ED 305 272 SO 019 343 AUTHOR McKernan, Jim, Ed. TITLE Irish Educational Studies, 1988. INSTITUTION Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Dublin. PUB DATE 88 NOTE 412p.; For earlier issues, see ED 292 696. AVAILABLE FROM Irish Educational Studies, Business Editor, Education Department, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland. PUB TYPE Collected Works - Serials (022) JOURNAL CIT Irish Educational Studies; v7 n1-2 1988 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC17 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Educational History; *Elementary Secondary Education; Foreign Countries; *Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; *Teacher Education Programs IDEiTIFIERS *Ireland ABSTRACT A total of 25 papers are included in the two issues of this series (12 in issue number 1; 13 in issue number 2), as follows: (1) "Recent Trends in Teacher Education in England" (V. McClelland); (2) "American Educational Reform: Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease" (R. Barger); (3) "Professional Attitudes" (G. Gaden); (4) "Lost in a Book" (T. Mullins); (5) "An Action Research Approacn to Children's Literature" (B. Wortley); (6) "Subject Integration and Personal Development through a Non-Directive Investigative Group Project within ar Undergraduate Management Program" (S. Fawcett; S. Laverty); (7) "Teacher Empowerment in a Curriculum Project" (D. Leonard); (8) "Music Standards and Dispositions of Students Entering a College of Education" (B. Spelman; N. Killeavy); (9) "A Comparison of the Cognitive Demands Made by the Integrated Science Curriculum Innovation Project with Those Made by Its Written Examination for the Intermediate Certificate of Education" (M. O'Maoldomhnaigh; S. O'Bealain); (10) "Computers in Primary Education" (G. Enright); (11) "The Dimensions of Mathematical Giftedness" (E. O'Chriagain); (12) "Making Sense of Condoned Absenteeism: Parents' and Pupils' View" (L. Caul; J. Harbison); (13) "Governesses, Tutors, and Parents: Domestic Education in Ireland, 1700-1880" (J. Logan); (14) "Teacher Education: Tre Collapse of Its All-Ireland Dimensions in 1922" (S. Farren); (15) "Developing the History Curriculum in the Primary School, 1922-1986" (A. MotherwaY); (16) Alfred O'Rahilly: Pathfinder in Adult Education" (M. O'Murchu); (17) "Soviet Pedagogical Theory and Methodology, 1917-1980" (D. Hainsworth); (18) "The Background, Motivation, and Personality Characteristics of Two Groups of Student Teachers" (S. O'Connell); (19) "Personality Variables, Attitudes, and Attainments in Boys Aged 11-14" (J. Whyte); (20) "Education for the Labour Market: A Critique" (P. Geraghty); (21) "Transition from School to Work: Cohort Evidence from Northern Ireland on Post-Compulsory School Activities and Influencing Factors" (L. McWhirter; And Others); (22) "Thoughts on Discipline in Our Schools" (D. Dunphy; And Others); (23) "Stress: Fact or Fiction? A Study of Perceived Stress in a Coeducational Secord-Level School in Rural Ireland" (B. Barnicle); (24) "Values Clarification asa Methodology in Moral Education" (A. Breslin); and (25) "Traveller People and the Education System" (T. O'Briain). (JHP) IRISH EDUCATIONAL STUDIES VOL. 7 NO. 11988 General Editor Dr. Jim McKernan, Education Department, University College Dublin In association with the Editorial Board Dr Jim McKeman Editor, University College Dublin Mr Don Herron, Business Editor, St. John Bosco Boys N.S. Dublin Professor John Coolahan, St. Patrick's College, Maynooth Professor Donal Mulcahy, University College Cork Dr John Marshall, University College Gasway Dr Denis 0 Sullivan, University College Cork Mrs Joan Harbison, Stranmillis College, Belfast Professor Vincent Al an McClelland, University of Hull, England Professor Hugh Socket, George Mason University, USA Published by the Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Cumann Leann Oideachais na h-Eireann, Dublin, 1988 Copyright vested in contributors 3 Contents Pace Notes on Contributors ii General Editor's Comment iii Vincent AZ an McClelland Re nt Trends in Teacher 1 Ec' ation in England Robert N. Barger American Educational Reform: Is 16 the Cure Worse Than the Disease? Gerry Gaden Professional) Attitudes 27 Tom Mullins Lost in a Book 41 Beatrice Wortley An Action Research Approach to 62 Children's Liter'ture F.L.Fawcett Subject Integration and 73 S. E. Laverty Personal Development Through a Non-directive Investigative Group Project Within an Undergraduate Management Program Diarmuid Leonard Teacher Empowerment in a 86 Curriculum Project Brendan Spetman Music Standards and Dispositions 102 Maureen Killeavy of Students Entering a College of Education Micheal o'Maoldomhnaigh A Comparision of the Cognitive 124 Sedn T. 0/73ealin Demands Made by the Integrated Science Curriculum Innovation Project With Those Made by it's Written Examination for the Intermediate Certificate of Education. Gerard Enright Computers in Primary Education 134 Eamonn Chriagain The Dimensions of Mathematical 149 Giftedness Leslie Caul Making Sense of Condoned 166 Joan Harbison Absenteeism - Parents' and Pupils' View 4 i N^tes on Contributors Professor Vincent Al an McClelland is Professor and Dean of Education in the Department of Educational Studies, University of Hull, England. Professor Robert N. Barger is Professor in the Department of Secondary Education and Foundations, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois, USA, and was Visiting Professor during 1986-87 in the Education Department, University College CorK. Dr Gerry Gaden is Lecturer in Education in University College Dublin where he is a specialist in the Philosophy of Education. Mr Tom Mullins is Lecturer in Education, University Collet,. Cork. Ms Beatrice Wortley is Lecturer in the Faculty of Education, Ulster University, Jordanstown, Co Antrim. S. Lyn Fawcett and S.E. Laverty are Lecturers in the Department of Hotel and Catering Management, Ulster University, Jordanstown. Mr Diarmuid Leonard is Head of Education, Thomond College of Education, Plessey, Limerick. Dr Brendan Spelman is Deputy Head of Education and Ms Maureen Killeavey is Lecturer in Education in Our Lady of Mi.rcy College, Carysfort, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. Mr Mfchegl 6 Maoldomhnaigh and Mr Segn6Beolgin are Lecturers in Education, Thomond College of Education, Limerick. Dr Gerry Enright is Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Studies, Mary Immaculate College of Education, Limerick. Mr Eamonn 6 Criaggin is Education Officer in the Education Department, Radio Telefis Eireann, Donnybrook, Dublin. Mr Leslie Leslie Caul and Mrs Joan Harbison are Lecturers in Education, Stranmillis College of Education, Belfast. General Editor's Comment "It is through good education that all the good in the world arises". Immanuel Kant, Education, (1803) Alfred North Whitehead once remarked that The fading of ideals is sad evidence of the defeat of human endeavour".1 It is saddening to witness the escalation of adversarial relationships between educators and the public at large with the Government Department of Education which has come about as a direct result of the present and previous governments decisions to gradually withdraw cherished resources from the education system. There is growing apathy and the concomitant fading of ideals among teachers, administrators, pupils and parents, which has brought many of these participants into open conflict and protest with the Minister for Education. During the past year there have been a number of vicious cuts, and attempted cuts in resources, which if continued, will almost certainly wipe out the significant gains made by Irish education in the last cycle of curriculum reform, which I would date from the mid-1960's, thus signalling the end of initiat.ve and experimentation. Gemma Hussey's Bill and advanced proposal for an independent and statutory Curriculum and Examinations Board has been aofeated 311 the Dail, and we are left with an advtzory body, Lhe National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, in its place without the resources to accomplish its exciting brief. Second)y, and perhaps more harmful, there are the various plans and policies aimed at withdrawing finances and human resources from the system. If we agree with Kant, U,-, iii then one cannot have quality educationon a shoest..ing budget. My point is that the government oughtto come to the realization that there are certainsectors of Irish :Ufa and culture which are vital andfundamental for the well-being of a civilized nation- these I would argue need to be seen as a "protected core"of our culture and tkey include health, education andwelfare. Two populations are mainly concerned- the care of the young and the care of the old. It was Alexis de Tocqueville who commented that the eminence r--4well-being of a nation could be measured by theways in which it made provision for the young and theold. The "vision" which has fuelledthe rigorous curriculum reform movement in Ireland and whichhas inspired such improvement in programmes and teacherdevelopment is fading. This new "vision" was evidencedby the kind of thinking contained in the introductionof the new primary curriculum, various new post-primaryprogrammes and examinations, indeed, new types ofpost-primary schools, which have stressed the importanceof a wider range of objectives such as personaldevelopment, thinking skills, creative abilities, inquiry learning,as well as traditional cognitive outcomes.Are these to be jettisoned in the name of "costeffectiveness"? Our pupils are alive and curious. They need, and often request the knowledge and skills whichwe do not yet possess. This is a major plank in theargument for