Irish Education Research Articles

Quality and the rise of value-added in education: The case of Ireland

This paper examines the rise of value-added as a measure of quality in education. As a point of departure, the paper begins with an analysis of the rise of the concept of quality in education and discusses how, at times, various contradictory determinants of quality have managed to influence the evaluation and assessment frameworks of most countries. Leading on from this, the second part of the paper provides a discussion on the use of value-added as a determinant of quality in education. Finally, the study concludes with a discussion on the challenges relating to the introduction of value-added into the Irish education system, a development which will, arguably, become a contentious educational reform initiative within the future landscape of Irish education.

A time profile of mathematics in a ‘gap year’ in Irish secondary schools

The Irish education system is unique in an international context as it sets aside a full school year for a transition and youth development programme in the middle of secondary education. The Transition Year (TY) programme is an optional, full time programme offered in the majority of secondary schools. Each school designs its own programme, within set guidelines from the Department of Education and Skills. Within these guidelines, schools have considerable freedom and, in practice, the structure and content of the year varies substantially from school to school. There have been recent concerns regarding the amount of time allocated to core subjects such as mathematics in TY and also whether some schools are using the year as a lead-in to the final state examinations. This paper investigates these concerns further through the distribution of mixed methods questionnaires to deputy principals and mathematics teachers in 400 Irish secondary schools. The findings reveal that despite recommendations from a number of national reports, the time allocated to mathematics in TY remains low with wide variations between some schools. There are also an increased amount of schools now using TY to begin the upper secondary mathematics syllabus.

Irish student teachers’ levels of moral reasoning: context, comparisons, and contributing influences

The moral role of the teacher has long been recognised and this has implications for the selection and education of student teachers. There is growing recognition of the importance of teachers’ capacity to make sound moral judgements and of the influence of teachers’ levels of moral reasoning on their professional practice. The paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of 102 undergraduate student teachers who completed the DIT 2 measure of moral reasoning, at the beginning, mid-point and end of their four-year degree programme at an Irish university. While these students’ levels of moral reasoning were found to be higher than those of their international peers, more than half of graduating students were reasoning at the conventional level as defined by Kohlberg. These findings are located in the context of Irish education policy and practice. Some possible explanations for the students’ performance are suggested and discussed including their entry characteristics, the status of the teaching profession in Ireland, the nature of their teacher education programme and participation in the Transition Year option.

It Only Looks the Same From a Distance: How U.S., Finnish, and Irish Schools Support Struggling Readers

This study examined how U.S., Finnish, and Irish educators identified and supported struggling readers. Using Johnston's (2011) framework for evaluating reading interventions and activity theory (Engeström, 1999), we interviewed educators in four U.S., three Irish, and three Finnish schools. In the United States, the adoption of three beliefs—reductionist reading philosophy, difficulties as cognitive and remediated through instruction, and reading problems as unexpected phenomena—reinforced a skills-driven approach. Irish and Finnish educators adopted a more holistic view of reading, and teachers used formative assessment to support struggling students over extended periods while working collaboratively with other staff. Discussion focuses on how these beliefs influenced divisions of labor, roles and responsibilities, and the urgency with which difficulties were addressed.

Relationships of surveillance, assurance and recognition: early career primary teachers’ engagement with discourses of accountability and performance

Anecdotal evidence suggests that Irish primary teachers, and particularly those working in disadvantaged schools, are coming under increasing pressure to orient their practices towards satisfying the exigencies of accountability and performativity (Conway, P. F., and R. Murphy. 2013. “A Rising Tide Meets a Perfect Storm: New Accountabilities in Teaching and Teacher Education in Ireland.” Irish Educational Studies 32 (1): 11–36. doi:10.1080/03323315.2013.773227). Focusing specifically on early career teachers (ECTs) in Irish designated disadvantaged primary schools, this paper investigates ECTs’ engagement with discourses of accountability and performance and its influence on their daily practices. Semi-structured, life-history interviews were conducted with 18 participants drawn from three urban designated disadvantaged schools. Local conditions (level of disadvantage, the intensity and concentration of students’ needs, and school culture), as well as participants’ career stage, impacted upon the way ECTs engaged with, and/or mediated the influence of the strong, neoliberal performativity discourse. Participants’ engagement with the literacy and numeracy standardised testing process was characterised by relationships of surveillance which were held in tension with contradictory and conflicting relationships of assurance and recognition that the DEIS literacy and numeracy programmes and positive standardised test scores fostered. The findings indicate that the nature of these relationships, coupled with the demanding social context in which they begin their careers, is orienting ECTs towards the use of more structured and control oriented pedagogies.

Dr. William Drennan and the Political, Social and Religious Aspects of Irish Education, 1785-1820

This paper examines the thinking on education of Irish Presbyterian radical thinker, and founder of United Irishmen, William Drennan. Drennan advocated for education for all as a means of social advancement.

Interpretations of national identity in post-conflict Northern Ireland: a comparison of different school settings

It is generally accepted that education has a significant role to play in any society transitioning from conflict to a more peaceful dispensation. Indeed, some have argued that the education system potentially represents the single most effective agent of social change with the capacity to bridge ethnic division in conflict affected countries. Despite the potential, educational policy-makers grapple with the dilemma as to precisely how school systems can best facilitate this agenda. This paper thus attempts to shed light upon the dilemma by exploring pupil identity and associated intergroup attitudes across various school types in Northern Ireland. Five schools were selected for the study with each one representing a particular sector within the Northern Irish education system (maintained grammar, maintained secondary, controlled grammar, controlled secondary, integrated). This led to a total sample size of 265 pupils. The main findings show that children across separate Catholic, separate Protestant and mixed Catholic and Protestant educational contexts construct and interpret identity differently. At the same time, our data suggest that no one school setting has supremacy in promoting social cohesion. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The degree to which students and teachers are involved in second-level school processes and participation in decision-making: an Irish Case Study

The Education Act (1998) is a key policy document in Irish education, emphasising the rights, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and pupils in schools. Since 1998 the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has stressed the need to introduce an increased role for teachers and pupils in decision-making. It is therefore timely to explore the response of teachers and students to such a collaborative school environment in a rural second-level school of approximately 600 students. Transition year (TY) students (ages about 15–16) and their teachers were surveyed by questionnaire and interviewed. It finds that while the school is proactive in involving students and teachers in decision-making, a source of social, personal and professional empowerment, experienced teachers, and students in particular, want a more substantial voice. For example, most students want more say. They want class discussions or a vote, not just Student Council (SC) representation, on important and not just trivial issues. They want involvement before decisions are taken, with more feedback. Overall, participation is considered important by all stakeholders.

Poltergeist, problem or possibility? Curriculum drama in the Republic of Ireland

ABSTRACTDrama in Irish education is an enigmatic proposition, more observable in its absence than in its presence. This is at odds with the prominent status drama and theatre occupy in Irish society and cultural life. This article positions drama within the curriculums of the formal education system, contextualises the historical place and contemporary development of drama as a curricular subject and offers a critical analysis of the current primary drama curriculum. It also discusses the reasons behind the ongoing absence of drama from the secondary curriculum. It concludes by arguing that a para-aesthetic understanding of drama can help avoid a continued negative space in Irish drama education.

Color as Metaphor—A Study of Joyce’s Use of “Black” and “Green” in Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

<p class="21">In a literary work, color is often employed to create a certain atmosphere, portray the characters or convey the author’s emotions. The eleven basic colors frequently appear in James Joyce’s two early works, Dubliners and A Portrait, carrying with them rich metaphorical implications. This reveals Joyce’s expert use of color as metaphor.</p><p class="21">From the perspective of the theory of conceptual metaphor, this thesis analyzes the complicated metaphorical meanings of the color black in <em>Dubliners</em> and <em>A Portrait,</em> which is the keynote in the two works and also the color green, which is the national color of Ireland, mainly endowed with a metaphorical meaning of rottenness. In these two works, “black” and “green” are found to be endowed with both positive and negative metaphorical meanings, producing an ironic effect, which in some way, reveals Joyce’s complicated feelings about his motherland. His use of the colors black and green as metaphors draws our attention to the fact that when he was writing these two works, he intended to express his detestation of the evilness of the Irish Catholic church, the decay of Irish politics, the corruption of Irish education and the decline of Irish society, though at the same time, he was still emotionally attached to his motherland, Ireland.</p>

The Catholic Church and the Hunger Strikes of Terence MacSwiney and Bobby Sands

Differences in the reactions of the Irish Catholic Church to the hunger strikes of Terence MacSwiney and Robert ‘Bobby’ Sands can be explained through the Church's relationship with the British government. The Church supported MacSwiney's 1920 hunger strike, whereas the tiered hierarchical structure of the Church split in response to Sands’ strike in 1981. Two major reasons account for the differing reactions to these protests: the Church's desire to control Irish education in 1920; and the magnification of class and political differences between the Church clergy and hierarchy in 1981. The Church was united in its support of Irish republicanism during MacSwiney's strike. By the late nineteenth century, the British government had ceded most control over Ireland's primary and secondary education to Protestant and Catholic churches. After the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1921, when the Free State government gave the Catholic Church even greater autonomy over education, the Church changed its position on hunger striking. During Sands’ 1981 strike, many lower-class Irish clergymen, who cared less about British political sensitivities than the hierarchy, sympathised with the hunger strikers’ cause. Meanwhile, the Irish and English hierarchies continued to condemn violence and hunger striking.

Enhancing Literacy Concepts: Digital Natives and Cultural Tools

The paper reviews national and international literature on the effects of information and communications technology (ICT) in enhancing the conceptual development of children, and the impact of ICT in classrooms looking in particular at developing literacy skills in 0-3 years old children. Consideration is given to the effectiveness of computers and media equipment when integrated successfully, to enhance the holistic development of the child, while focusing on the area of literacy. This paper addresses the debate over the value and desirability of children in early years using computers; while considering the diversities involved with the use of ICT as opposed to traditional teaching methods in the area of developing concepts of early literacy, communication skills, and involvement. The paper links to a recent masters study which was completed in the area of pre-mathematical concepts, indicating significantly positive correlations for the implementation and use of ICT as a cultural tool to enhance the development of Irelands “digital natives” in preparation for a technologically changing society. The incentive for looking into this subject stems from the realisation that in spite of all the literature available on ICT and media in education, there is no real systematic discussion in the area of early years and pedagogy. This subject refers to what is suggested to be the most influential change in the educational system over the past decade, indicating a changing process which could not only determine the shape of educational systems, but also the nature of future generations and in fact education itself. This lack of discourse is proving detrimental to technologically changing societies and the complete understanding of what exactly is incorporated and involved in the term “integrating ICT and media” as a resource to enhance the early concepts of literacy. Research will be drawn from areas of literature, with supporting recommendations from Department of Education and Science (DES) (2011a; 2011b) and Punie, Zinnbauer, and Cabrera’s (2008) A Review of the Impact of ICT on Learning, providing current policy evidence to support the implementation of ICT in the Irish education system. It is important to note that there is a lack of information and good quality research findings on ICT in educational settings and particularly in the area of early years and literacy development. Furthermore, reports, articles, and Websites claim great benefits derived for children using ICT; however, evidence-based research for such writing is weak and unsupported at times, resulting in a lack of understanding of the benefits and the need for early intervention in this area, if children are to progress and develop into socially competent adults in a world where ICT, media, and technology are becoming part of their daily existence. It is intended that this contribution will help overcome the current phobias which are often associated with ICT and young children, while introducing new ideas of how beneficial this resource could be if implemented in a supporting manner.

Re-Thinking Assessment: Self- and Peer-Assessment as Drivers of Self-Direction in Learning

Problem Statement: This paper focuses on assessment in Irish education, which, despite best intentions, shepherds students through the process to an extent that the individual is prone to undervalue her/his ability to trust in the self as a rational, self-thinking individual. In Ireland’s assessment system lies the paradox whereby from childhood the learner develops the habit of depending on ‘authority’ (teacher/examiner) to assess their work, with the expectation that the learner will graduate a self-reliant, achieving person. Purpose: This paper shows how a step away from the traditional form of assessment, beginning at elementary school, can help redress this incongruity. Self- and peer-assessment, in a study with 523 students and their teachers, is shown to be more congruent with developing skills, attitudes and behaviour necessary to help students graduate as self -reliant and self -directed individuals. Methods : These were from the post‑positivist/phenomenological/interpretive family. The study used Action Research from the emancipatory paradigm. Concerned with experience, phenomenological analysis emerged from the interpretive paradigm. Throughout, the quantitative element added a positivist dimension which was a constant aspect, strengthening the research. In accordance with phenomenological philosophy, attention was paid to minority viewpoints, ensuring the study was inclusive and culturally sensitive. Results and Findings: A sociological phenomenon, learning applies to all, and any theory of learning must embrace all learners, in accordance with social justice. During self- and peer-assessment, students developed skills as critical, creative thinkers, effective communicators, collaborative team workers, becoming more personally productive and effective. Their self-awareness and self-reflection increased significantly. All of these aspects are essential components of self-direction. Conclusions and Recommendations: Self- and peer-assessment, a culturally responsive student-teacher partnership approach, serves all ages in any learning context. It is a step toward redressing the balance from dependence on the teacher/examiner to self-direction. Self- and peer-assessment is a sustainable lifelong learning methodology and needs implementing urgently at all levels of the curriculum. This will lead to a reconstruction of boundaries as learners take more control of their assessment and learning. The focus is on ‘ self’, learning control and self-direction through the practice of assessing own and peer performance. Ultimately, this creative form of assessment influences, self, community and greater society. Key Words: Self-assessment, peer-assessment, self-reliance, self-direction, culturally responsive

Irish education and the legacy of O’Connell

In 1831, the British Government decided to become directly involved in the provision of elementary education in Ireland, a country over which it then had jurisdiction. By European standards of the time this was a highly unusual step. A number of scholars have interrogated the factors that led to this outcome as well as the role played by various individuals. Daniel O’Connell’s activities, at this time, have been described as relatively limited, which appears incongruous given that he is considered the most powerful Irish politician of this era and was then at the height of his powers. It is the central contention of this article that O’Connell was, in fact, intimately involved in bringing about a national system of elementary education. Of more lasting significance is the manner in which he defined the role of the politician vis-à-vis the Church authorities in educational policy-making. In this regard he established a pattern that remained unchanged for over a century and indeed, it could be argued, largely persists to this day.

‘Everybody is Available to Them’: Support Measures for Migrant Students in Irish Secondary Schools

ABSTRACTMigration to Ireland is continuing, albeit at a much slower pace, and migrant children continue to have a strong presence in Irish schools. How well these students integrate into the Irish education system depends, at least partially, on the support measures the schools have put in place for them. This article draws on the results of a large-scale empirical study on academic and social support measures available in Irish secondary schools, and contributes to the debate on challenges, in terms of inclusivity, posed by immigration into Ireland. The article discusses approaches taken at government and school level in addressing the needs of new arrivals, offering a comparative perspective of various support models in the EU. While there is a growing body of research on the experiences of migrant children and young people in schools, few previous studies have drawn on a nationally representative data set and focused specifically on the support measures migrant students can have access to.

International Human Rights Law: Its Potential and Limitations in Effecting Change to the Place of Religion in the Irish Education System

In the Republic of Ireland the vast majority of primary schools are owned and run by the Catholic and Protestant Churches. There is no parallel state system of education. Religious education in schools is doctrinal in nature and is permitted to permeate throughout the school curriculum. In addition, legislative provisions permit schools to discriminate in favour of co-religionists in admissions and employment policies. In the absence of the provision of non-religious schools, such a system of education violates the international right to freedom of religion or belief of minority-belief and non-belief pupils, parents and teachers. The aim of the paper is to examine the effectiveness of using international human rights law in working to bring about change in the place of religion in Irish schools. It traces attempts to bring the situation in Ireland to the attention of international human rights supervisory bodies and evaluates subsequent measures taken by the Irish authorities in response to international criticisms. It situates this analysis within a broader theoretical debate around the relationship between law and social change, and the way law may work to produce change and the factors that may limit that change.

You Don't Teach, Students Learn: Lessons Learned in Statistical Literacy and Statistical Education in Ireland

In 2007, with the aim of improving statistical literacy and effective use of statistics, the Central Statistics Office in Ireland launched an Education Outreach Programme. To achieve these objectives, the CSO has fostered key academic partnerships at a national and international level. Seminar Series, Statistical Liaison groups, Oireachtas briefings, CensusAtSchool, the John Hooper Medal for Statistics, the Apps4Gaps competition, the Professional Diploma in Official Statistics for Policy Evaluation, the International Statistical Literacy Poster Competition are some of the key projects developed under the umbrella of the Education Outreach Programme. This paper outlines a number of key lessons learned in the Irish Education Outreach Programme with illustrations drawn from the Irish experience to date.

That was the Crisis: what is to be done to fix Irish education now?

That was the Crisis: what is to be done to fix Irish education now?

Defining Moments in Policy Development, Direction, and Implementation in Irish Initial Teacher Education Policy

This paper explores the impact of significant OECD documents on the development of Irish education policy, specifically teacher education policy, over the last half century. While other commentators have argued that Irish education has been predominantly influenced by policy developments in the UK, US or Europe, this paper identifies the OECD as a significant trigger for domestic policy reform and discusses key reports/publications that have influenced both ideological and structural reforms of Irish education. Long before the growth of evidence-based reform or the emergence of a global education policy field, Irish policy makers invited the newly formed OECD to review Ireland’s provision of education; this review generated base-line data and highlighted both the inequity of Irish education as well as its inadequacy in providing for the future needs of the Irish economy. Thus began a long-term relationshipwith the OECD, which has served to prompt and guide policy revision and reform at critical decision points over five decades. While engagement with the OECD cannot simply explain changes in Irish education, it does, however, provide a valuable perspective on domestic policy making.

Knowing how to feel about the Other? Student teachers, and the contingent role of embodiments in educational inequalities

This paper explores affective dimensions to the positioning of teachers within persistent educational inequalities. Drawing on Sara Ahmed’s concept of ‘affective economies’, we argue that inequalities are not maintained through how teachers and student teachers ‘feel about’ ‘different’ students per se. Rather, the very possibility of becoming a particular subject and object of feeling is itself already part of the production of learner differences and inequalities. We examine how affects circulate to shape particular objects (e.g. a teacher’s physical body) and collective attachments to particular signs (e.g. ‘the national teaching body’). We argue that contemporary changes to Irish and European teacher education policy reinforce rather than question educational inequalities. They produce and align ‘shock’ at student underachievement with teachers’ physical and collective bodies, while ‘sympathetically’ responsibilising teachers to professionalise in order to cope with or compensate for persistently ‘different’ and/or underachieving students. To explain how this process is lived and resisted, an analysis of interviews with our own student teachers explores how the affective economy which constitutes teacher education may become contingently directed in socially just or unjust ways.