This qualitative study aimed to explore Turkish and Irish mathematics curricula via TIMSS cognitive domains by way of a comparative investigation of first-grade to fourth-grade learning goals. For this purpose, 500 learning goals from both Turkish and Irish curricula were qualitatively analysed and classified by two experts. The findings of the…

Privacy has been defined as "the protective buffer within which people can avoid another party's taking something from them, keeping watch over them, or entering into their lives in a way that is both unwelcome and undesirable". It is a premise of this paper that such a position needs to be taken very seriously in contemporary society,…

This policy profile on education in Ireland is part of the "Education Policy Outlook" series, which presents comparative analysis of education policies and reforms across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Building on the OECD's substantial comparative and sectoral knowledge base, the series…

This article argues that the Council of Europe's European Language Portfolio is capable of supporting the implementation of language learner autonomy on a large scale. It begins by explaining what the author understands by "language learner autonomy", then introduces the European Language Portfolio and explains how it can stimulate…

Offers a conceptual evaluation of primary assessment policy and policy process in the Republic of Ireland. Considers the National Council for Curricula and Assessment's policy document "A Programme for Reform: Curriculum and Assessment Policy towards the New Century" and refers to the primary teachers' union stance on assessment.…

In an attempt to manage within schools the introduction of a revised Primary School Curriculum in the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Education and Science instigated a seven-year national support programme. Learning from the experiences of other national systems, there was recognition of the strong role of continuing professional…

A case study of a primary school student in Ireland with severe intellectual disabilities and behavior problems (self-injury and aggression) describes the effectiveness of in-depth functional assessment and resulting implementation of a behavior intervention plan. The classroom teacher received training in behavioral techniques and ongoing…

This paper addresses the issue of educational leadership through a critique of the Misneach programme for first-time principals. This programme entails preparation for the leadership of professional staff, namely of teachers as professional educators. The demands that this places on the leadership curriculum are onerous. The Misneach programme, as…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…

Reviews the system of elementary education in the Republic of Ireland. Examines demographic data on the nature and size of school population and the organization of elementary education; describes curriculum at the junior and senior grade levels; presents research findings relating to reading, mathematics, science; and considers teacher and…

Much recent sociological work on education makes reference to gender, sexual, ethnic, local and political "project" identities, yet there remains a need to bring the nation, and the state, back in; to also question the way in which "national" identities are constructed in a context of globalisation and localisation. Through an…

A study was undertaken in Ireland to test the hypothesis that teachers' judgments of reading were a function not only of a child's actual reading ability but also of his or her socioeconomic status. The sample consisted of 28 primary school teachers and their 804 students. The teachers administered a reading test to their classes and at the same…

Teachers' ratings of academic ability in mathematics; and English were regressed on test scores in a sample of second-grade Irish students. Within the terms of the model, teachers' ratings were only marginally less defensible than ratings based on a previous administration of the same tests. (Author/DWH)

In a study conducted in Ireland, factor analysis of IQ, mathematics, and English standardized test scores, together with the 15 teacher ratings, showed that there is overlap between ratings and test results but that the information obtained is not redundant. (Author/RL)