Implications for Irish curricular dissemination / implementation drawing on principal and teacher insight; Curriculum dissemination and implementation in Ireland: principal and teacher insight

In an effort to understand interpretations of new and revised physical education syllabuses, and conditions that appear to strengthen or weaken the desire to introduce them, this paper draws on insights provided by principals and physical education teachers into the efficient and effective implementation of syllabus within Irish post-primary schools. Situating the discussion within the area of managing curriculum change (Fullan, 2004), we examine how the various elements of the Irish education system are involved in providing support for such curriculum developments. Using principals’ and teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of the revised junior cycle physical education syllabus we suggest how the dynamics within the education system might change to provide effective dissemination and implementation of new and revised senior cycle physical education syllabuses. We discuss to what extent it may be possible to map the community of practice notion (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 1999; Lave & Wenger, 1991) onto the Irish education landscape, seeking to establish how it would work and what might be some of the most pressing issues.