Education In Northern Ireland Research Articles

The participatory experiences of pupils with vision impairment in education

While there has been a long-term commitment to inclusion in mainstream schools for pupils with special educational needs, including vision impairment (VI), the position of these pupils in an inclusive school environment, and the extent to which their educational, social, and emotional needs are met, continues to be problematic. This study investigates the experience of children and young people with VI accessing the curriculum and education, through evaluating the perceived quality of their participation in terms of rights, efficiency, and development. The methodology employed a qualitative approach, comprising face-to-face focus group interviews with pupils with VI. Three focus group sessions took place with 13 pupils with VI aged 8–18 years from primary and post-primary schools. Regarding pupils’ participatory rights, many reported challenges experienced in terms of equal access to education. In some instances, obstacles emerged due to lack of proper engagement with the pupil, or teachers’ actions were seen to reinforce pupil difference, undermining opportunities for more inclusive practice. In terms of development, this was chiefly evidenced by frequent descriptions of ‘missing out’, particularly on the social and peer engagement aspects of school life. Pupils unanimously reported that participation could be more efficient if there was increased awareness of their lived experiences with VI, and positive aspects of empowerment emerged when pupils felt included in decision-making about their needs. This study highlights key challenges for pupils with VI regarding how they access education in Northern Ireland, including issues surrounding their inclusion, everyday discrimination, and a lack of awareness of VI. Although these children and young people demonstrated appeasement and understanding, when insensitivities arose, pupils with VI, while resilient and generally positive about their experience, are faced with challenges that diminish their access, participation, and enjoyment of education.

Fulfilling the unmet potential: Harnessing ambition, autonomy, and agility in Northern Ireland's education system

AbstractDespite the divisions within Northern Ireland's education system along religious and academic lines, it has managed to maintain relative stability, or at least a functional inertia, over the past four decades. The full potential, however, of this system and in particular, the Northern Ireland Curriculum (NIC), has yet to be realised. This paper presents a comprehensive exploration of the intricate interplay between the NIC and Initial Teacher Education (ITE), bringing to the fore the footprint of Lawrence Stenhouse. It critically examines the salient features of the NIC, particularly its alignment with Stenhouse's pedagogical tenets, and its subsequent ramifications on ITE, for both its content and pedagogical strategies. The ambitions are, however, not without their challenges. The overarching shadow of an exam‐centric system stymies the NIC's full realisation, presenting a dichotomy between curriculum goals and pragmatic educational realities. The absence of a coherent Teacher Professional Learning framework also inhibited curriculum development. The Learning Leaders strategy, although yet to be implemented due to the collapse of the Northern Ireland Assembly and consequently lack of financial support, has the potential to pick up the baton of reform and help teachers and school leaders move closer to implementing the NIC in the way it was intended. The paper concludes by identifying the probable, possible, plausible and preferred ways forward for NI's education system.

Teaching note: assessing social work students on placement: a model for professional competence

ABSTRACT This teaching note describes how the author (a practice teacher and university lecturer) retrospectively considered and applied the work of Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger; with a specific focus on situated learning, communities of practice and pre-qualifying social work education in Northern Ireland. Through this retrospective lens, this conceptual paper presents a new, inclusive model for practice teachers (practice educators) and social work students to use in professional supervision. The Social Work Placement Professional Competence (PPC) Model is presented as a supervisory tool to guide and frame professional discussions and critical analysis of student’s practice. The model can be used to critically reflect on the development of the students’ incremental learning, knowledge base, evidence of decision-making, assessment of need and ability to effectively manage risk.

A review of existing methods used to assess demand for integrated education in Northern Ireland

AbstractThe education system in Northern Ireland (NI) is complex with the diversity of management structures reflecting religious affiliation and academic selection. Within the system, integrated education provides a mechanism to promote reconciliation among divided communities. Integrated education has been aided by legislation—most recently, the Integrated Education Act (NI) 2022, which places responsibility on the Department of Education and the Education Authority to encourage, facilitate and support integrated education. However, there is no standardised or agreed operational methodology on assessing demand for this. This study aims to examine the current approaches to assessing demand for integrated education in NI by collating existing evidence from key stakeholders and reviewing academic literature. Publicly available information was synthesised from the websites of key stakeholders, and a rapid literature review was conducted to identify methods used in NI and internationally to ascertain demand for education provision. The literature review returned limited results, and the review of key stakeholders' websites illustrated that although existing methods used in NI monitor support in principle for integrated education, they do not capture the full range of factors considered by parents when selecting a school. As a result, the findings indicate a mismatch between articulated preferences for integrated education, the availability of places in integrated schools, and the uptake of these. This study concludes that although existing methods provide part of the evidence jigsaw necessary to assess demand, alternative approaches must be considered to acknowledge the existing complexities within the education system and wider societal structures in NI.

A chronology of the history and development of social work education in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT This article presents a detailed history of the development of social work education in Northern Ireland from 1962 to 2020 as a chronology spanning 58 years. Policy mapping was used as a model to build the chronology. A brief examination of the social, political and geographical context of Northern Ireland outlining the distinctive nature of social work in a post-conflict context are discussed. The chronology is presented as a table detailing the development of social work education in Northern Ireland over the last five decades. This culminates in a discussion which highlights some key shifts in policy and practice developments as they relate to social work education in Northern Ireland at pre and post qualifying levels.

Understanding the disparity of educational attainment in Northern Ireland: The role of socio-demographic and school-level factors on GCSE attainment.

ObjectivesThis study examined the individual and collective impacts of socio-demographics and school-level factors on GCSE outcomes in Northern Ireland, using linked administrative data. A pupil’s sex, religious affiliation and socio-economic background (measured by eight measures) were examined, along with parental socio-economic background, attended school type (grammar/non-grammar) and school management structure.
 MethodThis study used the first linked administrative dataset for education in Northern Ireland. The dataset linked the 2011 household Census, School Leavers Survey (2010-2014) and School Census (2010-2014) for the first time. Data were provided for three pupil cohorts who completed their GCSE examinations in consecutive academic years (2010/2011 – 2012/2013).
 The study conducted multilevel models to understand the nested effects of pupil-, household- and school-level factors on GCSE attainment outcomes. Interaction models were also executed to examine the multiplicative effects of a pupil’s sex, religious affiliation and socio-economic background on their educational attainment.
 ResultsThe findings of this study highlight that the impact of socio-economic status is multidimensional, with some measures having a greater impact on GCSE attainment than others. For example, a mother’s education qualifications had the largest impact of socio-economic measures included in the multilevel models. The analysis also found that Free School Meal Eligibility remains an important predictor of attainment outcomes. When considering pupils’ sex, females had higher GCSE attainment scores than males. However, religious affiliation had a varied influence on GCSE outcomes, indicating the need for a more nuanced approach when considering this factor. The importance of interaction terms to gain an in-depth understanding of the multiplicative effect of factors on attainment outcomes was also highlighted in the analysis.
 ConclusionThrough the use of linked administrative data, this study highlights the hierarchy of socio-economic effects on GCSE attainment outcomes in Northern Ireland. It also highlights the importance of collectively considering the factors that make up a pupil’s demographic profile to garner a holistic understanding of attainment trends in Northern Ireland.

Improving access to free school meals for children in poverty in Northern Ireland

ObjectivesTwo thirds of children in poverty did not receive free school meals (FSM) between 2015 and 2019 in Northern Ireland (Department for Communities in Northern Ireland, 2022). This project aims to explore this discrepancy between eligibility and access to FSM and improve access to FSM for all children in poverty.
 MethodsData from the Family Resources Survey (FRS) between 2017 and 2020 was obtained from the UK Data Service and FSM eligibility was calculated using the current criteria provided by the Department for Education in Northern Ireland. Cross-tabulations were used to explore the number of children in receipt of FSM compared to those eligible but not in receipt of FSM. Multilevel logistic regression models used FSM eligibility as the dependent variable and relative and absolute poverty before and after housing costs and number of siblings in a family as the independent variables, controlling for age and gender of the child.
 ResultsPreliminary analysis suggests that increasing the income threshold for families with more than one child provides greater access to FSM for children in poverty. There is also evidence that using the OECD modified equivalisation to adjust household income for larger families improves the rate of FSM eligibility for children in relative and absolute poverty before and after housing costs. The findings aim to provide evidence on the most appropriate threshold and equivalisation calculation required to ensure all children in poverty are eligible for FSM, giving greater access to FSM and educational opportunities to those children who need it most.
 ConclusionThe project will inform the current Anti-Poverty Strategy which is under review in Northern Ireland highlighting the need to consider family size through equivalisation into the FSM eligibility criteria. It also emphasizes the importance of administrative data to inform policy on FSM and other educational opportunities in Northern Ireland.

Eliciting farmers’ preferences towards agriculture education in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT Purpose Agriculture education promotes farmers and societal welfare through a more efficient use of resources and the adoption of sustainable farming practices. Nevertheless, farmers’ educational attainment is limited across countries. This study explores farmers’ intention to participate in formal agriculture education. Design/methodology/approach A discrete choice experiment survey with 363 farmers exploring their preferences for different specifications within a diploma in agriculture was employed. We focus on Northern Ireland, a country with a relatively large agricultural sector and were farmers have a low level of formal education. Findings Our results show that farmers exhibited a preference for short courses delivered in the evenings, with 75% of the teaching time delivered online, favouring educational topics linked to farm performance against those related to socio-environmental outcomes. Part-time younger farmers, operating in small farms located in less favoured areas, reported the highest willingness to pay for the course. However, farmers that had previously participated in a Young Farmer Payment Scheme reported the lowest interest in undertaking the course. Practical implications The study provides useful information to education providers in relation to the design of agriculture courses to better meet farmers’ preferences and therefore encourage levels of uptake. Secondly, the study can help policymakers to make informed decisions about policy instruments incentivising farmers to engage in education. Theoretical implications By drawing from random parameter choice models, the study highlights that the heterogeneity of farmers’ preferences should be considered when modelling their decision to engage in agriculture education. Originality/value This is the first study that elicits farmers’ preferences towards agriculture education via a discrete choice experiment. Secondly, the study explores preference heterogeneity based on farmers and farms’ characteristics.

Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers endured prolonged stress affecting their psychological well-being. Objectives: (1) Evaluate the effects of the Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBMIC) on COVID-related stress among employees of the Regional Integrated Support for Education, Northern Ireland, (2) Reduce the risk of adverse effects from COVID-related stress, and (3) Evaluate the effects of BBMIC on indicators of psychophysiological states and the consistency with hypothesized mechanisms of action. In this single group study, a convenience sample of 39 female healthcare workers completed informed consent and baseline measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-S), and Exercise-Induced Feelings Inventory (EFI). Following the online BBMIC 4 h/day for 3 days and the 6 week solo (20 min/day) and group practice (45 min weekly), repeat testing plus the Indicators of Psychophysiological State (IPSS) and Program Evaluation were obtained. Baseline (T1) mean PSS score was significantly elevated compared to a normative sample: PSS = 18.2 vs. 13.7 (p < 0.001) and improved significantly 11 weeks post-BBMIC (T4). SOS-S mean score declined from 10.7(T1) to 9.7 at 6 week post-test (T3). The SOS-S proportion of High Risk scores found in 22/29 participants (T1), dropped to 7/29 (T3). EFI mean subscale scores improved significantly from T1 to T2 and T3 for Revitalization (p < 0.001); Exhaustion (p < 0.002); and Tranquility (p < 0.001); but not Engagement (p < 0.289). Among RISE NI healthcare workers affected by COVID-related stress, participation in the BBMIC significantly reduced scores for Perceived Stress, Stress Overload, and Exhaustion. EFI Revitalization and Tranquility scores significantly improved. More than 60% of participants reported moderate to very strong improvements in 22 indicators of psychophysiological state, e.g., tension, mood, sleep, mental focus, anger, connectedness, awareness, hopefulness, and empathy. These results are consistent with the hypothesized mechanisms of action whereby voluntarily regulated breathing exercises change interoceptive messaging to brain regulatory networks that shift psychophysiological states of distress and defense to states of calmness and connection. These positive findings warrant validation in larger, controlled studies to extend the understanding of how breath-centered Mind-body Medicine practices could mitigate adverse effects of stress.

Using GIS to analyse early years provision in Northern Ireland – adding another year of segregated education?

ABSTRACT Early years education is offered free to all three-year-olds in Northern Ireland, prior to starting primary school, and most parents take advantage of this offer for their children. An experience of early years education has been shown to considerably improve life chances and to be important in starting the process of building a shared society, particularly important in a divided society emerging from conflict such as Northern Ireland. This paper will examine the degree to which that provision is segregated using GIS analysis and explore the factors which influence those divisions within the wider context of a deeply segregated system of education. Pre-school education in Northern Ireland is found to be highly segregated by community background, and there is a tendency for pre-schools to be more segregated than the areas in which they are located. This may exacerbate existing divisions within education and adding a further year of segregated education may provide a further impediment to building a shared future for communities in Northern Ireland.

Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland: Pupils' views and experiences

AbstractDomestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils (97 males and 91 females) aged 16 to 18 attending post‐primary school. The data were analysed using thematic analysis and reveal five barriers to DV education: (1) absence of DV teaching and learning; (2) DV is a taboo topic; (3) lack of teacher training and expertise on DV; (4) religious influence; (5) prioritisation of academic achievement over pupil wellbeing. The results demonstrate that changes are needed in schools to improve the role of schools in addressing DV. From this qualitative study, we make recommendations for how school‐based DV education may help prevent and protect young people against intimate partner violence.

Going local, heading nowhere: the 1974–79 Labour Government’s attempt to introduce comprehensive schooling in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT This article examines the 1974–79 Labour Government’s attempt to introduce comprehensive education in Northern Ireland. The policy found support in, and drew criticism from, different elements within both Protestant and Catholic groups which, although transcending the usual community divide, hardly made the Government’s task any easier. In fact, it carried the risk of antagonising elements from both sides. Claims that the Labour Government acted with ‘fiery zeal’ over the introduction of comprehensive education, in contrast with its efforts on integrated schooling, are misplaced. Proceeding cautiously, but initially with the intention of introducing legislation before the next general election, Labour never even reached the stage of issuing a White Paper. Its caution developed into near stasis, as its policy of local consultation superseded the need to act within the electoral cycle. The guiding principle soon became ‘local planning, for local people, for local circumstances’. Consequently, despite its genuine commitment to the policy of comprehensivisation, Labour’s only achievement in office would be its promise to replace the 11-plus examination, something which remained a mere pledge.

Understanding the disparity of educational attainment: the role of socio-demographic and school-level factors on GCSE attainment in Northern Ireland.

Educational attainment disparities across social groups remain at the forefront of contemporary UK society. Despite this, Northern Ireland reflects a somewhat different context to the rest of the UK due to its transition to a post-conflict society and its dually selective education system (academically and religiously). In Northern Ireland, post-primary (GCSE) attainment differences are often reported according to gender, religious affiliation and socio-economic background. However, due to the lack of available education data that encompasses a wide range of pupil- and school-level factors, discourse informed by the statistical testing of such factors has been limited. This study aims to overcome this current gap by examining the effects of socio-demographics, namely gender, religious affiliation and socio-economic background (through eight measures), and school-level factors on GCSE attainment, using the first linked administrative dataset for education in Northern Ireland. The data combined the household Census (2011) with the School Census (2010-2014) and School Leavers Survey (2010-2014) for the first time in Northern Ireland. To this end, this paper discusses data analytics of the study including data linkage, cohort size, constructed GCSE attainment measures, socio-demographic measures and school-level factors. The multilevel modelling (including interaction models) construction, execution and results will also be discussed. The paper concludes with a reflection upon whether the results of this analysis support existing literature in the Northern Ireland context and wider UK GCSE attainment trends.

‘There’s maths everywhere!’: a case study on outdoor learning in mathematics in Initial Teacher Education in Northern Ireland

ABSTRACT The emphasis on test-based accountability has been linked with a recent decline in outdoor learning provision, particularly between the early and later stages of primary education. It also appears that pre-service teachers are inadequately prepared to teach outdoors. This paper reports on a project designed to equip a group of 15 pre-service teachers on one Initial Teacher Education programme in Northern Ireland to teach mathematics outdoors. The small-scale study used online questionnaires, semi-structured group interviews and individual written reflections to gather the views of the participants. Findings highlight the benefits of experiential learning for pre-service teachers: they were transformed by the experience, acquiring new pedagogical content knowledge and skills and showing increased confidence and enthusiasm for teaching outdoors. There was also recognition that further support and training would be beneficial. Such findings are important since pre-service teachers play a critical role in the future provision of school-based outdoor learning experiences.

Music education in Northern Ireland: A process to achieve social inclusion through segregated education?

This article presents an investigation on music education in Northern Ireland (NI) aimed at uncovering how 22 music teachers in post-primary schools addressed the 2007 statutory music curriculum in terms of its potential to promote social cohesion in NI’s post-conflict society, where most schools are segregated on religious grounds. In the discussion we consider three curriculum requirements: (i) to promote cross-cultural and (ii) mutual understanding and (iii) to undertake shared learning through school collaboration. While presenting a primarily positive view to the promotion of cross-cultural understanding, the data outlines the existence of closed minds across the community divide. Approaches to mutual understanding evidenced a picture of classroom activity where it was translated into ‘mutual respect’. Shared learning through school collaboration was treated on two fronts: collaboration needed to access external exams, and collaboration arising from the Department of Education’s 2015 Shared Education initiative. While exam collaboration raised issues for pupils and teachers, the shared education initiative promoted a small number of cross-school projects driven by individual teachers. Educational implications are considered in the conclusions.

World Religions in Religious Education in Northern Ireland: A Policy Implementation Analysis using Strategic Action Field Theory

This article analyses the implementation of a policy that introduced the teaching of world religions in religious education in Northern Ireland. Using a policy implementation evaluation framework informed by strategic action field (SAF) theory we assess the effectiveness of the policy intervention by exploring teachers’ descriptions of their practice. We discover that there is evidence of teacher buy-in to the policy, but very significant variation in the quality of implementation and reasons for this are explored. It is concluded that the policy evaluation tool developed here is likely to have value in assessing the implementation of curriculum policy in other contexts.

“Education cannot cease”: the experiences of parents of primary age children (age 4-11) in Northern Ireland during school closures due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT This paper reports the research findings from an online survey of parents of primary-age pupils in Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aims of the study were to explore how parents supported their child/ren’s home learning; to ascertain the communication, guidance and resources between home and school; and to learn from the experiences of parents to enable more effective practices to be established should similar circumstances arise in the future. The survey yielded 2,509 responses and highlighted the divergence of practices in relation to home-school communications across schools as well as the challenges experienced by parents, particularly those who had one or more children with special educational needs and/or those who had Free School Meal Entitlement. The study was guided by Epstein’s Framework of the Six Types of Involvement, most specifically the spheres of parenting, learning from home, communication, collaborating with the community and decision-making. Within Epstein’s framework, the challenges and tensions between family, school and work are explored. Recommendations are made that will be helpful to parents, schools, teacher-educators, policy-makers and researchers in informing the shape and delivery of education in Northern Ireland and internationally both during and following the challenge of the current COVID-19 pandemic and for similar situations that may arise in the future. The findings and conclusions are relevant not only to the Northern Ireland education context, but also make a valuable contribution to global dialogue on what this experience has revealed about inequities in education systems and how these should be addressed going forward.

Shared spaces, separate places: desegregation and boundary change in Northern Ireland’s schools

ABSTRACT Education in Northern Ireland continues to be organised along denominational lines, with more than 90% of pupils attending separate Catholic or de facto Protestant schools. Since 2007, an initiative known as ‘shared education’ has operated in the region to provide opportunities for pupils from separate schools to meet and learn together on a regular basis. This involves the formation of collaborative partnerships between Catholic and Protestant schools to deliver joint classes and activities for mixed groups of pupils. One of shared education’s objectives is to create more porous boundaries between schools and thereby provide the conditions for relationship-building between pupils. Mindful of this aim, the current study explores to what extent, and how, shared education alters social and spatial practices that sustain division in educational settings. To do so, it adopts Tilly’s (2004) typology of social boundary mechanisms as a framework for analysing qualitative data collected with 60 pupils in two shared education partnerships. The research identifies instances where boundaries are formed or intensified through shared education, as well as where they are relaxed and reduced, and examines in particular how the emplacement of encounter contributes to this variation in social boundary change.

Improving quality of psychiatry training in Northern Ireland through the introduction of postgraduate education fellows

AimsTo improve postgraduate psychiatry education and training in Northern Ireland.BackgroundHistorically within Northern Ireland there has been a postgraduate Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (MRCPsych) teaching programme delivered to core trainees in preparation for MRCPsych examinations. There has been no official teaching programme for higher trainees. Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency (NIMDTA), in collaboration with the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Northern Ireland and all five Trusts developed the novel idea of introducing Postgraduate Education Fellows, to oversee and improve core training, and to develop a bespoke higher training programme.The Postgraduate Education Fellows met to collate information from various sources in relation to issues within the current teaching programme and address these along with the development of new initiatives. The fellows further act as a point of contact for all trainees within their Trust to provide advice and support with education if needed.MethodOne higher trainee was appointed to the role of Postgraduate Education Fellow in each Trust within the NIMDTA deanery for a term of 1 year.The starting point was delivering the pre-established teaching timetable and gaining feedback from core trainees to identify areas for improvement. The next phase involved piloting traditional and contemporary methods of feedback. A further development was designing a mock paper A delivered under exam conditions. Two mock Clinical Assessment of Skills and Competencies (CASC) exams were organised under exam conditions, offering other trainees the opportunity to act as simulated patients and examiners.The third aspect of this role involved creating a programme of higher trainee seminars. Baseline data were collated and identified key areas that higher trainees felt they needed further training and guidance in.ResultUsing baseline data on the current teaching programme and from higher trainees as well as incorporating quality improvement methodology, we have been making small changes to each aspect of the teaching programme and evaluating the changes made. The feedback from trainees has been positive as evidenced by quantitative and qualitative feedback. 8 candidates sat our first mock CASC with a 100% pass rate in their MRCPsych CASC examination. There has been a positive response to the higher trainee seminar programme.ConclusionThis programme has produced good outcomes to date and sets foundations for the future development of post graduate psychiatry education in Northern Ireland.

The character of Controlled schools in Northern Ireland: A complementary perspective to that of Gracie and Brown

The aim of this article is to interact with Anita Gracie and Andrew W Brown’s recent account of the historical development and nature of Controlled schools and of religious education in Northern Ireland in this journal. A complementary perspective is used to illustrate how the relationship between the Protestant churches and Controlled schools has evolved, and the bearing this has on how best to describe them. This is followed by a consideration of their claim that the type of education and of religious education practised in Anglican schools in England provide a model for Controlled schools to emulate.