Comparative and International Education and Lifelong Learning Research Group
Over the past few years the Centre has developed research activities across a number of countries and school sectors including many of the EU countries such as France, Denmark, Spain, The Netherlands and the constituent countries and islands of the UK (where interesting new areas for comparative education are now developing). Much of this work includes specific country studies, comparisons of school sectors, and inter-European collaborations for the development of school initiatives supported by EU funding programmes. More recently, there has been an increase in the number doctoral-based studies of research students following the introduction of new PhD and EdD programmes, the Centre has extended its geographical range of countries and educational systems to include studies on aspects of school and college developments in Sri Lanka (school policy issues, English Language studies), Canada (reflective teaching, adult education), Ghana (higher education development in rural areas) and Malawi (primary education). Further studies in EU countries which include comparative and international developments in schools, cross-country studies in educational achievement, and the development of modern languages are being planned.
Recent Submissions
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School leadership development in Commonwealth countries : learning across the boundariesThe field of educational leadership has received significant attention in the past decade due to a growing recognition of the role of effective leadership in improving schooling experience. The paper presents findings from a study exploring school leadership preparation and development in Commonwealth countries. Respondents from several countries that are members of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration Management (CCEAM) participated in the study that explored the nature of leadership development provision. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect data. The findings suggest that there is a variety of leadership learning provision and that the content appears to have changed over the years. However, the degree to which this content is shaped by local contextual experiences is questionable. The paper argues that a meaningful model of crosscultural learning for leadership development is one that is informed by context specific experiences.
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Research report on the role of special schools and classes in IrelandThis review of the role and operation of special schools and special classes was conducted in two phases. The first phase was commissioned by the special education section (SES) of the Department of Education and Science (DES) and the second by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE). Both studies were conducted by the special education department of St Patrick’s College in Drumcondra. The first phase, conducted between December 2005 and January 2007, was a questionnaire-based census of special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes. Two types of information were sought: quantitative information on provision (for example, pupil and teacher number`s; availability of support services; curricular provision) and more qualitative information on the role of special schools and classes and links with mainstream. It was always intended that the results from this first phase would be built on via a more in-depth second phase commissioned by the NCSE. The aims of Phase One were to: reaffirm the status of special schools with regard to their position on the continuum of provision for children with special educational needs ; consult special schools about their vision for the future ; identify which pupils were being catered for in special schools and classes ; explore whether (or not) the pupil population of special schools was changing ; provide the basis for a more in-depth study by the NCSE. The second phase, conducted between November 2007 and November 2008, was designed to address three specific issues: (1) To review the role of special schools in the provision of education to pupils with SEN and in particular to examine ways in which special schools can act in a co-operative way with mainstream primary and post-primary schools to provide enhanced service to pupils with SEN and their parents. (2) To review the role of special classes in mainstream schools for pupils with SEN having particular regard to the principle of inclusive education as described in Section 2 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (2004). (3) To provide a review of international practice in the area of special education with a particular emphasis on the use of special schools and special classes. More specifically the study examined: the potential for special schools to offer expertise and services to mainstream primary and post-primary schools ; the issues related to dual enrolment ; whether special schools should cater for specified categories of special needs or a broader/full range of special needs and what implications changes in the spectrum of special needs over time has in this regard ; whether special schools should be used/developed as centres of excellence and if so, in what areas and how should they be used. This report incorporates information from both phases of the review in order to give as full a picture as possible within the constraints of time and budget.
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Networking for school leadership in South Africa: perceptions and realitiesThis article presents the findings from the evaluation of the pilot of a new entry qualification for school principals in South Africa. The programme, Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) School Leadership, had networking as a distinctive feature, and this article examines candidates’ perceptions and experiences of networking as a leadership development process. The methodology combined the survey, interviews and observations. The findings revealed that the practice, development and sustainability of networks were complex; networking advanced shared learning and facilitated candidates’ programme completion while addressing school-based problems through site-based assessment. However, networks were noted to be patchy, with a few operating successfully, but most still requiring development.
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Mentoring for school leadership in South Africa: diversity, dissimilarity and disadvantageIn South Africa, until recently, mentoring has not been formalized as part of school leadership induction programmes or of leadership professional development. However, the South African government identified mentoring as a distinctive aspect of its pilot leadership development programme for school principals. This programme signalled a shift from ad hoc and informal mentoring to building mentorship into school leadership development programmes. However, there is still no clear understanding about what constitutes effective mentoring models and the significance of similarity and diversity in a mentoring relationship. In this paper I draw from two dissimilar datasets to explore mentoring from an identity (gender and race) perspective. Using similarity-attraction theory, the paper highlights the complexity of mentoring models and suggests that higher levels of dissimilarity in a mentoring relationship may lead to disadvantage.
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Citizenship and democracy in further and adult educationThis book addresses the questions why citizenship education is an important subject for students in further and adult education and why we need democratic colleges to support the study of citizenship education. It investigates the historical roots of further and adult education and identifies how the adoption of citizenship education in the post-compulsory sector can enrich vocational studies in further education and programmes in adult education.
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Cases, simulacra, and Semantic Web technologies‘Ensemble’ is an interdisciplinary research and development project exploring the potential role of emerging Semantic Web technologies in case-based learning across learning environments in higher education. Empirical findings have challenged the claim that cases ‘bring reality into the classroom’ and that this, in turn, might provide the basis for an understanding of the role of Semantic Web technologies in case-based learning environments. We describe how the work of authors including Baudrillard and Deleuze has provided an alternative framework for understanding the relationships between cases and the realities with which they are purportedly associated. We discuss how the idea of the ‘simulacrum’ has influenced our understanding of learning environments, has informed design and development practices, and has led to a shift in our understandings of the potential affordances of Semantic Web technologies in educational settings.