Efforts at Systemic Implementation of a Public Education Program: Lessons From Ireland and Australia

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: Comparative Educational Reform: Lessons From the Philippines, Ireland, Australia, Chile, China, and the EU

Abstract

In this paper, the authors describe and review how educators in Ireland and Australia are working to systematically refine and extend teachers’ instructional repertoires based on a common program of action through enacting current research related to change and systemic change. We offer insights, from both settings, to change implementation, with the Irish project now in its 11th year, and the Australian project, which ran for seven years. We avail of and seek to contribute to an evolving framework based on change research that has been used to guide our thinking, our actions and reviews of each project. In reviewing our efforts we believe we offer somewhat unique but useful stories and lessons on the process of large-scale systemic change.

Authors

• Rebecca Saunders, Murdoch University

• Finn Ó Murchú, Mary Immaculate College, Thurles, Ireland

• Joan Russell

• Barrie B. Bennett, OISE/University of Toronto