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Language learning can open up new worlds and deepen understanding of our own. It can foster awareness of other people, other places and cultures, and bring social and educational benefits. Northern Ireland (NI) is an increasingly multilingual region that is emerging from conflict into a welcome, but fragile, peace. It faces unique uncertainties caused by Brexit, as well as the need to develop empathy in face of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Concerns have been expressed also about academic underachievement and mental health amongst its young people. Against such a background, this paper explores the current context in NI relating to languages, and curriculum policy and practice in language education. It argues that young people in NI are poorly served, and that curriculum reform with respect to languages is timely. The paper makes five key recommendations: (1) Reform of curriculum, policy and practice relating to language education in NI; (2) Introduction of statutory language learning in primary schools; (3) Investment in teacher development; (4) Valuing of linguistic diversity and plurality in curriculum policy and practice; and (5) Further practice‐based research to explore pedagogy and outcomes in language education in NI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizenship education has been a feature of the school curricula in many western democracies since the 1990s. Consequently, there is a proliferation of research which explores its efficacy in instilling political literacy and encouraging democratic engagement amongst pupils. Less is known however about how citizenship is taught in societies emerging from conflicts which are [at least in part] motivated by competing narratives around citizenship. This paper examines this issue within the context of Northern Ireland. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 18 post-primary citizenship teachers, it argues that whilst the curricular text for citizenship education has encouraged teachers to discuss 'the past' in Northern Ireland only a minority of teachers do so. The paper suggests that teachers are constrained in their attempts to explore the past by a complex interplay of factors including cultural norms of avoidance and their interpretation of the current socio-political context. The paper argues that it cannot be assumed that teachers themselves possess the critical capacities that they are expected to nurture in pupils, yet, where efforts are made to harness teachers' critical skills, they are more likely to display the confidence and skill to discuss contentious issues related to the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the national curricula for primary mathematics for each of the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) for the estimation-related opportunities they offer children. Framed against four conceptually and procedurally different forms of estimation (computational, measurement, quantity and number line), the analyses indicate that computational estimation and measurement estimation were addressed in all four curricula, albeit from a skills-acquisition perspective, with only the Scottish offering any meaningful justification for their inclusion. The process of rounding, absent in the Northern Ireland curriculum, was presented as an explicit learning objective in the English, Scottish and Welsh curricula, although it was only the Scottish that made explicit the connections between rounding and computational estimation. In all curricula, both quantity estimation and number line estimation were effectively absent, as was any explicit acknowledgement that learning to estimate, irrespective of its form, has a developmental role in the learning of other mathematical topics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centred on a carefully chosen selection of Heaney’s Troubles poems, this paper explores pedagogical opportunities that the poems present in the context of upper post-primary classrooms in Northern Ireland’s divided schools. Five poems are evaluated in total. These are: ‘The Other Side’, ‘A Constable calls’, ‘The Toome Road’, ‘The Strand at Lough Beg’ and ‘An Ulster Twilight’. While these five poems represent only a small selection of Heaney’s Troubles poems, they nonetheless cover an interesting spectrum in terms of their politico-cultural perspectives. The analysis of the poems focuses on exploring how teachers could use the poems to enable pupils to examine their traditional identities and allegiances and perhaps re-evaluate them in the light of new insights provided by the poems. While suggestions for this pedagogical exploration is at the heart of the paper, the early section establishes some relevant theoretical and educational contexts and the concluding section situates the paper in the context of previous, related curricular initiatives with Northern Ireland. It is to be hoped, finally, that the curricular initiative proposed by the paper could contribute, if even in a small way, to the ongoing search for peace and reconciliation between Northern Ireland’s two main, and still divided, communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging with digital media is part of everyday living for the majority of children, yet opportunities to learn about, through and with media are denied many pupils in compulsory schooling. Whilst Media Studies in the UK is internationally reputed to be well established, changes made to the primary and secondary national curriculum in 2014 included removal of existing media study elements. We demonstrate what is lost by these actions in relation to the United Nations Rights of the Child and, in particular, the right of the child to express identity. We demonstrate how media literacy had previously been included in curriculum, enabling opportunities to address children's rights, and propose that the absence of media education is part of an overall trend of the non-prioritisation of children's rights in England and Northern Ireland. The paper calls for media literacy to be reintroduced into primary and secondary curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the application of research into cognitive neuroscience to educational contexts. It first considers recent warnings from within the neuroscientific community itself about the limitations of current neuroscientific knowledge and the urgent need to dispel popular 'neuromyths' which have become accepted in many classrooms. It also criticises the use of over-simplified neuroscience to add scientific credibility to curricular reform, as has been the case in the rationale behind the recent implementation of the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum. The paper then draws on the philosophy of Wittgenstein to highlight a further conceptual confusion which often surrounds the application of neuroscience to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an investigation on music education in Northern Ireland (NI) aimed at uncovering how 22 music teachers in post-primary schools addressed the 2007 statutory music curriculum in terms of its potential to promote social cohesion in NI's post-conflict society, where most schools are segregated on religious grounds. In the discussion we consider three curriculum requirements: (i) to promote cross-cultural and (ii) mutual understanding and (iii) to undertake shared learning through school collaboration. While presenting a primarily positive view to the promotion of cross-cultural understanding, the data outlines the existence of closed minds across the community divide. Approaches to mutual understanding evidenced a picture of classroom activity where it was translated into 'mutual respect'. Shared learning through school collaboration was treated on two fronts: collaboration needed to access external exams, and collaboration arising from the Department of Education's 2015 Shared Education initiative. While exam collaboration raised issues for pupils and teachers, the shared education initiative promoted a small number of cross-school projects driven by individual teachers. Educational implications are considered in the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contextualises the Further Education (FE) sector in Northern Ireland (NI). It outlines the specific political, social and economic influences that have shaped its position as a major but understated educational provider in what remains a highly divided educational system that is slowly transitioning in a post-conflict environment. Key policy frameworks underpinning sectoral development are described, showing how many policy initiatives have been both 'borrowed' from the English context and adapted to local need. The article proceeds to highlight a number of curricular and institutional innovations that have contributed to the development of a small-scale, but distinctive educational, social and economic model. The piece concludes by suggesting that the NI FE experience has the potential to contribute not only to its own specific conditions but, through its 'policy and practice' adaptations', to positively influence FE policy and practice in other parts of the United Kingdom (UK) that require interventions around skills development economic growth and social cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service user and carer involvement in social work education is now well established since its inception as a compulsory requirement in the social work curriculum in the United Kingdom in 2003. Since then, there have been many examples of how such involvement has been approached by education providers. Nevertheless, one of the key obstacles and challenges in this field continues to centre on the need to achieve non-tokenistic user involvement which cements the engagement of service users and carers at the heart of social work education. This paper describes one such initiative where service user and carer colleagues in a university in Northern Ireland have been actively involved in the assessment of first year social work students' preparation for their first period of practice learning. The paper presents the background to this initiative explaining how the project unfolded; the detailed preparations that were involved and the evidence gathered from evaluations undertaken with the students, service users and carers, and academic colleagues who were all involved. We believe that the findings from this project can contribute to the advancement of existing knowledge in the field in exploring and recommending creative methodologies for user involvement in social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the United Kingdom tensions have existed for many years between the pedagogical traditions of pre-school, which tend to adopt developmentally oriented practices, and the more formal or subject-oriented curriculum framework of primary school. These tensions have been particularly acute in the context of Northern Ireland, which has the earliest school starting age throughout Europe. In response to international research evidence and practice, a play-based and developmentally appropriate curriculum, known as the Enriched Curriculum (EC), was introduced as a pilot in Year 1 and 2 classes in over 100 primary schools in Northern Ireland between 2000 and 2002 and continued until the Foundation Stage became statutory for all primary schools in 2007. This paper outlines four key lessons that have been learned from the first four years of the evaluation of this experience. These include the value and the meaning of a play-based curriculum; the importance of teachers' confidence and knowledge; teaching reading in a play-based curriculum; and easing transitions in a play-based curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on attempts to understand how the curriculum and pedagogy can help to reduce inequalities in the outcomes of schooling between those from higher and lower socio-economic backgrounds. In the 1970s, the author was involved with Michael F.D. Young and others in the development of the so-called ‘new’ sociology of education. Much of this work entailed laying bare the assumptions underlying the school curriculum and demonstrating how the selection of school knowledge was implicated in the reproduction of social inequalities. During the 1980s in England the curriculum was overtly politicised by the Thatcher government but the interests of sociologists of education moved increasingly away from the sociology of school knowledge to focus instead on the sociology of education policy. This paper identifies a recent tendency on the part of sociologists of education to return to the ‘knowledge question’. In particular, it examines Young's own role in this and his attempts to revisit and revise of his earlier position. Contemporary developments in curricular policy in England and Northern Ireland are then outlined and discussed. Finally, the paper considers whether the work of Basil Bernstein, particularly his concepts of classification/framing and recognition/realisation rules, might help us to address one of the prevailing political problems of many modern education systems — the systematic failure of socially disadvantaged pupils to perform well at school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology and design was added to the Northern Ireland curriculum in September 1992 and through it, teachers seek to address the need for pupils to understand the ever-changing man-made world by developing skills and understanding in its four elements of designing, communicating, manufacturing and the use of energy and control. To be effective in attaining these goals, it is important that teachers allow pupils to have a voice in their learning. They should do this by taking account of pupil responses to the tasks they issue and using those responses as a basis for making choices about instruction and support strategies. This is particularly important in technology and design as pupils need to interpret instructions in light of their design ideas. This paper outlines how three case studies of technology and design teaching were used to identify a range of teaching and learning strategies and evaluate them for their potential to create a learning dialogue with pupils. Drawing on aspects of the effective teaching debate, this learning dialogue was then applied to how teachers exploited pupil histories, managed a range of collaboration strategies and provided effective task orientation. The case studies were based on observations, interviews and content analysis of work over a complete design-and-make project in each school. The paper outlines three continua for effectiveness in each of the three areas observed. The first continuum shows that teachers need a more individualised view of building on pupil histories, the second outlines a range of strategies for the management of pupil collaboration in learning and the third suggests that pupils need to be orientated into complex tasks in ways that support a progressively increasing level of independence in their thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Teacher Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Journal of Teacher Education is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As more countries align their curricular frameworks with play-based and experiential pedagogies, this paper provides a critical insight into the benefits and challenges that arise in practice when a play-based approach to learning and teaching becomes a political directive in Northern Ireland primary schools. Drawing on socio-constructivist and post-structural thinking, the messages from Foundation Stage teachers and the learning experiences provided are unravelled through the researchers' interpretive lens, exposing for critique two key discourses about the relationship between play as policy and practice – namely play as learning and play as pedagogy. Although this study may have raised more questions than answers about the debate, the authors conclude, in so doing, it has facilitated an original troubling of the established discourse and added to the knowledge base about the politicisation of play as practice in the early years of primary schooling. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: In recent years, following the publication of Tomorrow's Doctors, the undergraduate medical curriculum in most UK medical schools has undergone major revision. This has resulted in a significant reduction in the time allocated to the teaching of the basic medical sciences, including anatomy. However, it is not clear what impact these changes have had on medical students' knowledge of surface anatomy., Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of these curricular changes on medical students' knowledge of surface anatomy., Setting: Medical student intakes for 1995-98 at the Queen's University of Belfast, UK., Methods: The students were invited to complete a simple examination paper testing their knowledge of surface anatomy. Results from the student intake of 1995, which undertook a traditional, 'old' curriculum, were compared with those from the student intakes of 1996-98, which undertook a new, 'systems-based' curriculum. To enhance linear response and enable the use of linear models for analysis, all data were adjusted using probit transformations of the proportion (percentage) of correct answers for each item and each year group., Results: The student intake of 1995 (old curriculum) were more likely to score higher than the students who undertook the new, systems-based curriculum., Conclusion: The introduction of the new, systems-based course has had a negative impact on medical students' knowledge of surface anatomy.

During the past decade, a new culture of pedagogic research has emerged in social work in the UK. A succession of child-care tragedies that have led to government and public criticism of social work have highlighted the need for improvements to professional standards and stimulated renewed interest in social work education. Research aimed at developing knowledge of ‘what works’ in the educational process have included studies of student experiences and the perspectives of other stakeholders including service users and practice teachers. However, there has been little systematic investigation of the role of academics in social work education and their perceptions of what needs to be done to improve the quality of provision. This paper aims to address this gap in research by examining the perceptions of academics about their work. The authors utilise an adaptation of the conceptual model developed by Fraser and Bosanquet (2006) as a theoretical framework for analysing the findings and exploring the complex interrelationship between academic perspectives and the variety of concepts, ideas and stakeholder expectations that shape pedagogical practice. The findings should provide important lessons of relevance to educators in the UK and in other countries seeking to develop social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper, based in Northern Ireland, is a case study of an innovative programme which places year 3 B.Ed. post-primary student teachers of Technology and Design into industry for a five-day period. The industrial placement programme is set in an international context of evolving pre-service field placements and in a local context defined by the Northern Ireland Curriculum (CCEA ); a rationale for the inclusion of Technology and Design within that curriculum; and the promotion of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) agenda. Undertaken in collaboration with a range of industrial partners, the placements aim to give the student teachers an opportunity to spend time in industry. All the students concerned started their teacher education degree straight from school and therefore are without industrial experience. As a result of the placements the students gained valuable industrial experience and thereby further enhanced their working knowledge and understanding in their main subject area of Technology and Design, in particular, and other curricular areas, in general. The students report many benefits, both personally and professionally, to be gained from the placements typically the opportunity to see a range of industrial processes, many of which they are required to teach, and to gain a better understanding of the link between content of Technology and Design education and the activities of industry. This case study is based on feedback from the 2010 to 2011 cohort of students whose comments confirm the inherent value of exposing student teachers to industrial environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the past decade there has been a major move to position ‘thinking’ (however thinking is defined and enacted) as a more explicit outcome within the curriculum of many nations, with implications for teachers’ professional development, assessment, and examination requirements. This paper analyses approaches to this challenge taken by Israel, New Zealand and Northern Ireland. Each short case study considers: the political context in which the developments emerged; the ways in which thinking has been framed within the national curriculum, assessment and examination system; and the successes and challenges of the approaches taken to embedding change. Comparing and contrasting three different national systems provides important insights into the priorities, commitments and resources allocated to supporting a focus on thinking as a valued curriculum goal and outcome. In particular, it highlights the need for greater coherence between curriculum, professional development, pedagogy and assessment policies generally. Given the increasing international emphasis on the importance of developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills as a response to 21st century learning challenges, the paper reflects on what more may need to be done to leverage and sustain change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Rivista di Storia del Cristianesimo is the property of Editrice Morcelliana S.p.A. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aim: The aim of this paper was to evaluate a 2-day critical care course (CCC) delivered to a cohort of adult branch nursing students. Background: In today's health care system there is an increase in the number of critically ill patients being cared for in a ward environment. As a result, nurses require the knowledge and skills to effectively manage this patient group. Skills such as prompt recognition of the sick patient, effective communication and performing basic management care skills are necessary. Methods: The CCC was provided to final year adult branch nursing students ( n = 182) within a university in the UK. On completion of the course, participants were invited to undertake a Likert scale questionnaire. The questionnaire also contained a free response section to elicit qualitative information. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 17·0 and descriptive statistics produced. Qualitative responses were analysed thematically. Results: There was a 73·7% ( n = 135) response rate. Overall, there was a positive evaluation of the course. Students (89·6%; n = 121) reported a perceived increase in confidence when caring for critically ill patients following the course and 88·2% ( n = 119) felt that their knowledge and skills had improved at the end of the 2-day course. Conclusion: This study supports the implementation of critical care training for undergraduate nursing students. There are implications for the development of specific modules, aiming to improve undergraduate nursing students' recognition, assessment and management of the critically ill patient. Relevance to clinical practice: There is a shortage of critical care practice placements for undergraduate nursing students. It is essential that an undergraduate curriculum incorporates critical care teaching so that critical care skills are evident at the point of registration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how participation in classroom-based qualitative research, initiated early in the pre-service year, can enhance the reflective skills of subject specialist student teachers studying Art and Design Education on a one year Post-primary, Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). Findings from the study indicate that such engagement in classroom-based research helps to support the development of informed professional dialogue that can increase student teachers' reflective capacities. It can also offer the means to enrich understanding of curriculum change by providing an authentic opportunity to link educational theory to professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much debate in recent years about the future of primary language teaching in England, Scotland and Wales but relatively little discussion about the situation in Northern Ireland. This paper seeks to set the policy context in Northern Ireland where the provision for primary languages lags behind other regions of the United Kingdom and where the recently revised Northern Ireland curriculum has failed to make modern foreign language learning a statutory entitlement for pupils in primary schools. A number of positive but largely uncoordinated developments in primary language teaching in the province are examined but the conclusion is reached that, given the striking absence of languages as a statutory entitlement in the revised primary curriculum, the long-term future of language teaching in Northern Ireland remains regrettably insecure. A number of key proposals are outlined to remedy the situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings from a survey of Primary One and Primary Five teachers' experiences of delivering the new learning area personal development and mutual understanding (PDMU) in its first year of implementation in the Northern Ireland Curriculum, September 2007-June 2008. The study was funded by St Mary's University College, Belfast. The survey was based on a postal questionnaire sent out to a stratified sample of 350 primary schools in October 2008 and explored the following aspects of PDMU: training and resources; teaching methodologies; assessment; and implementation and outcomes. The findings suggest that teachers are on the whole successfully implementing PDMU in accordance with the guidance from the Council for Curriculum Examination and Assessment, and that the impact on the pupils, classroom and school has been beneficial. Constraints are nonetheless identified of time, training and teacher confidence. The conclusion confirms the consensus on the importance of PDMU; however, more research is needed on the long-term impact of how PDMU enhances learning and influences behaviours, taking into account not only the views of teachers and pupils but also research that is carried out by these key stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While Irish-medium education has developed strongly over the last 20 years, most Irish speakers in Northern Ireland learn the language in English-medium schools, which currently provide the majority of teachers in the bilingual Irish-medium sector. This paper discusses the background to Irish in Northern Ireland from the plantation of Ulster to the aftermath of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. The Linguistic Atlas of Ireland and census returns provide demographic data. The position of Irish in the education system must be evaluated in the context of languages provision in the curriculum in general, not only in Northern Ireland, but in the UK as a whole. The lower status that Irish had in the European Union until recently has relegated it to a disadvantaged curricular position, where schools can only offer the subject after provision is guaranteed for major mainland continental languages. Examination entries figures are analysed to trace trends in uptake. Curriculum reviews in Britain and Northern Ireland that make languages optional from age 14 in a more crowded curriculum are discussed. While Irish should remain a reasonably popular choice for pupils, the future of the language in Englishmedium schools in Northern Ireland is not assured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the imminent passing of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Act (SENDA) into law in Northern Ireland, along with changes to the curriculum and the planned move away from academic selection for post‐primary pupils in 2008, the education system in Northern Ireland is about to embrace radical change. Inclusion has now become one of the most pressing educational issues both nationally and internationally. As we move to address such change, there is a recognition that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) must review how new teachers are trained so they are equipped to teach effectively in classrooms that may be very different from their own learning experience. This paper focuses on a research project undertaken at the University of Ulster that considers student teachers’ attitudes to inclusion before their first teaching practice experience. While the findings reveal evidence of support for the philosophy of inclusion and for inclusive practices generally, they also show that many young teachers still show a strong attachment to, and belief in, traditional academic selection as a preferred education model [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on an investigation into the quality of the learning experiences for 4–5‐year‐old children in Northern Ireland schools in the context of the debate about play‐based and formal approaches to learning and teaching. Detailed observations were carried out in 70 Year 1 classes: 38 in traditional Year 1 classes where the Northern Ireland National Curriculum is being delivered, and 32 in Enriched Curriculum classes, where a more developmentally appropriate, play‐based and child‐centred curriculum is being piloted. The quality of the learning experience in each class was assessed using a structured observation schedule, i.e. Walsh and Gardner's Quality learning instrument . Overall the Enriched Curriculum appears to be providing 4–5‐year‐old children in Northern Ireland with a higher‐quality learning experience. The children are given more opportunities to act independently, are engaged in more challenging activities and are more learning disposed, and they show higher levels of emotional, social and physical well‐being. The findings are discussed in terms of what constitutes an appropriate curriculum for this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Ireland endured a quarter century of political violence from 1969 until the declaration of ceasefires in 1994. Although a political settlement was signed in 1998, the actual implementation of agreed institutions has proved to be very difficult and the actual institutions have been fragile (and are currently under suspension). The purpose of this paper is to examine aspects of the role of education through the years of violence and in the post‐conflict situation. The education system in Northern is divided on the basis of religion, with less than 10% of pupils attending mixed religion schools. There have been a variety of curricular and other initiatives over the years, but their success to date has been limited. The paper will argue that the contribution of education to more positive community relations has been limited because of a tendency to over‐privilege difference. More particularly, the paper will argue that education has failed to grapple with the main consequence of separate schools which is that they perpetuate divisions in the wider society. The paper will suggest that if education is to serve as a vehicle for promoting a discourse of a common good and contribute to the construction of the architecture of a shared society then a more pro‐active approach will be needed in future. The two main initiatives that provide the possibility for such a contribution are the development of a programme for local and global citizenship and support for partnership activities between schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on research into the influence of teachers' religious beliefs in religious education. Drawing on accounts from eleven teachers in Controlled Schools in Northern Ireland, it shows the contested space many of them occupy in relation to handling personal beliefs, teaching about diverse religions and articulating a public rationale for their subject in the face of challenges from pupils and parents. In particular, we investigate how and why they teach World Religions in the way that they do. The findings are considered in the light of debates on the role of teachers' beliefs in religious education. In contrast to other studies in this field which offer personal reflection as a way to resolve such challenges, the case is made here for understanding teachers' choices within a wider lens which acknowledges the public nature of the space within which they operate. We argue that the challenges cannot be resolved or mitigated by individuals alone. Changes in policy to provide an inclusive and balanced curriculum with robust pedagogical purposes is needed along with clear ethical expectations around how teachers approach teaching religious education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines in Part I the method used to analyse and re-define a set of educational objectives on which a new course of teaching of general practice in the later clinical years is based. Part II describes the course, the learning methods, behavioural attainments and the techniques of evaluation to be implemented. A year was spent on the exercise by a group which comprised the professorial head, consultant senior lecturer and a senior registrar tutor from the Department of General Practice, Queen's University, Belfast, and a consultant educationalist, a senior lecturer, Department of Education, of the same University.

Early years classroom practice in Northern Ireland is perceived to be dominated by a traditional teacher-directed model to the detriment of a more constructivist, play-based and child-initiated learning environment favoured in many nations' early education provision (see for example Walsh, 2000). In 2002, the Northern Ireland Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) outlined an ambitious change in the early years curriculum, designed to redress this balance and to adopt classroom practices and pedagogies that have been shown to provide a strong basis for children's later learning and social integration. The full curriculum proposal (CCEA, 2005) is based on trials of an 'enriched curriculum' approach, which blends play, child-initiated activity and the promotion of self-esteem in a Foundation Stage of early years education. This paper reports on the likely state of readiness of early years teachers, specifically Year 1 teachers who are the first to receive children entering primary school in the age range 4-5 years, to adopt the underpinning child-centred dimensions of the proposed pedagogies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment is widely considered to be the most significant issue affecting art and design practice at secondary level. The article begins with an historical overview of developments in and critiques of assessment procedures in England, Wales and Northern Ireland since the inception of GCSE examination. This is followed by a report of an attempt to carry out a systematic review of research on the impact of assessment on the art and design curriculum in secondary schools. Author conclusions and findings from eight studies subjected to in-depth analysis are discussed together with the implications of the review exercise for art education policy, practice and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the Irish language revival in Northern Ireland. Improvement in the status of the language in the education system; Reform of the school curriculum; Element in the educational change.

This article draws on findings from the first cross-national study of school exclusions in the four jurisdictions of the UK. It sketches factors associated with the past research with reductions in exclusions. It then reports interview data gathered in England in 2018 from five specialist officers working in two Local Authorities and a senior officer working for a national voluntary organisation. The officers describe good practice but also national, local and school level developments contributing to a deteriorating situation. These developments include unhelpful government guidance and regulations; school accountability frameworks affecting curriculum and leading to the neglect of Special Educational Needs; loss of Local Authority powers and funding resulting in reductions in support services. Data gathered for this study in other UK jurisdictions suggests that in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and to a lesser extent in Wales, a practice that avoids school exclusions has persisted more than in England. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite Northern Ireland’s deeply rooted religious history and the assumption that its citizens’ sexual attitudes and behaviours are more reserved than their English counterparts, comprehensive school-based relationships and sexuality education (RSE) has been statutory for primary and post-primary pupils since 2007. The non-biological aspects of the subject continue to remain non-statutory for all grade levels in England. This article presents a comparative analysis of the effect Northern Ireland’s and England’s policy-making models and networks have had on the status of sex and relationships education within each country’s respective national curricula. Two main sets of issues are examined: the approaches taken and values upheld by policy actors, and access to ‘policy speak’ and ‘power’ within policy-making networks. Applying thematic and content analysis to official government transcripts, legislative and statutory policy texts and interview data, the article discusses connections among the main points of comparison and suggests that these central differences within Northern Ireland’s and England’s policy-making processes may explain what has been conducive to Northern Ireland’s statutory comprehensive RSE policy development while comprehensive sex education remains controversial in England. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The word ‘humanities’ does not appear in the current Northern Ireland Curriculum (NIC). Geography and history are taught within an Area of Learning called ‘The World Around Us’ which also contains science and technology. The curriculum has a strong emphasis on an integrated, ‘connected learning’ way of teaching and learning. Religious Education is a separate subject that stands alongside, rather than within, the NIC, and the curriculum also includes a new Area of Learning – ‘Personal Development and Mutual Understanding’. The distinctive content and modes of teaching which the humanities subjects tend to encourage ought to be seen as particularly important in Northern Ireland – a part of the UK which has endured a complicated past and remains to a large extent segregated, both socially and educationally. This complicated past means that there is often wariness and reluctance on the part of teachers towards tackling controversial personal and social issues in the primary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2000-2002 an innovative early years curriculum, the Enriched Curriculum ( EC), was introduced into 120 volunteer schools across Northern Ireland, replacing a traditional curriculum similar to others across the UK at that time. It was intended by the designers to be developmentally appropriate and play-based with the primary goal of preventing the experience of persistent early failure in children. The EC was not intended to be a literacy and numeracy intervention, yet it did considerably alter pedagogy in these domains, particularly the age at which formal reading and mathematics instruction began. As part of a multi-method evaluation running from 2000-2008, the research team followed the primary school careers of the first two successive cohorts of EC children, comparing them with year-ahead controls attending the same 24 schools. Compared to the year-ahead control group, the findings show that the EC children's reading and mathematics scores fell behind in the first two years but the majority of EC children caught up by the end of their fourth year. Thereafter, the performance of the first EC cohort fell away slightly, while that of the second continued to match that of controls. Overall, the play-based curriculum had no statistically significant positive effects on reading and mathematics in the medium term. At best, the EC children's scores matched those of controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the changing content of history textbooks in Northern Ireland, drawing on a sample of 15 textbooks published from 1968 to 2010. Findings from the content and narrative analysis indicated that following the introduction of the Northern Ireland Curriculum in 1991, history textbooks shifted from a narrative to source-driven format, and adopted an enquiry approach that focused on significant events in Irish history. These changes allowed textbooks to more accurately reflect diverse perspectives on controversial events, but also prevented them from connecting specific events into a coherent whole. The format of more recent textbooks appears well suited to the particular demands of history education in a divided society like Northern Ireland where no single narrative is acceptable across all schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A revision of the Northern Ireland Primary Curriculum took place in 2007. It promotes strongly a cross-curricular or thematic approach to planning and teaching and has an ‘Area of Learning’ structure which includes geography alongside history and science and technology in an area called ‘The World Around Us’. Responses from teacher questionnaires and interviews with teachers and ‘stakeholders’ reveal wide-ranging opinions, mostly positive, about the effectiveness of this approach in improving pupil learning. A significant number of teachers have adopted a pragmatic, balanced and reflective approach to their planning, something which requires a high skill level in ‘curriculum-making’ which, in turn, can be enhanced by effective in-service training. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article suggests that opportunities exist to harness the potential of history and citizenship education with the processes of transition in developing programmes, which support young people in exploring conflict and the challenges associated with attending to its legacy. Drawing on the experience of Northern Ireland, it is suggested that the narratives of those who have been involved directly as both combatants in conflict and latterly as agents of change in their communities provide unique opportunities for young people to reflect on these issues. By way of illustration, an account of one such initiative is presented: From Prison to Peace: Learning From the Experience of Political Ex-Prisoners; a structured programme which invites young people to engage directly with loyalist and republican ex-combatants in the Northern Ireland conflict. The article suggests that such programmes have the potential to assist young people in exploring the complexity of conflict and the intricacies of transition. Furthermore, it is suggested that the relationships which exist between these ex-combatants arguably can challenge sectarian perspectives and foster capacity for ‘political generosity’ towards those with opposing political aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a critical reflection of the use of mixed and blended methods in the first 2 years of a 3-year longitudinal randomised evaluation of PATHS (NI), a social and emotional intervention programme introduced in schools in a region of Northern Ireland (NI) traditionally characterised by religious and cultural diversity. As described by Durlak and Weissburg (2010), social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which children and adolescents acquire the attitudes and skills to: (a) recognise and manage emotions, (b) set and achieve positive goals, (c) demonstrate care and concern for others, (d) establish and maintain positive relationships, (e) make responsible decisions, and (f) handle interpersonal relationships effectively. Implementation of the PATHS (NI) programme began in six schools for children aged 4-11 in September 2008 as a pilot phase of the programme's development. The article reports how the analyses of data obtained from mixed and blended methods produced complementary and contrasting results, and how this tension produced meaningful evaluation findings. Conclusions are drawn about the evaluation process and the contribution made by interviews with key stakeholders, teacher ratings of pupil behaviour, and lesson observations to our understanding of the educational effectiveness of a relatively newly-developed social and emotional intervention programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives. To establish adolescents' beliefs regarding the need for structured diabetes education and their views on how such a programme should be organised and what topics need to be addressed. Background. Structured diabetes education programmes have become common place in diabetes care in recent years. Despite the use of these programmes in adult patients, to date, there exists no tried or tested programme for adolescents. Prior to the development of programmes for this age group, there is a need to establish their views on programme content, delivery mechanisms and how best to introduce structured education in this population. Design. An exploratory qualitative study. Methods. Five focus group interviews were undertaken across three acute Hospital Trusts in Northern Ireland. A total of 21 adolescents between 13-19 years were interviewed. Data were analysed by means of a thematic content analysis framework. Results. All participants expressed a need for a structured education programme specifically tailored to their needs. The complexity of existing diabetes regimens brought with it feelings of frustration and guilt for the majority of adolescents. Many felt isolated and alone. Dietary management and insulin adjustment were seen as very complex. Conclusion. Participants favoured a structured diabetes education programme that was short in duration, practical in nature, positive in outlook and relevant to daily life. Relevance to clinical practice. Programmes should address the specific needs of adolescents, be delivered in a practical manner and be realistic for everyday use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the extent to which neuroscience is being applied to education, both on a classroom level and also on the level of curricular reform in Northern Ireland. The article reviews recent research in the area of neuroscience and education and examines a number of popular 'neuromyths'. It urges the educational world to take a more informed, cautious and critical approach to neuroscience in education, not least in terms of the Northern Ireland Revised Curriculum, and also makes a plea to the neuro scientific community to police in a more rigorous way the application and misapplication of research findings in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racist attitudes towards, and attacks on, the minority ethnic populations in Northern Ireland (NI) have increased dramatically over the last number of years. Despite the increased media attention regarding racist attacks, the fallacy that racism is not a major problem in NI is an enduring one. However, there is a growing recognition that minority ethnic communities experience a diverse range of racial harassment. Education is a mode promoted by national and European governments as the vehicle in which anti-racism programmes can be delivered. This article suggests the impending introduction of a statutory citizenship education (CE) component to the revised NI curriculum from September 2007 can play an important role in tackling the high levels of racism being experienced by the minority ethnic population in NI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reports results of an empirical investigation of secondary students' conceptions of history and identity in Northern Ireland. Interviews with 253 students from a variety of backgrounds indicate that they initially identify with a wide range of historical themes, but that these identifications narrow as they study the required national curriculum during the first 3 years of secondary school. Often, they draw selectively from the formal curriculum in order to support their developing identification with the history of their own political/religious communities. This process is most apparent among boys, at predominantly Protestant schools, and in schools located in areas of conflict. These findings suggest that to address history's role in ongoing community conflict, educators may need to challenge more directly the beliefs and assumptions held by students of varied backgrounds, as well as to provide a clearer alternative to the partisan histories encountered elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Northern Ireland Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme encompasses all levels from introductory to doctoral. It was designed to facilitate the progression of learners through both the Further and Higher Education structures in Northern Ireland and has provided the model for developments elsewhere. Part of its development included a consultative procedure that involved curriculum specialists liaising with a wide range of practitioners to identify strengths and problematic areas within the scheme. The consultation found that, at the time (1998), practitioner awareness of CATS schemes was generally poor. Most teachers of lower level courses felt that the scheme in general would add value to their courses since it would place them within a hierarchical framework and indicate to their students clear forward progression routes. Many teachers of multilevel courses (in particular degrees) felt that attempting to define levels within a course would result in a loss of teacher autonomy and a reduction in the flexibility with which courses could be offered. Many interviewees stressed the sequential nature of their subject's structure and the perception that this caused problems for student progression through a system of levels based on generic descriptors. It is concluded that although there was broad practitioner support for NICATS, many of its potential benefits will only be realized after substantial staff development. When implemented, it should result not only in a more transparent description of courses but also substantial development in the delivery of curricula and the assessment of student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the role played by core subject coordinators in supporting curriculum differentiation in a range of primary schools in Northern Ireland. Significance of curriculum coordinators in primary schools; Responsibilities of the coordinator for differentiation; Views of principals and coordinators on visiting colleagues' classrooms.