O McCormack
Biographic Data
| ID | 6155649 |
|---|---|
| NAME | O McCormack |
| FAMILY NAME | O McCormack |
| SIGNATURE | MCCORMACK O |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Limerick |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3248-353X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 21 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Exploring experiences of the enactment of creativity in lower second level education in Ireland: The framework for Junior Cycle
Internationally, many education systems have attempted to embed creativity into schools, often with limited impact. Changes to lower second level schooling in Ireland, The Framework for Junior Cycle, aimed to integrate creativity as a core principle underpinning the Framework, and as a Key Skill. Drawing on data from student surveys ( n = 3612), student focus groups ( n = 219), interviews with teachers ( n = 136), principals ( n = 24) and parents…
‘A better fit’ and an ‘easier sell’: Perceptions of a pilot values-based curriculum in publicly managed schools in Ireland
The integration of values in education is a globally recognised practice, with evidence of values being embedded into curricula. A post-primary curriculum, Identity, Multi-Beliefs, and Values Education (IMBVE), was developed for publicly managed schools in the Republic of Ireland as the curricular expression of sectoral values, as outlined in the Patrons’ Framework on Ethos. The curriculum aligns with the ethos of these schools and the national l…
Assets and liabilities for curriculum change: Exploring teachers’ perspectives of enacting education outside the classroom
Despite extensive investment, deep curriculum change is a challenging and frequently elusive process. By exploring the experiences of teachers enacting Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC), this paper examines the assets and liabilities these teachers experienced during a time of curriculum change. Drawing on Schlossberg’s theory exploring adaptation to change, ten teachers from ten schools across four countries (Finland, Hungary, Ireland and S…
Exploring teacher professional collaboration within the Framework for Junior Cycle in Ireland
Teacher collaboration is a core contributor to professional learning and support for teachers when facing curriculum change. However, studies have found limited forms of collaboration amongst post primary teachers in Ireland. Set within the context of the Framework for Junior Cycle, this paper draws on interview data from educational stakeholders (n = 15), principals (n = 65), teachers (n = 136) and teacher survey data (n = 1451), to explore the …
‘Adding flame to the torch’: The why, what and how of teachers’ positionality in curriculum development
Introduction and theoretical framework: Teachers are increasingly positioned as fundamental participants in the curriculum design and implementation process. Drawing on Schwabs four commonplaces of curriculum—subject matter, learners, teachers, and milieu—as well as Wenger et al.’s theory of communities of practice, this study explores the experiences of a national teachers’ network in the Republic of Ireland, functioning as a community of practi…
Exploring how respect is articulated in Irish education policy, curriculum, circulars and legislation
Respect as a term or value is often evoked to highlight a sense of esteem or right that an individual or group should require or be afforded. It is frequently viewed as relational, and central to the way people ought to relate to each other. However, the use of the term respect within classrooms, schools and policy can sometimes become so ubiquitous to the extent that it can become meaningless. Set against this context, this research analyses edu…
Deconstructing the standards for ‘high quality’ initial teacher education in Ireland: Implications for teacher educators’ professional learning and agency
This paper critically examines the Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education in Ireland using Bacchi’s (2009) ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ framework. It explores how the problem of teacher education quality is constructed, the assumptions underpinning this representation, and the silences, tensions, and contradictions within the policy. The analysis reveals that Céim frames the problem narrowly around accreditation and standardisat…
Caveats for change: Exploring pre-service teachers’ concerns regarding change
Notable within the rhetoric of recent global reform trends is the (re)positioning of teachers from peripheral to critical stakeholders in educational change processes. Responding to this imperative, programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) are now frequently tasked with promoting teacher agency as a core dimension of teaching. Yet, much evidence points to a persistent tension between renewed visions for teacher engagement and agency as part …
Exploring the enablers, tensions, and sectoral responses to embedding core values within publicly managed schools in Ireland
The role of schools in developing values is internationally recognised, with many systems grappling to identify and embed values in schools. Within an Irish context, the Education Act (1998) frames values from the perspective of ‘characteristic spirit’, giving responsibility to boards of management to uphold the characteristic spirit as established by the school’s patron. This was the first time this concept applied to publicly managed schools. R…
The role of research experiences in developing pre-service teachers’ epistemic beliefs
Persistent concerns about the theory-practice gap and desires for an ‘evidence-informed’ teaching profession have prompted research into how teachers' epistemic beliefs influence their acceptance or rejection of educational research. This study analyses longitudinal interview data from six pre-service teachers (PSTs) to explore how experiences of conducting research (in the domains of science or education) during initial teacher education (ITE) c…
Developing Micro-Teaching with a Focus on Core Practices: The Use of Approximations of Practice
Micro-teaching as a pedagogical approach is practiced in many higher education programmes focused on building knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that can be applied in a professional setting. The previous literature attests to the usefulness of micro-teaching experiences in supporting the development of the beginning professional. This paper describes the design and implementation of a micro-teaching programme in one teacher preparati…
Purpose, focus and voice? Lessons from a curriculum development advisory committee
The curriculum development process is complex and developing a worthwhile process to support curriculum inception is a valuable endeavour.This paper explores the experiences of the curriculum development process through the lens of an expert advisory committee charged with developing a post-primary curriculum for publicly managed schools in line with their ethos and the national lower post-primary curriculum.The research employed semi-structured …
Values education: The understanding of values across Irish educational legislation, policies and curriculum
Schools have long been identified as important sites in terms of instilling values within the next generation. In order to develop our understanding of values, this paper sets out to explore how values are understood in Irish educational legislation, policies and curriculum. Irish Legislation, policies and curricula were searched systematically. Following the application of inclusion criteria, 188 documents were included in the sample, policies (…
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) from the perspective of Irish teacher educators
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), one of the main pillars of the Bologna Process, was heavily influenced by external forces such as internationalisation, globalisation and market values. It was also immune to national/regional policy influences and differences between academic disciplines. The authors investigated a) Irish teacher educators’ perceptions of the reasons for the introduction of the ECTS and b) the influence of the ECTS on …
Underneath the veneer of techno-positivity – exploring teachers’ perspectives on technology use in Further Education and Training
This qualitative study explores the views of nine teachers working in the Further Education and Training in Ireland regarding the use of technology. Drawing on in-depth interviews, thematic analysis exposed a techno-positive perspective and a hierarchy of technologies with newer technologies being valued more. A sort of ‘intangible’ quality is ascribed to technology, which we labelled ‘techno-magic’. The study uncovered a phenomenon of ‘techno-gu…
Perception of Education and Training Board (ETB) schools in the Republic of Ireland: An issue of ideology and inclusion
Education and training board (ETB) schools, previously called Vocational schools, were established in the Republic of Ireland in 1930. At the time of their genesis, these schools were initially prevented from offering students a pathway to upper secondary/university, leading to them being viewed as ‘second-rate’. Drawing on interviews with school personnel (n = 43) across 18 schools and ETB Education/Chief Executive Officers (n = 8), this paper e…
The "tipping point" for educational research: The role of pre-service science teachers’ epistemic beliefs in evaluating the professional utility of educational research
That's how it works here’: The place of religion in publicly managed second‐level schools in Ireland
This article problematises the place of religion within publicly managed Education and Training Board ( ETB ) schools in the Republic of Ireland. The study draws on interview data from 43 school personnel across 18 ETB second‐level schools, as well as eight interviews with ETB Education/Chief Executive Officers. Having established the legal and historical contexts, the place of religion is explored from the perspective of school life and prescrib…
‘The teachers put effort into teaching us about life, and what’s right and what’s wrong’: Values and moral education in publicly-managed schools in Ireland
In light of cultural and demographic changes in the Republic of Ireland, there is an important and urgent need for research on the articulation of values education in Irish publicly-managed schools. This article reports the findings from a research project on the moral, religious and spiritual values and traditions of staff and students in publicly-managed schools. Data was collected from 18 second-level schools throughout the country, using a mi…
Introducing education for sustainable development into Egyptian schools
Attitudes of parents of young men towards the inclusion of sexual orientation and homophobia on the Irish post‐primary curriculum
The ‘Exploring Masculinities’ (EM) programme was piloted in 22 Irish single‐sex boys’ post‐primary schools during the late 1990s. Following objections from some influential journalists and an organisation representing parents whose sons attended Catholic secondary schools, the Minister for Education and Science put the planned dissemination of the programme on hold. The concerns of the objectors included the proposed treatment of sexual orientati…
An examination of pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of development education into Irish post-primary schools
An examination of pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of development education into Irish post-primary schools
The "tipping point" for educational research: The role of pre-service science teachers’ epistemic beliefs in evaluating the professional utility of educational research
That's how it works here’: The place of religion in publicly managed second‐level schools in Ireland
This article problematises the place of religion within publicly managed Education and Training Board ( ETB ) schools in the Republic of Ireland. The study draws on interview data from 43 school personnel across 18 ETB second‐level schools, as well as eight interviews with ETB Education/Chief Executive Officers. Having established the legal and historical contexts, the place of religion is explored from the perspective of school life and prescrib…
Attitudes of parents of young men towards the inclusion of sexual orientation and homophobia on the Irish post‐primary curriculum
The ‘Exploring Masculinities’ (EM) programme was piloted in 22 Irish single‐sex boys’ post‐primary schools during the late 1990s. Following objections from some influential journalists and an organisation representing parents whose sons attended Catholic secondary schools, the Minister for Education and Science put the planned dissemination of the programme on hold. The concerns of the objectors included the proposed treatment of sexual orientati…
Attitudes of parents of young men towards the inclusion of sexual orientation and homophobia on the Irish post‐primary curriculum
The ‘Exploring Masculinities’ (EM) programme was piloted in 22 Irish single‐sex boys’ post‐primary schools during the late 1990s. Following objections from some influential journalists and an organisation representing parents whose sons attended Catholic secondary schools, the Minister for Education and Science put the planned dissemination of the programme on hold. The concerns of the objectors included the proposed treatment of sexual orientati…
An examination of pre-service teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of development education into Irish post-primary schools
Introducing education for sustainable development into Egyptian schools
‘The teachers put effort into teaching us about life, and what’s right and what’s wrong’: Values and moral education in publicly-managed schools in Ireland
In light of cultural and demographic changes in the Republic of Ireland, there is an important and urgent need for research on the articulation of values education in Irish publicly-managed schools. This article reports the findings from a research project on the moral, religious and spiritual values and traditions of staff and students in publicly-managed schools. Data was collected from 18 second-level schools throughout the country, using a mi…
That's how it works here’: The place of religion in publicly managed second‐level schools in Ireland
This article problematises the place of religion within publicly managed Education and Training Board ( ETB ) schools in the Republic of Ireland. The study draws on interview data from 43 school personnel across 18 ETB second‐level schools, as well as eight interviews with ETB Education/Chief Executive Officers. Having established the legal and historical contexts, the place of religion is explored from the perspective of school life and prescrib…
Underneath the veneer of techno-positivity – exploring teachers’ perspectives on technology use in Further Education and Training
This qualitative study explores the views of nine teachers working in the Further Education and Training in Ireland regarding the use of technology. Drawing on in-depth interviews, thematic analysis exposed a techno-positive perspective and a hierarchy of technologies with newer technologies being valued more. A sort of ‘intangible’ quality is ascribed to technology, which we labelled ‘techno-magic’. The study uncovered a phenomenon of ‘techno-gu…
Perception of Education and Training Board (ETB) schools in the Republic of Ireland: An issue of ideology and inclusion
Education and training board (ETB) schools, previously called Vocational schools, were established in the Republic of Ireland in 1930. At the time of their genesis, these schools were initially prevented from offering students a pathway to upper secondary/university, leading to them being viewed as ‘second-rate’. Drawing on interviews with school personnel (n = 43) across 18 schools and ETB Education/Chief Executive Officers (n = 8), this paper e…
The "tipping point" for educational research: The role of pre-service science teachers’ epistemic beliefs in evaluating the professional utility of educational research
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) from the perspective of Irish teacher educators
The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), one of the main pillars of the Bologna Process, was heavily influenced by external forces such as internationalisation, globalisation and market values. It was also immune to national/regional policy influences and differences between academic disciplines. The authors investigated a) Irish teacher educators’ perceptions of the reasons for the introduction of the ECTS and b) the influence of the ECTS on …
Values education: The understanding of values across Irish educational legislation, policies and curriculum
Schools have long been identified as important sites in terms of instilling values within the next generation. In order to develop our understanding of values, this paper sets out to explore how values are understood in Irish educational legislation, policies and curriculum. Irish Legislation, policies and curricula were searched systematically. Following the application of inclusion criteria, 188 documents were included in the sample, policies (…
Developing Micro-Teaching with a Focus on Core Practices: The Use of Approximations of Practice
Micro-teaching as a pedagogical approach is practiced in many higher education programmes focused on building knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that can be applied in a professional setting. The previous literature attests to the usefulness of micro-teaching experiences in supporting the development of the beginning professional. This paper describes the design and implementation of a micro-teaching programme in one teacher preparati…
Purpose, focus and voice? Lessons from a curriculum development advisory committee
The curriculum development process is complex and developing a worthwhile process to support curriculum inception is a valuable endeavour.This paper explores the experiences of the curriculum development process through the lens of an expert advisory committee charged with developing a post-primary curriculum for publicly managed schools in line with their ethos and the national lower post-primary curriculum.The research employed semi-structured …
Caveats for change: Exploring pre-service teachers’ concerns regarding change
Notable within the rhetoric of recent global reform trends is the (re)positioning of teachers from peripheral to critical stakeholders in educational change processes. Responding to this imperative, programmes of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) are now frequently tasked with promoting teacher agency as a core dimension of teaching. Yet, much evidence points to a persistent tension between renewed visions for teacher engagement and agency as part …
Exploring the enablers, tensions, and sectoral responses to embedding core values within publicly managed schools in Ireland
The role of schools in developing values is internationally recognised, with many systems grappling to identify and embed values in schools. Within an Irish context, the Education Act (1998) frames values from the perspective of ‘characteristic spirit’, giving responsibility to boards of management to uphold the characteristic spirit as established by the school’s patron. This was the first time this concept applied to publicly managed schools. R…
The role of research experiences in developing pre-service teachers’ epistemic beliefs
Persistent concerns about the theory-practice gap and desires for an ‘evidence-informed’ teaching profession have prompted research into how teachers' epistemic beliefs influence their acceptance or rejection of educational research. This study analyses longitudinal interview data from six pre-service teachers (PSTs) to explore how experiences of conducting research (in the domains of science or education) during initial teacher education (ITE) c…
Exploring how respect is articulated in Irish education policy, curriculum, circulars and legislation
Respect as a term or value is often evoked to highlight a sense of esteem or right that an individual or group should require or be afforded. It is frequently viewed as relational, and central to the way people ought to relate to each other. However, the use of the term respect within classrooms, schools and policy can sometimes become so ubiquitous to the extent that it can become meaningless. Set against this context, this research analyses edu…
Deconstructing the standards for ‘high quality’ initial teacher education in Ireland: Implications for teacher educators’ professional learning and agency
This paper critically examines the Céim: Standards for Initial Teacher Education in Ireland using Bacchi’s (2009) ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be?’ framework. It explores how the problem of teacher education quality is constructed, the assumptions underpinning this representation, and the silences, tensions, and contradictions within the policy. The analysis reveals that Céim frames the problem narrowly around accreditation and standardisat…
Exploring experiences of the enactment of creativity in lower second level education in Ireland: The framework for Junior Cycle
Internationally, many education systems have attempted to embed creativity into schools, often with limited impact. Changes to lower second level schooling in Ireland, The Framework for Junior Cycle, aimed to integrate creativity as a core principle underpinning the Framework, and as a Key Skill. Drawing on data from student surveys ( n = 3612), student focus groups ( n = 219), interviews with teachers ( n = 136), principals ( n = 24) and parents…
‘A better fit’ and an ‘easier sell’: Perceptions of a pilot values-based curriculum in publicly managed schools in Ireland
The integration of values in education is a globally recognised practice, with evidence of values being embedded into curricula. A post-primary curriculum, Identity, Multi-Beliefs, and Values Education (IMBVE), was developed for publicly managed schools in the Republic of Ireland as the curricular expression of sectoral values, as outlined in the Patrons’ Framework on Ethos. The curriculum aligns with the ethos of these schools and the national l…
Assets and liabilities for curriculum change: Exploring teachers’ perspectives of enacting education outside the classroom
Despite extensive investment, deep curriculum change is a challenging and frequently elusive process. By exploring the experiences of teachers enacting Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC), this paper examines the assets and liabilities these teachers experienced during a time of curriculum change. Drawing on Schlossberg’s theory exploring adaptation to change, ten teachers from ten schools across four countries (Finland, Hungary, Ireland and S…
Exploring teacher professional collaboration within the Framework for Junior Cycle in Ireland
Teacher collaboration is a core contributor to professional learning and support for teachers when facing curriculum change. However, studies have found limited forms of collaboration amongst post primary teachers in Ireland. Set within the context of the Framework for Junior Cycle, this paper draws on interview data from educational stakeholders (n = 15), principals (n = 65), teachers (n = 136) and teacher survey data (n = 1451), to explore the …
‘Adding flame to the torch’: The why, what and how of teachers’ positionality in curriculum development
Introduction and theoretical framework: Teachers are increasingly positioned as fundamental participants in the curriculum design and implementation process. Drawing on Schwabs four commonplaces of curriculum—subject matter, learners, teachers, and milieu—as well as Wenger et al.’s theory of communities of practice, this study explores the experiences of a national teachers’ network in the Republic of Ireland, functioning as a community of practi…
Pedagogy (16 works) · Sociology (15 works) · Political science (12 works) · Curriculum (11 works) · Irish (9 works) · Psychology (9 works) · Global Educational Policies and Reforms (7 works) · Qualitative research (7 works) · Teacher education (7 works) · Law (6 works)