Papers by Gerry Mac Ruairc
Journal of immersion and content-based language education, Aug 23, 2023
Irish Educational Studies, 2021
Educational disruption due to COVID-19 ushered in dramatically different learning realities in Ir... more Educational disruption due to COVID-19 ushered in dramatically different learning realities in Ireland. Our research explored the experiences of children, young people and parents during the first period of 'schooling at home' (SAH) at the end of that academic year. An anonymous online survey, guided by social constructivist emphases, yielded responses from 2733 parents and 1189 students from primary and second-level schools. Substantial evidence emerged of parentperceived and student-perceived negative psychosocial impacts of SAH on students. Further, our research clarified the exceptional stress experienced by parents in attempting to support SAH. A novel finding was student perceptions of having learned less during SAH, most likely due to significant declines in academic engagement. Recommendations for potential future periods of SAH include the need for innovative means of simulating socio-collaborative contexts, more flexible school supports based on unique home learning contexts, and enhanced psychological support for parents and at-risk children/ young people. In addition, we recommend that further research in the Irish context should specifically investigate the perspectives and experiences of those from minority ethnic and lower socioeconomic groups.
Learning Environments Research
Taking the 'breakdown' in regular schooling as a result of the Covid pandemic as a catalyst to re... more Taking the 'breakdown' in regular schooling as a result of the Covid pandemic as a catalyst to reimagine education, this article formulates a theoretical framework, using design research, that enables a fundamental reconceptualization and introduction of new actors into the space of schooling, which is a learning environment that traditionally has maintained rigid boundaries. Recommendations are proposed for bridging formal and nonformal education for practitioners and policymakers, bringing together teachers and youth workers to co-construct a learning environment. In creating a prototype for learning that involves a more joined-up and connected paradigm in education, as well as bridging the gap between learning in formal and non-formal contexts, we create a shift towards reimagining and recognising the importance of a holistic view of education by re-evaluating and supporting a broader range of actors who can participate in the education of children and young people.
Irish Educational Studies
Theorising Identity and Subjectivity in Educational Leadership Research
Irish Educational Studies
School Evaluation with a Purpose
Narrating Childhood with Children and Young People, 2020
Dealing with the legacy of the discourses of neo-liberalism and new managerialism on the current ... more Dealing with the legacy of the discourses of neo-liberalism and new managerialism on the current framing of leadership discourse provides the background to this paper. Increasingly there are strong indications at policy level that the intention of recommendations are very cl
The paper moves from the macro-level analysis to the students’ perspective on PISA testing. While... more The paper moves from the macro-level analysis to the students’ perspective on PISA testing. While the high level of correlation between educational attainment and the socio-economic background of the students is empirically well established, the author wants to analyse in his study how individual socio-economically disadvantaged students react to tests and engage in the process of testing. For this, it is important to consider the perspectives of the students themselves. By examining the views of students on PISA testing in one case study the author provides an insight into how the PISA assessment (2009) was experienced by a group of working-class girls in a disadvantaged inner city school in a large urban area in the Republic of Ireland. The thematic analysis of the interviews and the focus groups transcripts revealed two themes: for most students, but especially for those with special educational needs, felt stressed by the content and item difficulty; on the other hand, children ...
Welcome and Introduction We are delighted to welcome you to the annual Postgraduate Research Semi... more Welcome and Introduction We are delighted to welcome you to the annual Postgraduate Research Seminar of the School of Education, NUI Galway. A central part of the School of Education's recurrent Research Seminar Series, this annual research colloquium affords the School's master and doctoral researchers the opportunity to share and discuss their research, and the broader conceptual and methodological contexts within which that research is being undertaken. Entitled Contemporary Research in Irish Education 3, this book of abstracts represents a large selection of the School's current and ongoing graduate research, which engages with, and addresses important questions and topics across the three fundamental domains of educational research: innovation in methodology and teaching; professional development and leadership; and educational sciences/foundational educational research. Building on the successes of the previous seminars, and as a publication output from this year's colloquium, this book of abstracts includes the abstracts of the presenters, synopsising their respective research focus, questions and methodologies. Le gach dea-mhéin,
In this theme we ask for descriptions and analysis of current trends in policy and governance. On... more In this theme we ask for descriptions and analysis of current trends in policy and governance. One example would be to describe main tendencies of the policy development over the past 30 years: In many places we see development from a welfare state thinking, that build on participation and democracy, towards a competitive state thinking, that acknowledge being part of the Global competition. In other places we see policy developments from very strong state governance towards more de-central governance.
British Educational Research Journal, 2020
This article argues that engagement with religion is a key challenge for all leaders of schools i... more This article argues that engagement with religion is a key challenge for all leaders of schools in twenty‐first‐century multifaith societies. It outlines the historic and current context of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, and national and European policies that prioritise community cohesion in education. The functional and substantive roles of religion are considered as reflected in education, where they adjudicate power and shape values and behaviours. The article analyses data from nine schools in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland to provide a snapshot of a range of leaders’ philosophies, policies and practice in relation to religion. The preferential attention and resources given to the dominant community are evident in some cases. It is argued that, irrespective of whether a school is affiliated to a specific religion or not, school leaders have some freedom in positioning religion. Their influence significantly shapes how religion and/or secular values are understo...
Inclusive Education: Global Issues and Controversies, 2020
This edited book considers the main issues and controversies within the current educational conte... more This edited book considers the main issues and controversies within the current educational context of inclusive education, from an international perspective. Authorities in the field such as Norwich, Kauffman, and Boyle, amongst many other international scholars, provide an enticing insight into many of the issues and controversies around inclusive education, and whether it is achievable or not. We have reached a point in time where inclusive education has been the prevailing doctrine for universal education policies. However, there are still many challenges facing those working within the inclusive education space, with some countries actually becoming less inclusive. International and national legislation has continued to move towards inclusive education, yet there seems to be many gaps between the philosophy and the principles of inclusive education and systemic practice. The book aims to address the current debates surrounding the implementation of inclusive education, and also offers insights into the inconsistencies between policies and practices in inclusive environments. Moreover, it analyzes contemporary research evidence on the effectiveness of inclusion and identify directions for future research. Contributors are: Kelly-Ann Allen, Dimitris Anastasiou, Joanna Anderson, Adrian Ashman, Jeanmarie Badar, Christopher Boyle, Jonathan M. Campbell, Heather Craig, Leire Darretxe, Julian Elliott, Zurine Gaintza, Betty A. Hallenbeck, Divya Jindal-Snape, Marguerite Jones, James M. Kauffman, George Koutsouris, Fraser Lauchlan, Gerry Mac Ruairc, Sofia Mavropoulou, Daniel Mays, Brahm Norwich, Angela Page, Kirsten S. Railey, and Federico R. Waitoller.
Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2017
The centrality of emotions in the personal and professional practice of school leaders is by now ... more The centrality of emotions in the personal and professional practice of school leaders is by now well established in scholarship. Much of the investigation that has been carried out over the years provides a strong basis and rationale for the data presented in this paper. This study sought to explore the extent to which the socio-economic context of the school impacts the emotional timbre of the interactions of school principals and to seek to establish how this group of leaders manage the emotional drivers of their different socio-economic contexts. This paper specifically focuses on principals' perspectives on the impact children’s social worlds and their associated lives have on how leadership practice is shaped, from the point of view of the playing out of emotions in school. Qualitative research using multiple, in-depth interviews and shadowing as research tools, was utilised to focus on the emotional experiences of the principals in the study. This approach enabled the res...
Irish Journal of Sociology, 2017
understanding of power relations, and extend 'traditional' methods and concepts. It makes cross-d... more understanding of power relations, and extend 'traditional' methods and concepts. It makes cross-disciplinary links clear to the sociologist in a way that, vicariously, makes the work of those who study society and power clear to researchers from other disciplines. Not surprisingly, it is available in a variety of electronic formats. In short, Web Social Science serves as a solid social science methods handbook in its own right, and as a handy web-savvy addendum to methods texts across disciplines that are older. Older, that is, not obsolete.
Profesorado Revista De Curriculum Y Formacion Del Profesorado, 2013
El artículo se mueve desde el análisis a nivel macro a la perspectiva de los estudiantes en las p... more El artículo se mueve desde el análisis a nivel macro a la perspectiva de los estudiantes en las pruebas PISA. Mientras que está empíricamente bien establecido el alto nivel de correlación entre el nivel educativo y el nivel socioeconómico de los estudiantes, en este estudio el autor pretende analizar cómo los estudiantes socio-económicamente desfavorecidos reaccionan a las pruebas y participan en el proceso. Para ello, es importante tener en cuenta los puntos de vista de los propios estudiantes. Al examinar los puntos de vista de los estudiantes en las pruebas de PISA en un estudio de caso, el autor ofrece una visión de cómo un grupo de chicas de clase trabajadora, procedente de una escuela de un área urbana desfavorecida, experimentó en la evaluación PISA (2009) en la República de Irlanda. El análisis temático de las entrevistas y las transcripciones a los grupos focales revelaron dos cuestiones: para la mayoría de los estudiantes, pero especialmente para aquellos con necesidades educativas especiales, se sintieron estresados por el contenido y la dificultad de los ítems; por su parte, los estudiantes se limitaban simplemente a los requisitos exigidos de completar la prueba en el tiempo establecido, con sus implicaciones para su validez.
Leadership for Inclusive Education, 2013
The increasing focus on the importance of school leadership as an essential driver for the achiev... more The increasing focus on the importance of school leadership as an essential driver for the achievement of positive outcomes for state investment in education combined with a view emerging from scholarship that ‘powerful global and international trends are creating leadership contexts that are increasingly alike’ (Dimmock, 2003) provide the broad context for this chapter.
Uploads
Papers by Gerry Mac Ruairc