National policy initiatives in Ireland, such as Project Maths and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Policy Statement have sought to increase the engagement and ...performance of students in mathematics and science. The current study investigated the performance of students in Ireland in these areas and in reading in international large-scale assessments (Programme for International Student Assessment PISA, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study TIMSS, and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study PIRLS), with a view to better understand the performance of high-achieving students, relative to their counterparts in other countries in general, and in countries with similar average performance. Lower than expected proportions of high achievers were noted and a pattern of relative underachievement was observed among high achievers - those performing at the highest levels of proficiency, and those performing at key benchmarks, including the 75th and 90th percentiles - in mathematics and science to a greater extent than in reading. These issues were found to be consistent over time, and more prevalent at post-primary level, compared with primary level. The findings of this study are discussed with reference to individual and societal costs, and specific issues that need to be investigated further are identified.
Using data from the Disentangling Inclusion in Primary Physical Education (DIPPE) Erasmus+ project, this study aimed at investigating teachers' practices related to inclusion of children with ...additional needs (AN) in primary physical education (PE) and identifying supports that could enhance these practices. Responses from 1170 primary teachers across nine European countries to an online questionnaire were analysed. Although inclusion was regarded as important, only 30% of children with AN were reported as being always included and engaged in PE. Teachers considered guidance on children's motor needs and video-based resources particularly useful in promoting inclusion. Implications of the findings within the DIPPE project and more broadly are discussed.
•The school that students attend remarkably accounts for their mathematics performance.•Background variables are statistically significant predictors of maths achievement.•Students’ self-beliefs ...about mathematics can predict their achievement.•Individual and school ESCS statistically significantly predict mathematics achievement.•The full model explain a large proportion of the variance in mathematics achievement.
The main aim of the present study was to carry out an in-depth examination of 15-year-olds’ mathematics performance in Greece. By applying a multilevel model to the Programme for International Student Assessment 2012 data for Greece, this study investigated the factors, both at individual and school level, which were linked to mathematics achievement. The results revealed that gender, pre-primary education, self-beliefs about mathematics and individual and school mean socioeconomic status can statistically significantly predict students’ mathematics achievement. The analysis also indicated the importance of the school which students attend in shaping their mathematics performance. Generally, it could be concluded that background characteristics, self-constructs and school level variables can explain a large proportion of the variance in students’ mathematic achievement.
This study investigated the experiences of workplace bullying among primary and postprimary school staff in Ireland. A sample of 630 teachers and members of the Senior Management Team (SMT) completed ...an online survey inquiring about their own experiences of bullying in the workplace, as targets, bystanders, and perpetrators. Information about respondents' perspective taking, empathic concern, personal distress, and demographic background was also collected. Results of the ordinal regression analysis showed a negative association of perspective taking with victimisation and bystander behaviour. In addition, respondents belonging to an SMT reported experiencing victimisation more frequently than teachers, while victimisation experiences and witnessing bullying were more common in postprimary than primary schools. Findings are discussed in terms of the importance of providing awareness and training programmes to school staff.
Effective teaching encompasses both a pedagogical and an interpersonal dimension. Despite this, the latter typically receives little attention in initial teacher education and professional ...development programmes because of its tacit, non-conscious, and context-specific nature. In this study, the interpersonal dimension of teaching was conceptualized in terms of an explicit set of problem-solving strategies. Using the Tacit Knowledge Inventory for High School Teachers (TKI-HS), the perceived effectiveness of these strategies amongst a sample of Irish post-primary teachers (n = 69) was explored, and the extent to which this varied across certain individual and contextual factors was also investigated. The findings suggest that, when faced with challenging social situations in the course of their professions, Irish post-primary teachers demonstrate preferences for strategies involving either rational discussions with the source of the problem, or appealing to a colleague for advice. These preferences were independent of the teachers' gender, education level, degree of job satisfaction, and the climate of the school in which they worked. Some implications for teacher education programmes are outlined. Potential future directions, including links to broader issues concerning the assessment of non-cognitive skills and competencies more generally, are also discussed.
The first year of a child's life has been considered important in shaping their cognitive development. The research literature has identified area-based socio-economic disadvantage as a possible risk ...factor for cognitive development but has suggested that various factors may facilitate children's resilience to socio-economic disadvantage. This study aimed to examine such factors that may predict cognitive development among a sample of 126 four-year-old children across socio-economically disadvantaged areas in Ireland, who were involved in a randomized controlled trial. The study considered the extent to which child's gender, attempt of breastfeeding, household income, maternal education and cognition, mother-child attachment, parent-child interactions and intervention intensity contributed to the prediction of cognitive development. The analysis revealed that gender, attempt of breastfeeding, income and intervention intensity were statistically significant predictors of cognitive development, explaining a considerable amount of the variance in children's cognitive scores. Based on the findings, policy and practice implications are discussed.
The role of digital technology in assessment has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Naturally, technology offers many practical benefits, such as increased efficiency with regard to ...the design, implementation and scoring of existing assessments. More importantly, it also has the potential to have profound, transformative effects on the field of assessment by facilitating the integration of formative activities with accountability requirements and broadening the range of abilities and the scope of constructs that can be assessed. This article provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art in digital technology-based assessment, with particular reference to advances in the automated scoring of constructed responses, the assessment of complex 21st century skills in large-scale assessments and innovations involving high fidelity virtual reality simulations. Key challenges with respect to each are highlighted before the extent to which digital technology is truly transforming assessment is considered.
Workplace bullying is a widespread phenomenon within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Employee tendency to remain silent is one of the most common reactions to workplace bullying. Yet, employee ...silence in the context of workplace bullying is poorly studied. Building on the Conservation of Resources Theory (COR) and the Learned Helplessness Theory (LHT), this study investigated employee reluctance to take action when witnessing workplace bullying (employee silence). The sample comprised 560 employees working in 20 HEIs in Ireland. Respondents filled out a survey measuring employee silence, victimisation, and team psychological safety. Results showed a negative association between team psychological safety and employee silence, indicating a reluctance to report bullying among respondents with low levels of team psychological safety. In line with the COR and the LHT, a positive association was found between victimisation and employee silence. The paper concludes with a discussion of possible actions for bullying prevention in HEIs.
Transformative teacher education can support educational experiences which provide the opportunity for pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to contribute towards tackling the ...significant sustainability issues with which we are faced. It is argued that for professional development programmes to be effective they need to improve pupil learning as well as transform teachers' classroom practice. This paper utilises a mixed-methods design to investigate the influence of an innovative sustainability and science education focused programme of professional development, on primary pupils' (ages 8 − 11 years) understanding of and attitudes towards sustainability. The findings reveal that primary teachers' participation in the programme and implementation of the associated pedagogies afforded pupils the opportunity to: deepen their understanding of key sustainability issues and the potential actions that may be undertaken; further develop positive attitudes towards sustainability albeit alongside understanding the magnitude of the challenge that presents; begin the early development of particular sustainability competencies.
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