Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023
201. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the key bodies and agencies in Irish education involved in dimension one of the longitudinal study exploring the implementation and impact of the Junior Cycle Framework in post-primary schools. [26963/23]
View answer202. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Education the criteria and benchmarks to be utilised as part of dimension two of the longitudinal study exploring the implementation and impact of the Junior Cycle Framework in post-primary schools to ensure adequate spread of DEIS school, gaelscoileanna, geographical location, Gaeltacht and gender. [26964/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 201 and 202 together.
The Framework for Junior Cycle (2015) has underpinned teaching, learning, assessment and reporting in post-primary schools for a number of years. A research study examining schools’ experiences of working with the framework is now taking place. Following a competitive tender process, a research team from the School of Education at the University of Limerick was commissioned by NCCA to carry out this mixed methods, multidimensional research study on the implementation and impact of the introduction of the Framework for Junior Cycle in schools.
Two interim reports in this series of research reports have been published to date, the first of which was published in October 2022 and the second in April 2023. Further data collection and reporting will be carried out over the lifetime of the study which runs from 2020 to 2024. Such research plays a valuable role in supporting the ongoing implementation of this major reform, and I look forward to the future phases of the study.
It is important to note that this report is being carried out by the University of Limerick on behalf of the NCCA and accordingly the criteria and benchmarks to be utilised within the Study are not a matter for me as Minister. However, I am advised that the criteria that were used to select the schools to ensure a representative sample are detailed in the ‘sampling process’ section of the introductory report, and that the sample of Second-Level schools was identified using the national list of schools as provided on education.ie. I can also draw the Deputy's attention to the details of the stakeholder bodies and agencies interviewed as part of Dimension 1, which I am advised are outlined on page 13 of the introductory report and within Appendix I to the report.
