Curriculum Change within Policy and Practice: Reforming Second-Level Education in Ireland

This book explores how curriculum reform is interconnected with policy, practice and society. Curriculum reform is increasingly associated with efforts to better the lives of citizens and provide a competitive edge to national prosperity. Educational policy and practice have been the subject of unprecedented convergence worldwide in the quest for so-called 21st century skills.
This book offers a case study of curriculum reform within the Republic of Ireland, focusing on antecedents, processes and outcomes of government efforts to evoke fundamental curriculum realignment at lower secondary level. Set against a backdrop of fluctuating economic fortunes and concerns about academic standards and educational equity, this volume has wider relevance beyond Ireland for any system undertaking education reform at scale.

Damian Murchan is Associate Professor and Head of the School of Education, Trinity College
Dublin, Ireland. His research interests include educational reform, assessment policy and practice, technology-enhanced learning and assessment, 21st century skills and teacher professional development.

Keith Johnston is Assistant Professor in the area of ICTs in education at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. His main research interests are the development and implementation of ICT policy in primary and post-primary education, and in the use of ICTs to support teaching and learning at these levels.