Educational innovation and change in the teaching and learning of science in the contemporary Irish school and classroom

This research study is focused primarily on educational innovation and change in the Irish lower secondary science classroom. The overall goal of the research was to encompass three domains through the development of a cultural context from a national perspective, followed on by an in-depth case study analysis in the mid-west region of Ireland. The thesis begins by offering a background to the research project, and outlining the rationale for its development. The study then aims to contextualise the setting of the research, by outlining the place of science and exploring the ideologies and organisation that underpin the system of education in Ireland. The subsequent literature review explores three themes in the fight for innovation and change (curriculum, professional and pedagogical). The study offers an appraisal of the international and national literature surrounding curriculum change, professional change and pedagogical change. It examines the impact of school culture and explores the possibility of school-university partnerships for the professional development of teachers. The review of the research literature incorporates an exploratory analysis of the literature around science education and in-depth look at the promotion of scientific literacy and pedagogical content knowledge. All three themes at the end of each section are placed within the context of educational research in Ireland. The study has developed a theoretical framework in the pursuit for innovation and change. This theoretical framework unites the knowledge literature and the practicalities of the research methodology. It provides a framework for developing, interpreting and analysing educational innovation and change in the contemporary Irish science classroom and school. This study explores the impact of policy in Ireland from 1960 on lower secondary science teaching, developing themes around teaching and learning of science in Ireland. The methodology of content analysis is employed and what is missing is just as pertinent as to what is present. The emergent themes subsequently helped identify the literature for review and shape the development of further study. In the fight for change the study explores the view and attitudes of the teachers of lower secondary science on a national scale, at a time when new innovations were just being introduced. Finally the emerging framework is implemented in three case study schools in the mid-west of Ireland in order to investigate a new adaptable and flexible approach for innovation and change. Findings from the research identify that teaching and learning in Ireland is centralised and bureaucratic, with minimal teacher voice present at policy level. Traditional pedagogies are still dominating the contemporary science classroom. Findings from the case study research show that there was some form of measured success from the implementation of the framework and that there is an authenticity in these concepts from the research literature.