Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Inspectors and the Process of Self-Evaluation in Ireland

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
School Inspectors

Part of the book series: Accountability and Educational Improvement ((ACED))

Abstract

The relationship between school inspection and school self-evaluation in Ireland has shifted from a largely theoretical one to that of a regulatory requirement where schools are mandated to engage with an externally devised process of self-evaluation. The conduct of self-evaluation in schools is quality assured by the inspectorate. It is not clear where this shift will lead in terms of the relationship between schools and inspectors but it seems certain to change the role of the latter to a marked degree. Although laudable in theory, the practical realities and perceptions relating to this new relationship need to be considered. This chapter provides a documentary analysis of the changing landscape of school self-evaluation policy and practice from 2012 onwards and also draws on interview data and a national survey of school principals who have been charged with the implementation of these initiatives.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Amrein-Beardsley, A. (2008). Methodological concerns about the education value-added assessment system. Educational Researcher, 37(2), 65–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R., Crabtree, B., Steele, D., & McDaniel, R. (2005). Case study research: The view from complexity science. Qualitative Health Research, 15(5), 669–685.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blok, H., Sleegers, P., & Karsten, S. (2008). Looking for a balance between internal and external evaluation of school quality: Evaluation of the SVI model. Journal of Education Policy, 23(4), 379–395.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. (2011, April). The interplay between evaluation and school development planning and improvement. A case study of a board of management in the Republic of Ireland. Paper presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland 36th Annual Conference, 14th–16th April 2011. Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. (2013). Deconstructing evaluation in education: The case of Ireland. Ph.D. Thesis, Dublin City University, Ireland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M., McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2013, March). Save us from the time of trial. The case of evaluation in education. Paper presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland, 38th Annual Conference, Limerick, Ireland.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bushnell, D. (1990). Input, process, output: A model for evaluating training [electronic version]. Training & Development Journal, 44(3), 41–43. http://search.ebscohost.com.remote.library.dcu.ie/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=9089440&site=ehost-live

  • Cheng, C. (2010). Embedding self-evaluation into school development planning. In Z. Abas, et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Global Learn Asia Pacific, 17–20 May 2010, Penang, Malaysia AACE (pp. 984–992) [online]. Available from: http://www.editlib.org/p/34294. Accessed 1 September 2010.

  • Cilliers, P. (1998). Complexity and postmodernism: Understanding complex systems. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Creswell, J. W. (2008). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (3rd ed.) [Kindle Edition 1.10.1]. Thousand Oakes, CA: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2003). Looking at our school, an aid to self-evaluation in second level schools. Dublin: Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2012a). School self evaluation guidelines for post-primary schools. Dublin: Evaluation Support and Research Unit Inspectorate. Department of Education and Skills.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2012b). School self evaluation guidelines for primary schools. Dublin: Evaluation Support and Research Unit Inspectorate. Department of Education and Skills.

    Google Scholar 

  • Department of Education and Skills Republic of Ireland. (2012c). Circular 0040/2012, Implementation of school self-evaluation—Post primary. Retrieved March 12, 2015 from http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0040_2012.pdf

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2012d). Circular 0039/2012, Implementation of school self-evaluation—Primary, Retrieved 12 April 2015, from http://www.education.ie/en/Circulars-and-Forms/Active-Circulars/cl0039_2012.pdf

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2013). Chief Inspector’s Report: 2010–2012. Retrieved, March 5, 2015 from http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Inspection-Reports-Publications/Evaluation-Reports-Guidelines/Chief-Inspector%E2%80%99s-Report-2010-2012-Main-Report.pdf

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2015a). Meeting of the SSE Advisory Group. Department of Education and Skills, 21st October 2015. Marlborough Street, Dublin [Online]. Retrieved January 5, 2015 from http://schoolself-evaluation.ie/post-primary/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Notes_SSE-advisory-group-meeting_21-Oct15.pdf

  • Department of Education and Skills. (2015b). SSE Survey 2014/15: Results—October 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015 from http://schoolself-evaluation.ie/post-primary/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/SSE_Survey-and-framework_28-10-15.pdf

  • Donaldson, G. (2013). The SICI Bratislava memorandum on inspection and innovation. Retrieved October 20, 2014 from http://www.sici-inspectorates.eu/About-us/Vision-mission/The-Bratislava-Memorandum-is-on-the-Website

  • Ehren, M. C. M., Altrichter, G., McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2013). Impact of schools inspections on improvement of schools—Describing assumptions on casual mechanisms in six European countries. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 25(1), 3–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elliott, J. (1995). Self-evaluation and teacher competence. Irish Educational Studies, 14, 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gorard, S. (2010). Serious doubts about school effectiveness. British Educational Research Journal, 36(5), 745–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Government of Ireland. (1998). Education Act. Dublin: Stationery Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gray, A. (2014). Supporting school improvement: The role of inspectorates across Europe. A report from the Standing International Conference of Inspectorates (SICI). Brussels: SICI.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grek, S., Lawn, M., Ozga, J., & Segerholm, C. (2013). Governing by inspection? European inspectorates and the creation of a European education policy space. Comparative Education, 49(4), 486–502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heritage, M., & Yeagley, R. (2005). Data use and school improvement: Challenges and prospects. In J. Herman & E. Haertel (Eds.), Uses and misuses of data for educational accountability and improvement. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, (pp. 320–339). Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hislop, H. (2012). The quality assurance of Irish schools and the role of evaluation: Current and future trends. The Professor Seamus Ó Súilleabháin memorial lecture 2012, 1 May 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2015 from http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Inspection-Reports-Publications/Evaluation-Reports-Guidelines/The-Quality-Assurance-of-Irish-Schools-and-the-Role-of-Evaluation-Current-and-Future-Trends.pdf

  • MacBeath, J. (1999). Schools must speak for themselves: The case for school self-evaluation. London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2005). Internal review and self-evaluation: the chosen route to school improvement in Ireland. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 31, 267–282.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2008). The importance of the concept of self-evaluation in the changing landscape of education policy. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 34(3), 173–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNamara, G., & O’Hara, J. (2012). From looking at our schools (LAOS) to whole school evaluation-management, leadership and learning (WSE-MLL): The evolution of inspection in Irish schools over the past decade. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 24, 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded source book (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, J. P. (2002). Multiple choices: Testing students in Tennessee. Nashville, TN: Comptroller of the Treasury, Office of Education Accountability.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. (2002). Qualitative research & evaluation methods (3rd ed.). California: SAGE.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perryman, J. (2009). Inspection and the fabrication of professional and performative processes. Journal of Education Policy, 24(5), 611–631.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quinn, R. (2012). Irish Government News Service: Minister Ruairí Quinn launches Guidelines on School Self-evaluation [press release], 19 November. Retrieved November 2016 from http://www.merrionstreet.ie/en/category-index/education/schools/minister-ruairi-quinn-launches-guidelines-on-school-self-evaluation.html

  • Ryan, K., Chandler, M., & Samuels, M. (2007). What should school-based evaluation look like? Studies in Educational Evaluation, 33(3), 197–212.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seomra Ranga. (2012). Interview with Harold Hislop, chief inspector DES (Part 1) [Online]. Retrieved April 19, 2012 from http://www.seomraranga.com/2012/03/interview-with-harold-hislop-chief-inspector-des-part-1/

  • Terhart, E. (2013). Teacher resistance against school reform: Reflecting an inconvenient truth. School Leadership & Management, 33(5), 486–500.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanhoof, J., & Van Petegem, P. (2007). Matching internal and external evaluation in an era of accountability and school development: Lessons from a Flemish perspective. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 33, 101–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanhoof, J., Verhaeghe, G., Verhaeghe, J., Valcke, M., & Van Petegem, P. (2010). The influence of competences and support on school performance feedback use. Educational Studies, 33(2), 1–14.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EQI - the Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland

    Martin Brown, Gerry McNamara, Joe O’Hara & Shivaun O’Brien

Authors
  1. Martin Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gerry McNamara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Joe O’Hara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shivaun O’Brien
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Martin Brown .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Public Leadership and Social Enterprise, The Open University Business School, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

    Jacqueline Baxter

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J., O’Brien, S. (2017). Inspectors and the Process of Self-Evaluation in Ireland. In: Baxter, J. (eds) School Inspectors. Accountability and Educational Improvement. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52536-5_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-52536-5_4

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-52535-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-52536-5

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation