Gerry McNamara | Dublin City University (original) (raw)

Papers by Gerry McNamara

Research paper thumbnail of The Rise and Fall and Rise of Academic Selection: The Case of Northern Ireland

Irish Studies in International Affairs, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Contexts and Constraints: An Analysis of the Evolution of Evaluation in Ireland with Particular Reference to the Education System

Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation

Research paper thumbnail of Quality assuring an ethical education curriculum for schools in Ireland

SN Social Sciences

The growth of multidenominational schools internationally has led to a greater emphasis on the pr... more The growth of multidenominational schools internationally has led to a greater emphasis on the provision of ethical education curricula in many countries as opposed to the more traditional provision of denominational instruction. One of the main providers of multidenominational schools in Ireland is Educate Together, an organisation which currently serves as a patron body for 95 primary and 19 s level schools, catering to over 30,000 students. In the early years of the 21st century, Educate Together introduced the Learn Together ethical education curriculum for its primary schools as a key component of the Educate Together model. This curriculum encourages students to meaningfully and critically reflect upon the world around them and focuses on questions of equality, justice, sustainability and active citizenship. While guidance documents, resources and professional development for teachers were provided to schools to support the delivery of the ethical education curriculum, until r...

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive leadership in schools: Evidence from Four European countries

Policy Futures in Education, 2021

Whether voluntary or enforced, increasing patterns of migration have significantly impacted schoo... more Whether voluntary or enforced, increasing patterns of migration have significantly impacted schools by making them linguistically, culturally, religiously and ethnically more diverse than ever before. This increasing diversity requires school leaders to put in place mechanisms to ensure equity of participation for migration background students. Dimmock and Walker (2005) believe that school leaders need to play a vital role in promoting and sustaining an environment that embraces diversity and, by association, contributes to solving the macro problems of society. To accomplish this emerging role, there is a need for ‘new approaches to educational leadership in which leaders exhibit culturally responsive organisational practices, behaviours and competencies’ (Madhlangobe and Gordon, 2012: p. 177). This is all well and good in theory, but the current and historical context in which school leaders operate, together with the training and supports that are provided, influences, to a signi...

Research paper thumbnail of Educational networks: a key driving force for school development in a time of crisis and change

SHS Web of Conferences, 2021

This paper examines the rise of networking in education, paying particular attention to the recen... more This paper examines the rise of networking in education, paying particular attention to the recent recognition of their importance during the unprecedented challenges that have emerged for schools during the COVID-19 period. The paper begins with an overview of the development of network theory, exploring how the concept has been adopted across a series of disciplines as a mode of organisational and personal development. It is evidentiated that networks are goal driven, rely on good communication, are challenging and seek to provide a way for school communities to uncover and transmit the knowledge that helps them ensure effective teaching and learning. The paper subsequently examines how networking has been adapted for educational settings and has become increasingly seen as a potential answer to many of the challenges facing rapidly changing social and educational contexts. Most notably, networking has a significant impact in the field of organisational leadership. The understandi...

Research paper thumbnail of Reflection-on-action in qualitative research: A critical self-appraisal rubric for deconstructing research

Issues in Educational Research, 2018

In this paper, four critical friends meet to discuss qualitative research practices. Together the... more In this paper, four critical friends meet to discuss qualitative research practices. Together they put one of their own case studies under the knife and deconstruct it to investigate the possibilities that knowledge work is complicated not only by the dynamics of socially constructed enterprises and the actors involved therein, but by the positioning of the researcher. The case describes an evaluative study of a university program where students engaged in directed experiential learning in group-integrated learning settings. The researcher was also the course lead-tutor and this gave rise to some concern, on later reflection and in discussions among critical friends, when issues of researcher positioning were considered. Together, through questioning the topic, the literature, the research experience and the role of the researcher, we developed a reflection-on-action rubric. In a research arena where subjective, interpretative and messy examples abound, as they should, this paper of...

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers for student and parent voice in school self-evaluation activities

Studies in Educational Evaluation, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Enacting school self-evaluation: the policy actors in Irish schools

International Studies in Sociology of Education, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Quality assurance in Irish schools: Inspection and school self-evaluation

Administration, 2020

In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of school inspection in Ireland over the... more In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of school inspection in Ireland over the past twenty years using the analytic and critical lens developed by Richard Boyle in partnership with the current authors. The paper is fundamentally a reflection on the nature, purpose and operation of evaluation in the Irish public sector through the lens of education. The paper provides a historical overview of developments in the linked areas of school evaluation and inspection, and goes on to explore how the implementation of this mode of quality assurance has influenced, and been influenced by, a wide range of policy actors. The argument made is that education has embedded a culture of evaluation in a unique yet systemically resonant manner and that a reflection on this reality will help illuminate our understanding of the role of evaluation across the public sector as a whole.

Research paper thumbnail of Correction to: Teachers responding to cultural diversity: case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences in secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation and decentralised governance: Examples of inspections in polycentric education systems

Journal of Educational Change, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Changing Face of School Inspections

Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Intergenerational Learning: A Valuable Learning Experience for Higher Education Students

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation: Business or Vocation?

Research paper thumbnail of Öğretmen Adaylarinin Öğretmenli̇k Mesleği̇nei̇li̇şki̇n Tutumlari - Endi̇şe Veri̇ci̇ Eği̇li̇mler

Turkish Studies (Elektronik), 2014

Research paper thumbnail of The unintended consequences of school inspection: the prevalence of inspection side-effects in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland

Oxford Review of Education, Sep 26, 2017

It has been widely documented that accountability systems, including school inspections, bring wi... more It has been widely documented that accountability systems, including school inspections, bring with them unintended side-effects. These unintended effects are often negative and have the potential to undo the intended positive effects. However the empirical evidence is limited. Through a European comparative study we have had the rare opportunity to collect empirical evidence and study the effects (both intended and unintended) of school inspections (a key system of accountability) in a systematic way, across seven countries. We present the findings of the unintended effects in this paper. Survey self-report responses from school principals in each country, with differing school inspection systems, are analysed to measure the prevalence of these unintended effects and to investigate the part played by pressure to do well in inspections. A key finding is that increasing pressure in school inspection systems is associated with the undesired effect of the narrowing and refocussing of the curriculum and instructional strategies. We also show that a proportion of school principals admit to misrepresenting the school in data sent to the inspectorate and show evidence for formalisation/proceduralisation (excessive focus on records) and ossification (fear of experimentation in teaching), although these factors are less related to changes in pressure.

Research paper thumbnail of Going Further: Adult Educators Reflect on the Impact of Further Education on Themselves and Their Communities

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on research conducted with adult educators taking teacher developmen... more ABSTRACT: This paper reports on research conducted with adult educators taking teacher development programmes at the School of Education Studies, Dublin City University. The programmes were designed around a national training needs analysis of educators working in the Adult and Further Education Sectors. This research showed that as well as teaching and curriculum development skills, these adult educators valued their personal development highly and interpersonal skills, both for their own professional development and to equip ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring parent and student engagement in school self-evaluation in four European countries

European Educational Research Journal, 2020

The purpose of this paper, which is part of a three-year EU Erasmus+-funded study titled ‘Distrib... more The purpose of this paper, which is part of a three-year EU Erasmus+-funded study titled ‘Distributed Evaluation and Planning in Schools’ (DEAPS), is to provide an analysis of policies, structures, processes, supports and barriers that exist to enable or inhibit the involvement of students and parents in school evaluation in four European countries (Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and Turkey). Document analysis was used for this study and some 348 peer-reviewed articles, and 28 national and transnational policy documents were included in the analysis. Based on this review it would be reasonable to suggest that the student/parent voice agenda around evaluation in schools remains, by and large, aspirational. It is extolled in policy but in practice is mainly tokenistic with very little evidence of impact on the work of schools. In light of this, it is argued that government and school-level policies and strategies need to be reconsidered to enhance students’ and parents’ engagement in scho...

Research paper thumbnail of Optimising Well-Being and Learning Through Participatory Processes and Practices: an International Comparative Analysis of Ten Groundwork Case-Studies in Schools

Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 2020

The paper presents a theory of participation in systems of learning that emerges from our evidenc... more The paper presents a theory of participation in systems of learning that emerges from our evidence gathered through partnerships between schools and the academy. The theory identifies young people need to endorse common principles of participation to include and respect all. Educational leaders’ evidence informed intervention strategies can positively impact young people’s inclusive and respectful participation in the action-research. The theory of participation conceptualises young people’s need for opportunities to pursue their ambitions and interests. Leaders’ intervention strategies may develop young people’s participation in attaining target examination outcomes to achieve their ambitions. We then develop the theory of participation regarding young people pursuing independent interests and ambitions in association with the other, to enable them to be drivers of social change. To do this they need to understand their future identity as potential consumers, employees, employers, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Student and Teacher Involvement in Second-Level School Processes and Participation in Decision Making: an Irish Case Study

Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 2020

The Education Act (1998) is the key policy document in Irish Education. The Act emphasises the ri... more The Education Act (1998) is the key policy document in Irish Education. The Act emphasises the rights, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and pupils in schools. Since 1998 the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has stressed the need to implement mechanisms, reflecting an increased role for teachers and pupils in decision making. It is timely to explore the implementation of this more collaborative school environment and the response of teachers and students to it. This study focuses on a rural second-level school of approximately 600 students. A survey by questionnaire was completed, and interviews conducted, with transition year students (aged 15–16, entering senior secondary education) and their teachers. It finds that while the school is proactive in involving students and teachers in decision making, a source of social, personal and professional empowerment, experienced teachers, and students in particular, want a more substantial v...

Research paper thumbnail of The Rise and Fall and Rise of Academic Selection: The Case of Northern Ireland

Irish Studies in International Affairs, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Contexts and Constraints: An Analysis of the Evolution of Evaluation in Ireland with Particular Reference to the Education System

Journal of MultiDisciplinary Evaluation

Research paper thumbnail of Quality assuring an ethical education curriculum for schools in Ireland

SN Social Sciences

The growth of multidenominational schools internationally has led to a greater emphasis on the pr... more The growth of multidenominational schools internationally has led to a greater emphasis on the provision of ethical education curricula in many countries as opposed to the more traditional provision of denominational instruction. One of the main providers of multidenominational schools in Ireland is Educate Together, an organisation which currently serves as a patron body for 95 primary and 19 s level schools, catering to over 30,000 students. In the early years of the 21st century, Educate Together introduced the Learn Together ethical education curriculum for its primary schools as a key component of the Educate Together model. This curriculum encourages students to meaningfully and critically reflect upon the world around them and focuses on questions of equality, justice, sustainability and active citizenship. While guidance documents, resources and professional development for teachers were provided to schools to support the delivery of the ethical education curriculum, until r...

Research paper thumbnail of Challenges and opportunities for culturally responsive leadership in schools: Evidence from Four European countries

Policy Futures in Education, 2021

Whether voluntary or enforced, increasing patterns of migration have significantly impacted schoo... more Whether voluntary or enforced, increasing patterns of migration have significantly impacted schools by making them linguistically, culturally, religiously and ethnically more diverse than ever before. This increasing diversity requires school leaders to put in place mechanisms to ensure equity of participation for migration background students. Dimmock and Walker (2005) believe that school leaders need to play a vital role in promoting and sustaining an environment that embraces diversity and, by association, contributes to solving the macro problems of society. To accomplish this emerging role, there is a need for ‘new approaches to educational leadership in which leaders exhibit culturally responsive organisational practices, behaviours and competencies’ (Madhlangobe and Gordon, 2012: p. 177). This is all well and good in theory, but the current and historical context in which school leaders operate, together with the training and supports that are provided, influences, to a signi...

Research paper thumbnail of Educational networks: a key driving force for school development in a time of crisis and change

SHS Web of Conferences, 2021

This paper examines the rise of networking in education, paying particular attention to the recen... more This paper examines the rise of networking in education, paying particular attention to the recent recognition of their importance during the unprecedented challenges that have emerged for schools during the COVID-19 period. The paper begins with an overview of the development of network theory, exploring how the concept has been adopted across a series of disciplines as a mode of organisational and personal development. It is evidentiated that networks are goal driven, rely on good communication, are challenging and seek to provide a way for school communities to uncover and transmit the knowledge that helps them ensure effective teaching and learning. The paper subsequently examines how networking has been adapted for educational settings and has become increasingly seen as a potential answer to many of the challenges facing rapidly changing social and educational contexts. Most notably, networking has a significant impact in the field of organisational leadership. The understandi...

Research paper thumbnail of Reflection-on-action in qualitative research: A critical self-appraisal rubric for deconstructing research

Issues in Educational Research, 2018

In this paper, four critical friends meet to discuss qualitative research practices. Together the... more In this paper, four critical friends meet to discuss qualitative research practices. Together they put one of their own case studies under the knife and deconstruct it to investigate the possibilities that knowledge work is complicated not only by the dynamics of socially constructed enterprises and the actors involved therein, but by the positioning of the researcher. The case describes an evaluative study of a university program where students engaged in directed experiential learning in group-integrated learning settings. The researcher was also the course lead-tutor and this gave rise to some concern, on later reflection and in discussions among critical friends, when issues of researcher positioning were considered. Together, through questioning the topic, the literature, the research experience and the role of the researcher, we developed a reflection-on-action rubric. In a research arena where subjective, interpretative and messy examples abound, as they should, this paper of...

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers for student and parent voice in school self-evaluation activities

Studies in Educational Evaluation, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Enacting school self-evaluation: the policy actors in Irish schools

International Studies in Sociology of Education, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Quality assurance in Irish schools: Inspection and school self-evaluation

Administration, 2020

In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of school inspection in Ireland over the... more In this paper, we provide an overview of the development of school inspection in Ireland over the past twenty years using the analytic and critical lens developed by Richard Boyle in partnership with the current authors. The paper is fundamentally a reflection on the nature, purpose and operation of evaluation in the Irish public sector through the lens of education. The paper provides a historical overview of developments in the linked areas of school evaluation and inspection, and goes on to explore how the implementation of this mode of quality assurance has influenced, and been influenced by, a wide range of policy actors. The argument made is that education has embedded a culture of evaluation in a unique yet systemically resonant manner and that a reflection on this reality will help illuminate our understanding of the role of evaluation across the public sector as a whole.

Research paper thumbnail of Correction to: Teachers responding to cultural diversity: case studies on assessment practices, challenges and experiences in secondary schools in Austria, Ireland, Norway and Turkey

Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation and decentralised governance: Examples of inspections in polycentric education systems

Journal of Educational Change, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the Changing Face of School Inspections

Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Intergenerational Learning: A Valuable Learning Experience for Higher Education Students

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluation: Business or Vocation?

Research paper thumbnail of Öğretmen Adaylarinin Öğretmenli̇k Mesleği̇nei̇li̇şki̇n Tutumlari - Endi̇şe Veri̇ci̇ Eği̇li̇mler

Turkish Studies (Elektronik), 2014

Research paper thumbnail of The unintended consequences of school inspection: the prevalence of inspection side-effects in Austria, the Czech Republic, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland

Oxford Review of Education, Sep 26, 2017

It has been widely documented that accountability systems, including school inspections, bring wi... more It has been widely documented that accountability systems, including school inspections, bring with them unintended side-effects. These unintended effects are often negative and have the potential to undo the intended positive effects. However the empirical evidence is limited. Through a European comparative study we have had the rare opportunity to collect empirical evidence and study the effects (both intended and unintended) of school inspections (a key system of accountability) in a systematic way, across seven countries. We present the findings of the unintended effects in this paper. Survey self-report responses from school principals in each country, with differing school inspection systems, are analysed to measure the prevalence of these unintended effects and to investigate the part played by pressure to do well in inspections. A key finding is that increasing pressure in school inspection systems is associated with the undesired effect of the narrowing and refocussing of the curriculum and instructional strategies. We also show that a proportion of school principals admit to misrepresenting the school in data sent to the inspectorate and show evidence for formalisation/proceduralisation (excessive focus on records) and ossification (fear of experimentation in teaching), although these factors are less related to changes in pressure.

Research paper thumbnail of Going Further: Adult Educators Reflect on the Impact of Further Education on Themselves and Their Communities

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on research conducted with adult educators taking teacher developmen... more ABSTRACT: This paper reports on research conducted with adult educators taking teacher development programmes at the School of Education Studies, Dublin City University. The programmes were designed around a national training needs analysis of educators working in the Adult and Further Education Sectors. This research showed that as well as teaching and curriculum development skills, these adult educators valued their personal development highly and interpersonal skills, both for their own professional development and to equip ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring parent and student engagement in school self-evaluation in four European countries

European Educational Research Journal, 2020

The purpose of this paper, which is part of a three-year EU Erasmus+-funded study titled ‘Distrib... more The purpose of this paper, which is part of a three-year EU Erasmus+-funded study titled ‘Distributed Evaluation and Planning in Schools’ (DEAPS), is to provide an analysis of policies, structures, processes, supports and barriers that exist to enable or inhibit the involvement of students and parents in school evaluation in four European countries (Belgium, Ireland, Portugal and Turkey). Document analysis was used for this study and some 348 peer-reviewed articles, and 28 national and transnational policy documents were included in the analysis. Based on this review it would be reasonable to suggest that the student/parent voice agenda around evaluation in schools remains, by and large, aspirational. It is extolled in policy but in practice is mainly tokenistic with very little evidence of impact on the work of schools. In light of this, it is argued that government and school-level policies and strategies need to be reconsidered to enhance students’ and parents’ engagement in scho...

Research paper thumbnail of Optimising Well-Being and Learning Through Participatory Processes and Practices: an International Comparative Analysis of Ten Groundwork Case-Studies in Schools

Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 2020

The paper presents a theory of participation in systems of learning that emerges from our evidenc... more The paper presents a theory of participation in systems of learning that emerges from our evidence gathered through partnerships between schools and the academy. The theory identifies young people need to endorse common principles of participation to include and respect all. Educational leaders’ evidence informed intervention strategies can positively impact young people’s inclusive and respectful participation in the action-research. The theory of participation conceptualises young people’s need for opportunities to pursue their ambitions and interests. Leaders’ intervention strategies may develop young people’s participation in attaining target examination outcomes to achieve their ambitions. We then develop the theory of participation regarding young people pursuing independent interests and ambitions in association with the other, to enable them to be drivers of social change. To do this they need to understand their future identity as potential consumers, employees, employers, ...

Research paper thumbnail of Evaluating the Level of Student and Teacher Involvement in Second-Level School Processes and Participation in Decision Making: an Irish Case Study

Italian Journal of Sociology of Education, 2020

The Education Act (1998) is the key policy document in Irish Education. The Act emphasises the ri... more The Education Act (1998) is the key policy document in Irish Education. The Act emphasises the rights, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including parents, teachers and pupils in schools. Since 1998 the Department of Education and Skills (DES) has stressed the need to implement mechanisms, reflecting an increased role for teachers and pupils in decision making. It is timely to explore the implementation of this more collaborative school environment and the response of teachers and students to it. This study focuses on a rural second-level school of approximately 600 students. A survey by questionnaire was completed, and interviews conducted, with transition year students (aged 15–16, entering senior secondary education) and their teachers. It finds that while the school is proactive in involving students and teachers in decision making, a source of social, personal and professional empowerment, experienced teachers, and students in particular, want a more substantial v...