ERIC Number: EJ815668
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2007-Mar
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 26
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0332-3315
Quality of School Life and Attitudes to Irish in the Irish-Medium and English-Medium Primary School
Wright, Margaret; Scullion, Pamela
Irish Educational Studies, v26 n1 p57-77 Mar 2007
This research reports pupils' perceptions of their quality of school life in primary schools in Northern Ireland, investigated through development and use of a culturally adapted instrument with both experimental (Irish-medium) and control (English-medium) groups. A related issue examined via a second culturally adapted instrument was the pupils' attitudes towards the Irish language. Findings show that there is a significant difference in the perception/attitude profiles of both groups. However, the magnitude of the effects is small, with both sets of pupils being positively disposed overall towards their quality of school life. This is a noteworthy finding when the comparative under-resourcing of Irish-medium schools is taken into account. Findings also reveal that Irish-medium pupils have highly instrumental views of schooling. The research developed robust and culturally compatible instruments which offer a useful starting point for an examination of school effectiveness in the Irish-medium sector. (Contains 6 tables, 5 figures, and 1 note.)
Descriptors: Educational Improvement, School Effectiveness, Foreign Countries, Irish, Student Attitudes, Elementary School Students, Educational Experience, Quality of Life, Comparative Analysis, Elementary Schools, Cultural Differences, Measurement Techniques, Language Maintenance, Language Minorities, Language Attitudes, Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Language of Instruction, Second Language Instruction, Second Languages
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Northern Ireland

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