practice as I investigated if SolidWorks could actually be used at Junior Certificate level to improve student understanding of transformation geometry. The action research took place over a five-week period and included three cycles of research. The research was carried out with a third-year Junior Cycle group aged between fifteen and sixteen years of age and all students in the class took part in the study. The first stage of the research examined student progress as they worked through the topic following teacher instruction on SolidWorks. The second stage of the research examined the students’ progress as they used the software for themselves. I carried out an assessment task with students towards the end of the study, which showed that student learning had improved in comparison to previous years.

Inclusive education in Ireland has made major advances in the past two decades, with an increasing number of students with special educational needs (SEN) attending mainstream schools. This paper is part of a bigger study which examines the Special Education Teacher Allocation Model (SETAM) (Circular 0013/2017 Department of Education and Skills 2017) as the current model to support inclusion in practice in Irish primary schools. Guided by a constructivist paradigm, a mixed-methods approach was adopted to reveal the workings of the SETAM, in the Context of Practice. This paper presents the findings from the first phase of data collection; a national, online survey. Findings show that greater teacher autonomy to identify students’ needs and allocate support, under this model, was welcomed by participants. However, limited continuous professional development sees some teachers feeling underprepared to identify such needs. More collaborative and inclusive practice is evident since the introduction of the SETAM, with increased use of in-class support for students with SEN. These findings may inform key stakeholders in inclusive education policy and practice, at a national and international level, by unveiling areas of success and potential for improvement, as recognised by Irish teachers.

This paper offers a comprehensive examination of the ‘lived experience’ of workplace bullying in primary schools in Ireland. Underpinned by the qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with a class teacher, a chairperson of a Board of Management and a school principal – all of whom who believe themselves to have been targets of workplace bullying in their schools – the paper presents their personal narratives as representative inductive exemplars. Each of these case studies highlight the far-reaching impact of negative workplace interaction for both individuals and the wider school community and, in so doing, provide a voice for a hithertofore silent minority. Through a Foucauldian analysis of the complex exercise of power which is at the heart of all bullying relationships, this study reveals the key role of management and organisational cultures to both the experience and incidence of adult bullying in primary schools, as well as the critical importance of leadership in framing the nature of professional relationships in school organisations.

ABSTRACTThis paper reports on a pilot study of the Musical Futures approach conducted in two secondary and two primary schools in Ireland. A case study approach underpinned the methodology for the study which included a survey questionnaire of students, semi-structured interviews with music teachers and principals, non-participant observation and focus groups with the students. Findings resonate with previous Musical Futures studies internationally, for example, motivation for learning, developing critical listening and ensemble skills, and enthusiasm for music as a subject. The paper will consider the implications of the study for music education policy and practice in Ireland. Insights from the study will provide key recommendations for incorporating Musical Futures in similar contexts.

This research examines current practices and needs in relation to behaviour support in selected primary schools in the Republic of Ireland and examines whether practices and needs differ depending on location, school gender and perspectives of respondents. It seeks to determine whether the needs could be met with a whole-school positive behaviour support programme. Whole-school positive behaviour support is underpinned by two psychological theories, namely Behaviourism and Systems Change. The three-staged methodological approach involved Department of Education and Science (DES) Primary School Directory for eligible schools, qualitative and quantitative data, with a combination of questionnaires, interviews and focus-group interviews with principals, teachers and pupils. The majority of respondents agreed that current practices in behaviour support at school-level included the following: behaviour rules are enforced consistently, staff roles are clear and school behaviour rules are fair. On whether current practices differed between location, school gender and perspective, no significant differences were found in relation to location but significant differences were found in school gender on two variables and on perspective of respondents on all three variables. The most important needs according to principals and teachers were consistency between school staff and rules systematically taught. Principals also chose behaviour management training for school personnel while teachers chose rewards and consequences. Pupils chose respect between pupils and teachers, social skills taught, rewards and consequences, and consistency between school staff. On whether needs differed depending on location, school gender and perspective, no significant difference was noted by respondents in relation to location on the most important needs. No significant difference in school gender was noted except on the offer of a school behaviour programme. However, significant differences were found depending on perspective of respondents on rules systematically taught, consistency between school staff, rewards and consequences and respect between pupils and teachers. The research concluded that a Whole-School Positive Behaviour Support Programme would be a good fit for Irish primary schools as it answered the needs highlighted by respondents. Additionally, it is flexible and can accommodate each school‟s unique ethos and culture. The research concluded with recommendations at macro and micro levels.

In contemporary Australian society the term Reconciliation refers to the process by which the Indigenous and wider Australian communities strive to improve relations with each other. It seeks to do this by recognizing past wrongdoings, addressing the disadvantage faced by Indigenous people today, whilst working together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians for a better future (Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, 1993a,b,g). Education is seen to play an important role in the advancement of this process. This is evident in the policy documents of Australian education departments (Brisbane Catholic Education, 2006; Department of Education, science and Training, 1999; Education Queensland, 2000) and the observed level of support for Reconciliation in the educational community (Burridge, 2006). It is apparent that Reconciliation is a key issue for teachers in modern Australia. This is particularly the case for teachers in Catholic schools. Catholic school teachers are required to model gospel values, one of which is the notion of reconciliation, embodied in the sacramental rite bearing the same name. Although the theological and secular meanings of this term have some similarities there are significant tensions between 'Christian' reconciliation and reconciliation in the broader Australian context. The importance of Reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians to Catholic school teachers is articulated in the National Catholic Education Commission's Statement: Educating for Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation (1998). This document makes a strong commitment to support and encourage educators in the Catholic community to journey with Indigenous Australians and work towards reconciliation through education. Teachers in Catholic primary schools are the interface between Reconciliation, the Catholic ethos, and students.;The attitude of these teachers towards this process will have a significant bearing on how it is addressed in the school setting. The National Catholic Education Commission (1998) regards a positive and productive approach to Reconciliation is dependent on an appreciation of Indigenous Australian history. It is this link between knowledge of Indigenous Australian history and attitude towards Reconciliation that is the principle focus of this study. This investigation tested the hypothesis that teachers' knowledge of Indigenous history impacts positively on their attitude towards Reconciliation. In testing this hypothesis data on these constructs were collected via an attitude inventory and a history test, presented in questionnaire format. These research instruments were developed specifically for this investigation and administered to 100 staff from 11 Brisbane Catholic Education Primary schools. These 11 schools were those that agreed to participate from a sample of 50 schools randomly selected from within the Brisbane Diocese. The participants' scores on each of the instruments were correlated in order to test the research hypothesis and their responses to the attitude survey were subjected to factor analytic techniques to search for underlying patterns in the data. Schools differed significantly in their attitude scores and history test results, however, across the sample it was found that there was a small to moderate positive correlation between a teacher's knowledge of Indigenous history and their attitude towards Reconciliation. Participation in formal training in Indigenous history, Indigenous studies, or cultural awareness was also shown to correlate with a positive attitude towards Reconciliation.;With regards to the factor analysis, it was observed that the response patterns of participants to the Attitude survey could be grouped into five broad themes and that the highest level of agreement was observed on items relating to 'Recognition of ATSI history in Australian Culture'. The latter finding indicates that the teachers sampled considered Indigenous history an important aspect of the Reconciliation process. The correlation between history test results and attitude inventory scores supports the research hypothesis that that teachers' knowledge of Indigenous history impacts positively on their attitude towards Reconciliation. This, coupled with the observation that participation in formal training also impacts favorably on this construct, suggests steps by which teacher attitudes could be improved. These steps could include making in-service training and pre-service units focusing on Indigenous history a compulsory component of teacher education programs.