School inspection, school self-evaluation and the relationship between them are important themes in current educational policy debates. Many education systems are seeking to find a balance between the, at times, conflicting demands for a robust, transparent and effective system of school evaluation that at the same time allows for professional…

This paper presents some of the findings of a study investigating young people's attitudes towards Europe and the European Union and their self-reported learning about European citizenship in Ireland. The paper considers adolescents' attitudes and motivations for language learning in light of recent literature arguing for the role of modern…

Issues related to supporting the language of schooling have become important social and educational policy concerns in Ireland. This article reports on a three-year investigation of the micro-climate of English language support provision in 70 post-primary schools since 2007 and highlights potential points of leverage in the educational system for…

The Refugees Into Teaching in Scotland (RITeS) project has been funded by the Scottish government since 2006 to offer support and guidance to refugee teachers in Scotland. A research study aligned with the RITeS project took place from 2007-2008, funded by the West of Scotland Wider Access Forum. The research was managed by a multi-partner group…

In the last decade, Ireland has experienced a rapid increase in immigration on a scale previously unknown in the country's history. Over this time, Ireland has been transformed to an increasingly heterogeneous country in terms of nationality, language, ethnicity and religious affiliation. These changes have also impacted on the composition of…

This paper, based on research in five British schools, focuses on the experience of black young people in the British education system. It is set within the contexts of both persistent underperformance and overrepresentation in school exclusion of these children. The concept of intersectionality informs the study in terms of disaggregating the…

This paper unearths the improvisational nature of Irish state exigencies and their central contribution to racialisation in and through schooling. The analysis unravels white-Irishness through gender and Traveller membership, in terms of its links to the state's early efforts at intelligibility and associated politics of desirable and viable…

This article offers an empirical critique of recent social and educational policy responses to cultural diversity in an Irish context, with a particular focus on anti-racism, integration and intercultural education policies developed during the so-called "Celtic Tiger" era. Combining ethnographic and discourse analytic techniques, I highlight the…

The Nobel Prize winning scientist James Watson was vilified when his views on the supposedly inherent deficiencies of black people became public. The scientific establishment, mainstream media and politicians joined a chorus of disapproval that would seem to evidence a widespread rejection of the old myths of racially ordered intelligence.…

At all levels of education the assessment of learning is generally regarded as an integral part of teachers' work. For early childhood teachers, i.e., those who work with children in the age-range birth to six years, there are very particular considerations arising from the characteristics of young learners and the nature of early learning. This…

In an effort to understand interpretations of new and revised physical education syllabuses, and conditions that appear to strengthen or weaken the desire to introduce them, this paper draws on insights provided by principals and physical education teachers into the effective implementation of syllabuses within Irish post-primary schools.…

This paper seeks to address the gender equity issue in terms of participation and achievement in foreign language learning in Irish schools. It begins by framing the discussion within the international concern regarding boys' underachievement in school. It goes on to present the reality that this underachievement of boys appears to be even more…

This paper critiques learning-support policy for mathematics in Irish primary schools. The key policy question addressed is how equitable the development of the learning-support service has been in addressing low achievement in mathematics in designated schools compared to non-designated schools. The core argument developed is that there is a link…

One of the effects of implementing inclusive education is that the composition of the peer group of students with disabilities has changed from one consisting of only such students to one with no, or very few, students with disabilities. The question arises as to the implications of this situation for their social relations and self-concept. In…

This paper refers to a dynamic perspective of educational effectiveness and improvement stressing the importance of using an evidence-based and theory-driven approach. Specifically, an approach to school improvement based on the dynamic model of educational effectiveness is offered. The recommended approach to school improvement gives emphasis to…