Biographical Information on the Gender History Project Research Team
Dr. Deirdre Raftery is a lecturer in the
Education Department, University College Dublin.
She is a Research Associate at Girton College,
Cambridge (2005), and at the Centre for Gender
and Women's Studies, Trinity College Dublin. Author
of a number of books and papers, Dr. Raftery is also
designing School Development Planning initiatives
for schools.
Dr. Maryann Valiulis is the Director of the Centre
for Gender and Women's Studies, Trinity College
Dublin as well as directing the Research Unit of the
Centre. Dr. Valiulis has published extensively in the
field of Irish history, including both traditional and
women's history.
Judith Harford, B.A., M.A., H.Dip.Ed., is a lecturer
in the Education Department, University College
Dublin. She is the recipient of the Dr. Mary L.
Thornton scholarship in education (2003) for
doctoral research in women’s history.
Jennifer Redmond, B.A., M.Phil., is a researcher
at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity
College Dublin. She is currently undertaking doctoral
research in the area of Irish women’s emigration in the
Free State period for which she was awarded a Trinity
Studentship (2004).
Catherine Cregan, B.A., M.Phil., is a part-time
researcher at the Centre for Gender and Women’s
Studies. Her thesis research was on the moral and
political philosophy of Mary Wollstonecraft.
Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland
Gender Perspectives in the Delivery and Assessment of Junior Cycle History
SUMMARY REPORT2004
i
Dr. Maryann ValiulisJennifer RedmondCatherine Cregan
CENTRE FOR GENDER & WOMEN’S STUDIES
TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
Dr. Deirdre RafteryJudith Harford
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
1
Contents
Background to Research Project and Acknowledgements 3
Foreword 5
Chapter 1 Literature Review of Gender Perspectives in Education 7
Chapter 2Experiences and Attitudes of Pre-service History Teachers (H.Dip.Ed. Students) 13
Chapter 3Analysis of Research Data on Junior Cycle Textbooks 17
Chapter 4Analysis of Research Data on Junior Certificate Examinations 27
Chapter 5Analysis of National Questionnaire 31
Chapter 6Conclusions and Recommendations 37
3
Background to Research Project and Acknowledgements
The Gender Research History Project was undertaken by the Centre for Gender and Women’s
Studies, Trinity College, and the Education Department, University College, Dublin. The research
team consisted of the principal investigators, Dr. Deirdre Raftery of UCD and Dr. Maryann Valiulis
of TCD; the research coordinator, Judith Harford, UCD; and the researchers, Jennifer Redmond and
Catherine Cregan, TCD. It was funded by a two-year grant from the Gender Equality Unit of the
Department of Education and Science and commenced in December 2002. The main body of the
research was undertaken during 2003.
Expert Advisory Panel
Dr. Robert Kirkpatrick, Department of Education and Science
Ms. Anne V. O’Connor, Historian and History Teacher
Ms. Mary O Dubhain, History Teachers’ Association
Dr. Deirdre Raftery, UCD
Dr. Maryann Valiulis, TCD
Mr. Brendan Walsh, Lecturer in Education, NUI Maynooth
Honorary Advisory Board
Dr. Margaret MacCurtain
Susan M. Parkes, FTCD
The research project team would like to thank the Gender Equality Unit of the Department of
Education and Science, the Expert Advisory Panel, the Honorary Advisory Board, and all teachers of
the Junior Certificate History Cycle who graciously shared with us their insights and experiences.
Many thanks to the History Teachers’ Association of Ireland for their collaboration. The team also
acknowledges the cooperation of Donal Fitzsimons, Education Resource Centre, UCD, and TCD
Library. We are grateful to the National Library of Ireland for permission to reproduce a
photograph from their Lawrence Collection on the inside cover of this report. Our thanks to
Martina Harford of the Smurfit Group for her support. Special thanks to Rhona MacSweeney of
the Gender Equality Unit for her continued interest in this research.
Foreword
All civilizations look to history to provide a sense of identity, a chronicle of events, an understanding
of contemporary social structures and processes, and a documentation of cultural development. The
potential for intellectual and social formation made possible through inquiry-oriented approaches to
the study of history among school children has been a welcome development at Junior Cycle. In line
with stated Government and Department of Education and Science policy on gender equality, the
study of history at Junior Cycle should offer pupils an understanding of how women as well as men
have helped to shape the world in which they live.
The research on which this report is based is thus opportune. It provides detailed material for
reflection on the teaching and learning of history at Junior Cycle. It gives valuable insights into the
intellectual formation and gender socialisation provided by the curriculum, by the texts and by
assessment at Junior Certificate level. The research also presents the views and insights of student
teachers, and practising teachers based on a national questionnaire. The findings will be of central
interest and importance not only to teachers of history but to teachers of all subjects, teacher
educators, researchers, policy-makers, curriculum developers and book publishers.
The project is the outcome of a synergistic partnership between two universities and the Department
of Education and Science. The Gender Equality Unit at the Department of Education and Science
funded the study. The research was conducted by Dr. Deirdre Raftery and Ms. Judith Harford of the
Education Department, University College Dublin, and by Dr. Maryann Valiulis, Ms. Jennifer
Redmond and Ms. Catherine Cregan at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College
Dublin. Together they have illustrated the hidden curriculum underlying the formal curriculum and
have raised important issues for the teaching of history and for gender studies.
Professor Sheelagh Drudy
Education Department
University College Dublin.
5
‘ The Report on the National EducationConvention (1994) observed that “ it is generally agreed that thepromotion of gender equality should be a fundamental aim.”’
1. Literature Review
The importance of a gender-balanced
curriculum is widely advocated.
Gender-balance in schools is understood
to be awareness of, and commitment to,
gender equality. It requires that pupils,
teachers and the wider education community
understand how gender identity is constructed
and how gender equality is best promoted.
A number of fundamental variables shape and
inform how gender equality is constructed in
schools, most significantly the curriculum,
both formal and hidden. The formal
curriculum represents the subjects deemed
appropriate to be taught in schools.
Significant aspects of formal learning in
schools include teaching methodologies,
teaching and learning resources, evaluation and
assessment procedures and prescribed
textbooks. The hidden curriculum is more
subtle and refers to school ethos, social
practices and values that are fostered outside
of formal lessons. Research into the hidden
curriculum in Irish schools indicates that
schools are characterised by a ‘hidden
curriculum’, which is ‘individualistic and
competitive’ (Lynch, 1989).
The hidden curriculum can serve to undermine
attempts at gender equality in the classroom
and often works to perpetuate and reinforce
existing stereotypes. The consensualist nature
of the Irish education system has prevented
debate and research on the gendered nature
of the curriculum until relatively recently
(Lynch, 1987).
1.1 Policy Context
Over recent years, gender equality has become
a policy issue for successive Irish governments.
A number of international gender equality
agreements have been adopted, including most
significantly the Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
(CEDAW) adopted in 1979 by the UN General
Assembly, and the UN Beijing Platform for
Action adopted by Governments participating
in the Fourth World Conference on Women,
1995. A number of policy initiatives have also
been taken at national level including the
Equal Status Bill, 1997 and the Employment
Equality Act, 1998, both of which provide an
unequivocal commitment to, among other
issues, gender equality.
8
In the educational sphere, the importance of
promoting gender equality has also been
espoused. A number of policy documents have
over recent years given a clear commitment to
the promotion of gender equality in schools
and in the wider education community. The
Green Paper, Education for a Changing World
(1992), noted that ‘the achievements and
contribution of women to the country’s
economic, social and cultural life, past and
present, must receive much more emphasis in
all subjects’ (p. 69). It further observed that ‘all
educational institutions… will develop and
publish an active policy to promote gender
equality… A review of all teaching materials in
use in schools will be undertaken on a regular
basis and action will be taken to ensure that
unsuitable material will be withdrawn or
adapted’ (pp. 70-71).
The Report on the National Education
Convention (1994) observed that ‘it is
generally agreed that the promotion of gender
equality should be a fundamental aim.’ It also
highlighted the need ‘to examine the context of
knowledge itself in a variety of subject areas,
since this has been a major influence in the
formation of self-image and stereotypes and
may well be closely related to stereotyped
subject choices’ (p. 119). The White Paper,
Charting Our Education Future (1995) gave a
commitment that ‘specific emphasis will be
placed on combating sexual stereotyping and
ensuring that the manner in which programmes
are taught does not unwittingly reinforce
gender bias’ (p. 130). The Education Act
(1998) recommends that schools should aim to
‘promote the moral, spiritual, social and
personal development of students…promote
equality of opportunity for both male and
female students’ (p. 13).
1.2 Research on theGendered Curriculumin Ireland
Considerable research has been carried out on
the issue of gender equality in Irish schools.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, a number of
key reports examined gender equality in
primary schools (Kellaghan et al., 1985; Lewis
and Kellaghan, 1993). More emphasis recently
has been placed on the significance of gender
equality and a gendered curriculum in post-
primary schools. The Economic and Social
Research Institute has examined the issue of
co-education and performance in schools
(Hannan et al., 1996). This study found that
differences in performance at Junior Certificate
examination between coeducational and single-
sex schools were the result of differences in
social class background as well as the result of
differences in the levels of attainment of
different cohorts of students. The National
Council for Curriculum and Assessment
(NCCA) has also carried out significant
research in the area of gender and performance
in examinations. Their longitudinal study of
the 1994 Junior Certificate cohort’s
performance at the subsequent Leaving
Certificate examinations (1996 and 1997)
found that girls were significantly
outperforming boys. This finding was
confirmed by a subsequent Report of the
Economic and Social Research Institute
(Smyth, 1999). A further study by the NCCA
(2003) examined the 2000/2001 Junior and
Leaving Certificate examination results by
gender and achievement. In particular, this
research examined the contribution that
examination systems and assessment
techniques make to gender-related differences
in examination performance and achievement.
9
It concluded that patterns of Junior Cycle level
are significantly effected by the different levels
of entry (Foundation, Ordinary, Higher) both
available and chosen and that girls were
generally out-performing boys at Junior Cycle
level, largely because greater numbers of them
were entering for higher level papers. This in
turn impacted on their educational
opportunities at Leaving Certificate level,
where gendered patterns of entry for subjects
and levels were again discernible. This trend
was not unique to the Irish system of education
but was borne out in the experience of a
number of countries. This study also
underlined the importance of the assessment
techniques and instruments used and how these
may interact with the gender of candidates
(Elwood and Carlisle, 2003).
Looney and Morgan (2001) in an examination
of the provision at Junior Cycle level of
subjects not normally included in the state
examinations, such as Religious Education,
Physical Education and Social, Personal and
Health Education, found that the curriculum is
noticeably gendered in the Junior Cycle of
single-sex post-primary schools.
They observed that boys spent more time in
traditional subjects in the verbal and logic-
mathematical domains, while less in the inter
and intra-personal areas. The increased
amount of time spent by boys in these areas
did not necessarily translate into higher levels
of achievement (Looney and Morgan, 2001).
Such findings have resulted in a public debate,
both in the media and in educational circles,
regarding the underachievement of boys (see
Yates, 1997; Epstein et al., 1998; Griffin,
1998). The issue of male academic
underachievement is becoming an international
concern (Weiner et al., 1997). Some writers
have labelled the situation a ‘moral panic’.
However, as a number of feminist scholars
point out, this sense of panic was noticeably
absent when girls were underachieving (Epstein
et al., 1998). More recent studies have
questioned the existence of a gender gap and
have suggested the homogenisation in
performance between boys and girls (Arnot et
al., 1999).
10
References
Department of Education,
(1992) Green Paper,
Education for a Changing World.
Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education,
(1995) The White Paper,
Charting Our Education Future.
Dublin: Stationery Office.
Department of Education,
(1995) Report on the
National Education Convention.
Dublin: Stationery Office.
The Education Act, (1998)
Dublin: Stationery Office.
Arnot, M., David, M. and J. Weiner, (1999)
Closing the Gender Gap: Postwar education
and social change. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Coolahan, J. (ed.) (1994) Report on
The National Education Convention.
Dublin: National Education Convention
Secretariat.
Elwood, J. and K. Carlisle,
(2003) Examining Gender.
Dublin: NCCA.
Epstein, D., Elwood, J., Hey, V., and J. Maw,
(1998) ‘Schoolboy frictions: feminism and
“failing boys,”’ in: D. Epstein, J. Elwood,
V. Hey and J. Maw (eds.) Failing Boys?
Buckingham: Open University Press.
Griffin, C. (1998) ‘Representations of youth
and the “boys’ underachievement” debate:
just the same old stories?’ Paper presented at
‘Gendering the Millennium’ International
Conference, University of Dundee,
11-13 September.
Hannan, D., Smyth, E., McCullagh, T.
O’Leary, R. and D. McMahon, (1996)
Coeducation and Gender Equality.
Dublin: Oak Tree Press.
Kellaghan, T., Fontes, P.J., O’Toole, C.
and O. Egan, (1985) Gender Inequalities
in Primary-School Teaching.
Dublin: Educational Company.
Lewis, M. and T. Kellaghan,
(1993) Exploring the Gender Gap in Primary
Schools, Dublin: Educational Research Centre.
Looney, A. and M. Morgan, (2001)
‘“A Gendered Curriculum?” An Investigation
of Some Aspects of Curriculum Provision in
Post-Primary Schools,’ Irish Educational
Studies, Vol. 20, Spring.
Lynch, K. (1987) The Universal and Particular
Gender, Class and Reproduction in Second-
Level. Dublin: University College Dublin,
UCD Women’s Studies Forum:
Working Papers.
Lynch, K. (1989) The Hidden Curriculum:
Reproduction in Education, a Reappraisal.
London: Falmer.
11
12
Millar, D. and D. Kelly, (1999) From Junior to
Leaving Certificate: A longitudinal study of
1994 Junior Certificate Candidates who took
the Leaving Certificate Examination in 1997 –
Final Report. Dublin: NCCA.
Smyth, E. (1999) Do Schools Differ?
Academic and Personal Development among
Pupils. Dublin: Oak Tree Press.
Weiner, G., Arnot, M., and M. David, (1997)
‘“Is the future female?” Female success, male
disadvantage, and changing gender patterns in
education’, in Halsey, A.A., Brown, P., Lauder,
H. and A. Stewart-Wells, (eds.) Education,
Culture, Economy and Society.
Oxford: University Press.
Yates, L. (1997) ‘Gender equity and the boys
debate: what sort of challenge is it?’
British Journal of Sociology of Education, 18,
pp. 337-347.
2. Overview
It was decided that the experiences and
attitudes of pre-service history teachers would
be relevant to this study for a number of
reasons. First, it would be possible to examine
their reflections on being taught history, and
whether or not they believed they experienced
a gender-balanced curriculum. Second, it
would be possible to make observations on
whether or not they expected to adopt the
teaching ‘style’ which they had experienced as
pupils. Finally, it would be possible to establish
whether pre-service teachers embraced the
concept of a gender-balanced history
curriculum, or were hostile to this concept.
2.1 Sample
The research was carried out using a
convenience sample of students taking the
Higher Diploma in Education, at University
College Dublin, in the academic year 2003-
2004. The students had been educated at
schools throughout the country. Given that
they were planning to pursue careers as history
teachers, it was expected that they would be
well suited to reflecting on their own
experience of being taught history. There were
forty-six respondents: twenty were male and
twenty-six were female. They were undertaking
teaching practice in history at a range of
schools. The majority of respondents (41%)
were teaching at all-girl secondary schools,
while 35% were teaching at all-boys secondary
schools and the remaining 24% were teaching
at mixed-sex schools. Of these schools, 15%
were designated disadvantaged. The students
volunteered to participate in the study, and
completed a questionnaire that had been
piloted on the H.Dip.Ed. Class of 2002-2003.
This section of the research project was
ancillary to the main task of conducting a
national survey of practitioners, but was
nonetheless useful. It provides some insight
into the priorities of pre-service teachers, and
their ability to reflect on their learning and
their teaching.
2.2 Findings
(a) The experience of being taught Junior
Cycle history
The majority of respondents (66%) had taken
the Junior Certificate history examinations
whilst at school, and therefore had experienced
being taught the curriculum. The curriculum
had been delivered by both male and female
teachers: 43% of respondents were taught by
male history teacher only; 26% were taught by
female history teachers only; and 31% were
taught by both male and female history
teachers.
The resource in regular use in the history
classes was the textbook. The respondents had
been taught without any use of the following
resources: slides, computers, internet access,
DVDs, and CDs. It was expected that IT
related resources would not have been in
common usage in the period in which the
respondents were taking Junior Cycle history.
However, the use of resources other than the
textbook was limited. The term ‘regular’
indicated the use of the resource at least once
in every four lessons. Whilst 40% of
respondents were taught via the regular use of
the textbook in class, 23% had also watched
TV/videos, 22% had used maps/charts; 11% of
respondents had experienced the use of
photographs; 11% had worked with
14
documents; 8% had been taught with the
regular use of an overhead projector, 3% had
used facsimile materials, and 1% had
experience of using resource packs.
(b) The experience of teaching history
The research indicated the types of resources
commonly used in history classes by the
H.Dip.Ed. students. The textbook remains an
important vehicle for the delivery of the
syllabus (54%). However, other sources are
also in regular use. This suggests greater
availability of technology in schools, and a
willingness amongst H.Dip.Ed. students to
incorporate the use of equipment into their
classes. The results indicated that 77% of
respondents make use of TV/Video; 37% used
the OHP reguarly; 24% used the internet; 12%
used DVDs and 5% used CDs. The
respondents were not only making use of the
resources they had experienced as pupils, but,
overwhelmingly, greater use was being made of
these resources: 27% used maps/charts; 21%
used photographs as a teaching aid; 11% used
facsimile materials; 7% used documents and
5% used resource packs.
The ease with which respondents have adapted
to using such a variety of teaching resources
may be due to the increased availability of
resources at their schools, and to the fact that
they have access to the Education Resource
Centre (UCD) during the H.Dip.Ed. year. It is
also important to recognise that H.Dip.Ed.
Students and Newly Qualified Teachers
(NQTs) may experiment with resources in
order to establish their preferred teaching
methods. In addition, H.Dip.Ed. students may
incorporate the use of a variety of resources
into their lessons in response to the
expectations of their lecturers and supervisors.
A longitudinal study of history teachers and
their use of resources in the classroom would
provide a more complete picture of the nature
of change over time.
2.3 Gender awareness
The respondents indicated the degree to which
their history teachers had made them aware of
the experiences and contributions of men and
women, during the delivery of the curriculum.
Female respondents were more likely to have
been made equally aware of the contributions
and experiences of women and men (43%),
whilst this was the experience of 27% of male
respondents. A total of 25% of all respondents
reported that they were rarely made aware of
the experience of women whilst they were
studying history at school.
The questionnaire then invited respondents to
give some information on their own delivery of
a gender-balanced curriculum. A total of 71%
indicated that they made their pupils equally
aware of the experiences and contributions of
both men and women. They were in agreement
that the contributions and experience of men
were given adequate attention in the textbooks
(98%). By contrast, 55% considered that the
contributions and experience of women were
given adequate attention in the textbooks.
A total of 95% indicated that the contributions
and experience of men were given adequate
attention in the Junior Certificate
examinations, while 44% considered that the
examinations gave adequate attention to the
experiences and contributions of both men
and women.
15
A total of 54% of respondents indicated that
there was a need to revise the textbooks to
include greater focus on the contributions and
experience of men, whilst 93% indicated that
there was a need to revise the textbooks to
include greater focus on the contributions and
experience of women. The respondents had
similar views concerning the need for more
resource packs, videos/DVDs, facsimile
materials and photographs.
Whilst the need was expressed with reference
to teaching about both women and men,
respondents indicated a greater need for all of
these resources to reflect the experiences and
contributions of women in the past.
The respondents indicated that they made
decisions about what to teach based on (1)
their desire to widen pupils’ knowledge of
history; (2) the level or ability of their pupils;
and (3) the probability that the topic being
taught would be included for assessment in the
Junior Certificate examination.
16
‘ A total of 71% indicated that they made theirpupils equally aware of the experiences andcontributions of both men and women. They were in agreement that the contributionsand experience of men were given adequateattention in the textbooks (98%). By contrast,55% considered that the contributions andexperience of women were given adequateattention in the textbooks.’
3. Textbook Research
This chapter summarises the findings of our
analysis of textbooks used in the Junior Cycle
History curriculum. Both questions and
illustrations were examined. The aim of the
research was to produce a comprehensive
gendered analysis of all texts used in the study
of History at Junior Cycle level.
3.1 Introduction to TextualAnalysis
Textbooks are the main learning resource used
by teachers and the primary resource that all
students use.1 Thus, an important part of our
research project was the analysis of textbooks
used for the period, 1992-2002.
Fifteen texts were analysed in total, including
the most popular series of textbooks, as well as
any that would be available to be used by
teachers in the specified time period.2 The texts
were analysed in two key ways: first, in terms
of the types of questions that were asked in
each chapter or section; and second, in terms
of the illustrative material that they contain,
encompassing photographs, maps,
reproduction of propaganda and any other
visual images used in the texts.
3.2 Methodology
A research template was designed to both
represent the information and to assist the
classification of the data by the researchers
using the Excel package. This package offered
the advantages of being able to display the
data in tabular format and to calculate
statistical information that further highlights
the results of the research. Different types of
tables were used to highlight our data. In
addition, detailed files for each text were
produced, along with abbreviated tables, pie
charts and bar charts to represent the final
data. At a later stage SPSS was also used in the
construction of graphs and charts and in the
final statistical analyses of the data collected.
3.3 Textual Analysis:Questions
There are a number of possible approaches to
analysing gender perspectives prevailing in
Junior Cycle History textbooks, including
word counts of gendered language and a
gendered analysis of the topics chosen in the
books. However, we decided to analyse the
questions asked in these textbooks, which
created specific data on what the student is
being asked to learn.
Questions are extremely important in the
context of textbooks for two reasons: first,
because they highlight what is deemed to be
the most important information in the chapter;
and second, because these questions are
primarily used by teachers for homework
purposes and therefore influence the
information that the student will highlight and
retain from each chapter or section.
3.4 Methodology
In order to produce a gendered analysis of the
textbooks in relation to their questions, it was
necessary to quantify how men and women
were represented in questions and the types of
18
1 Textbooks were judged by the team to be the primary teaching and learning tool used in the Junior Cycle History course, a fact borne out by the National Questionnaire in which it was found that 97% of teachers surveyed used textbooks in their teaching.
2 All fifteen texts were later verified in the National Questionnaire as being currently used by teachers.
questions asked about them. To this end the
following categories were created under which
the questions would be designated:
‘Male’
‘Female’
‘Male and Female’
‘Other’
3.5 Definitions ofCategories
Male: This category was used to encompass
questions that either named specific male
individuals or specific male groups.
For example:
“What did Neville Chamberlain declare he had
achieved in his talks with Hitler?”
Female: This category was used to encompass
questions that either named specific female
individuals or specific female groups.
For example:
“When was Countess Markievicz born?”
Male and Female: This category was used to
encompass questions that either named specific
men and women together, or specific groups
that had male and female membership, or
asked about “people”.
For example:
“Name the rulers that sponsored the voyage of
exploration undertaken by Columbus.”
Other: This category was used to encompass
questions that did not have a gendered nature,
and were about either specific events or about
objects, inventions or buildings.
For example:
“Give two reasons why linen production
boomed after the Ulster plantation.”
Thus, for each textbook, the template shown
as Table 3.1 was used.
This system ensured efficiency and provided
accessibility. More importantly, however, it
created standard categories for each text in the
study, which ensured consistency in the
classification of all data across all texts.
3.6 Summary Findings
The total number of questions analysed in the
study was 11,019. The category breakdown
was: Male, 3,846; Female, 212;
Male and Female, 1,687; and Other, 5,274.
19
Chapter No. Male Female Male and Other Total Female
1 *** * **** 8
2 ** **** 6
3 *** * ** ***** 11
Table 3.1: Sample of research template
Fig. 3.1 on p. 21 shows the percentage
breakdown of the above data.
Taking a nuanced breakdown of this data,
if the questions are analysed in terms of gender
only, Fig. 3.2, p. 21, shows the percentage
breakdown of the questions.
Across the fifteen texts average results were
calculated for questions in each chapter or
section relating to each category. Table 3.2,
p. 21, shows the results in each question
category in terms of the lowest and highest
average percentage of questions.
3.7 Conclusion
We see a consistent average of one third across
the texts of questions that relate to males,
whilst questions that relate to women are
dismally low at less than 5% of the total
questions. Even if one considers the argument
that women’s history is generally a part of
social history, which makes up only part of the
course, there is still a vast gap between the
number of questions asked about men and
those about women, which indicates a gender
imbalance in the kinds of questions being
asked in Junior Cycle History textbooks. This
gender imbalance is consistent across the time
period 1992 –2002 and across all revised
editions of the textbooks, thus demonstrating
that the curriculum commitment to gender
equality and the discoveries made in women’s
history have not been incorporated into the
production of Junior Cycle History textbooks.
There are two significant issues relating to the
issue of language in the textbooks. First, there
are certain questions about women that are
clearly biased. For example, there was a
question asking what were the faults of Marie
Antoinette, whilst no similar question is asked
about her husband. Another question on this
topic asks the student to name (a) Louis XVI’s
main palace and (b) his queen. Marie
Antoinette is thus a commodity/possession of
the king on equal terms with his palace.
Second, there is a tendency in the textbooks to
ask questions that appear to be gender neutral,
but when analysing the information a student
would use to answer the question, the highly
gendered nature of the information is
highlighted: only information on men is
provided. Related to this second issue is that of
the use of gender neutral or gender inclusive
language. The more recent textbooks use
formulations such as his/her or he/she when
asking questions at the end of chapters or
sections, but the information that is contained
in the body of the text often does not offer
equal information on male and female
experience, either separately or together. For
example: “Name a Renaissance painter and
one of his/her works”. There is only one text
out of the series of fifteen that details the lives
and works of female Renaissance painters, thus
a student cannot help but give information
only on men.3 The use of this gender inclusive
language appears empty without the adequate
information to answer the question in a gender
inclusive manner.
3.8 Textual Analysis:Illustrative Material
An important part of every textbook is the
visual content contained in each chapter or
section. It serves to highlight information, and
is often used in texts as a form of
20
3 The text that contains information on this topic ranked as the 4th most popular textbook series used in the National Questionnaire.
21
Fig. 3.1: Breakdown of all questions by category
Fig. 3.2: Nuanced breakdown of questions by gender
Table 3.2: Lowest and highest average percentage of questions by category
Question Category Lowest Average % Highest Average %of Questions of Questions
Male 23.78% 46.62%
Female 0.29% 7.16%
Male and Female 6.73% 25.48%
Other 33.44% 60.59%
35%
15%
48%
2%
35% Male
2% Female
15% Male and Female
48% Other
67%
29%
4%
67% Male
4% Female
29% Male and Female
supplementary data to the main body of the
written text. For this reason it is important to
analyse the visual content in terms of gender
and the kinds of images shown.
3.9 Key Terms
The term used to describe the visual content in
textbooks in this report is ‘Illustrative
Material’ as this encompasses all types of
visuals as well as indicating that they are used
in a complementary and supplementary way to
the main text. Examples of illustrative material
used in the texts were: photographs,
advertisements, political cartoons/propaganda,
artists’ impressions, art (paintings, sculptures),
and maps.
In order to produce a gendered analysis of the
illustrative material in the textbooks, it was
necessary to define how men and women were
represented in the illustrations. For this
purpose categories of analysis were used to
describe the content of the Illustrative
Material. These are called Representation
Codes and in total there were 24 different
codes. The categories were determined in
reference to the illustrations in the texts to be
analysed. The following is a comprehensive list
of all codes used:
22
Table 3.3: List of representation codes
Representation Codes Definition
1 Within a domestic setting 2 As political leaders 3 As religious/spiritual leaders, or In religious setting or context 4 As women’s rights activists/leaders 5 As educational leaders 6 As sporting figures 7 As popular culture figures or in such a setting 8 As legal figures 9 As economic/business figures 10 Artists 11 Within propaganda 12 Social/political activists 13 As politicians 14 As monarchy or nobility 15 Within a science/medicine/ technology context 16 As geographical explorers 17 As subjects of art 18 Within a generalised public setting 19 In industry 20 In agriculture 21 As immigrants/emigrants/migrants 22 In a military or war context 23 As wife or partner of a famous manOther Any non-gendered illustrative material
3.10 Methodology
The illustrations were analysed in three
categories:
1. In relation to the size of the illustration,
determined as being small, medium
and large.
Small illustrations were defined as those that
measured ≤ 2.5 inches x 2.5 –3 inches.
Medium illustrations were defined as those
that measured ≤3.5 x 3.5.
Large illustrations were defined as those that
measured anything in excess of the above
measurements.
2. In relation to the gender represented in the
illustration, i.e., ‘Male’ or ‘Female’ or a
combination of ‘Male and Female’.
The categorisation ‘Other’ was used
to describe any illustration that could
not be defined as gendered.
The categorisation of the illustrative
material followed the same rationale and
application as that used in the
categorisation of the questions in
the textbooks.
3. Using Representation Codes to define the
context of the illustrations. These
Representation Codes were applied in the
same way throughout the fifteen texts.
3.11 Summary Findings
(a) Total Breakdowns of Data
A total of 5,878 illustrations were examined.
Fig. 3.3 represents a breakdown of the
Illustrative Material according to gendered
category.
Similar to the analysis of the questions in
the texts, average results were calculated for
Illustrative Material in each chapter or section
relating to each category by gender.
23
Fig. 3.3: Breakdown of total illustrative material by gender
Male 2,482
Female 356
Male and Female 791
Other 2,249
71%
20%
9%71% Male
9% Female
20% Male and Female
The average number of illustrations relating to
each gender category were: Male, 43.42%;
Female, 6.40%; Male and Female, 13.66%;
and Other, 36.53%.
Table 3.4 shows the results in each category
in terms of the lowest and highest average
percentage of illustrations.
(b) Breakdown by Size of Data
As a total of all the textbooks examined,
70% of all Illustrative Material was of the
small size, 24% were medium size, and 6%
were large size.
Fig. 3.4 (below), 3.5 & 3.6 (p. 25) respectively
show the breakdown of Illustrative Material by
size category.
1. Small Size Illustrative Material
2. Medium Size Illustrative Material
3. Large Size Illustrative Material
24
Table 3.4: Lowest and highest average percentage of illustrative material by category
Illustrative Material Lowest Average % Highest Average % Gender Category of Illustrations of Illustrations
Male 22.70% 56.35%
Female 2.49% 17.30%
Male and Female 4.86% 17.96%
Other 19.34% 65.75%
Fig. 3.4: Breakdown of small size illustrations by gender
64%
29%
7%
64% Male
7% Female
29% Male and Female
25
Fig. 3.5 Breakdown of medium size illustrations by gender
Fig. 3.6: Breakdown of large size illustrations by gender
52%45%
3%
52% Male
3% Female
45% Male and Female
3.12 Conclusion
Given the fact that small size is predominant,
it is noteworthy that men are seven times more
represented than women in this category.
Men are also over seven times more
represented than women in the medium size
illustrations, and over 17 times more
represented than women in the large size
illustrations.
When analysing the Illustrative Material it also
became apparent that the type of language that
is used to describe women is not adequate in
crediting them with their full achievements.
For example, in one text there appears a
photograph of Maud Gonne, with the caption
stating that she was the mother of Sean
McBride, which is a historical fact, but
nevertheless not a description of her only
role or significance in Irish history. Rather it
emphasises the stereotyped role of an Irish
mother instead of her important role as an
activist, a revolutionary and a prominent
public figure.
This stereotypical representation was also
found in textbooks in the artist’s impressions
of a particular era. For example, in one text
there is an artist’s depiction of a Celtic family
showing a scene where the mother is putting
on make-up at a primitive dressing table.
26
4. Introduction
This chapter provides an analysis of the
examination papers for Junior Cycle History at
both Ordinary and Higher Level in the period
1992-2002. Following the methods and
information presentation used in the previous
chapter, this chapter details the methodology
and the overall results of the analysis.
4.1 Methodology
Because the Junior Certificate Examination for
History has two levels, Ordinary and Higher,
both levels were analysed by the researchers
for the period 1992 –2002. The most
significant difference in the Ordinary and
Higher Level Examination Papers is that the
Higher Level contains two extra sections
requiring more in-depth answers from the
student. Thus it is not only a longer
examination, but also one that requires greater
knowledge on certain areas of the course.
The questions and the illustrative material were
analysed fully at both levels and the same
categories were used as for the textbooks, i.e.,
‘Male’, ‘Female’, ‘Male and Female’ and
28
Table 4.1: Definitions of key terms
Term Definition
Closed Question A question that is framed in such a way that it is exclusive to either one gender or another
Open Question A question that is framed in such a way that it is open to both males and females, either using the terms “male and female” or “people”.
N.G. Non-Gendered – these questions are defined as “Other” or are not specifically about the people in the illustrations.
Fig. 4.1: Breakdown of Ordinary Level examination questions by gender 1992-2002
4%
46%
30% 30% Male
4% Female
20% Male and Female
46% Other20%
‘Other’. Also, the same Representation Codes
were used to classify the visual images that
appear in the examination in the “Sources”
supplement. Continuing the methods used in
the textual analysis ensured a consistent and
systematic approach by linking the analyses of
the textbooks and examination papers under
the same methodology and criteria. Combined
with this gendered analysis of the questions
and illustrative material in the examination
papers the researchers added another criteria to
highlight more specific information about the
questions that are asked at examination level.
The terms ‘Open’ and ‘Closed’ were applied to
questions, as well as the term ‘Non Gendered’.
Table 4.1 (p. 28) is a list of the definitions of
terms that appear on the tables for each year.
4.2 Summary Findings
Ordinary Level
The total number of questions analysed on the
Ordinary Level Examination Papers was 536
and Fig. 4.1, p. 28 shows the total percentage
breakdown by gendered categories of the
questions asked on the Ordinary Level
Examination.
Table 4.2 shows the numerical breakdown of
these questions into gendered categories.
At this level, the total number of closed
29
Table 4.2: Total breakdown of Ordinary Level examination questions by category
Examination Questions Gender Category Total Number of Questions
Male 161
Female 21
Male and Female 107
Other 247
Fig. 4.2: Breakdown of Higher Level examination questions by gender 1992-2002
1%58%
27% 27% Male
1% Female
14% Male and Female
58% Other14%
questions for the period 1992-2002 was 182,
with 87.60% of those relating to males only,
and 12.40% of them relating to females only.
Higher Level
The total number of questions analysed on the
Higher Level examination papers was 858.
Fig. 4.2, p. 29 shows the total percentage
breakdown by gendered categories of the
questions asked on the Higher Level
Examination. Table 4.3 shows the numerical
breakdown of these questions into gendered
categories.
On this level examination paper, the total
amount of closed questions for the period
1992-2002 was 239, with 95.56%, of those
relating to males only, and 4.44% of them
relating to females only.
On the Ordinary Level examination there is a
3% cumulative increase in questions solely
about women. This is in proportion to the
fewer sections on the papers. There were also
6% more questions about men and women
together on the Ordinary Level examinations,
which suggests that it is a more gender-
balanced paper. Questions solely about men
constituted 30% and 27% of the questions on
the Ordinary and Higher Level papers
respectively, which shows a stable average of a
third of the total questions. This figure
correlates exactly with the findings about
male questions in the textbooks.
4.3 Conclusion
In comparing the Ordinary and Higher Level
examinations, it is important to note the
differences between the two examinations and
thus the differences in the questions asked and
the depth of the answers required. At present,
the extra sections of the Higher Level
examination contain longer questions on social
change, which often require information on
the changes in the status of women in society
in their answer. This means that a Higher
Level student may potentially know more
about the status of women than an Ordinary
Level student.
On both levels of papers the use of gender
neutral or gender inclusive language was again a
significant issue. Recent examination papers use
this type of language, which allows students to
answer on a male or female figure in many
different contexts and in many sections of the
examinations. However, this does not
correspond to the information currently
available to students in their textbooks.
30
Table 4.3: Total breakdown of Higher Level examination questions by category
Examination Questions Gender Category Total Number of Questions
Male 229
Female 10
Male and Female 117
Other 502
5. Distribution ofQuestionnaire
In order to ascertain the views of teachers who
taught Junior Cycle History, we distributed a
questionnaire to all post-primary schools in the
country, 751 schools. This questionnaire was
piloted at the History Teachers’ Association of
Ireland annual conference in September 2003
with a sample of history teachers. The main
research was carried out in the autumn of 2003.
We received a good response with 249
questionnaires returned, approximately one-
third. Of the schools returning the
questionnaire there were: 147 Secondary
Schools, 29 fee paying and 118 non fee paying;
64 Vocational Schools; 21 Community Schools;
6 Comprehensive School and 11 did not
indicate the type of school.
5.1 Profile of ThoseReturning theQuestionnaire
In terms of a gender breakdown of those who
returned the questionnaire, there were 57%
(143) females, 40% (99) males, and 3% (7)
did not respond to this question. Among those
who returned the survey, the highest number
are currently teaching in secondary female non-
fee paying schools (22%), in an urban
environment (51%), and not designated as
disadvantaged (75%).
5.2 Resources
On the issue of resources, the questionnaire
was designed to find out what resources were
used when our respondents were training to be
teachers and what resources they themselves
currently use. This is obviously an indicator of
the degree of change that our respondents
made in the delivery of the Junior Cycle
History curriculum.
Of all the resources that were used in the
training of our respondents, the most
important was textbooks (92%). This was
followed by maps and charts (27%),
photographs (12%), television and documents
(8% each), slides and videos (7% each),
facsimile material (6%), overhead projector
and resource packs (3% each). What is equally
significant is what was not used. There
were no DVDs, Computers, CD Roms or
Internet access.4
This contrasts with the resources our
respondents currently use in their own
classrooms. Although textbooks are again the
highest at 97%, the rank order of resources
used in the delivery of the Junior Cycle History
curriculum does change. Videos and television
increase from 8% and 7% respectively to 89%
for both. Maps and charts move from 27% to
66 % while the use of overhead projectors
(59%), resource packs (50%), documents,
(49%), facsimile material (42%) and slides
(23%) also demonstrate a significant increase.
However, internet access and computers
increased remarkably, moving from 0% to
62% and 61% respectively while similarly CD
Roms, and DVDs also demonstrated a
significant increase in moving from 0% to
29% and 22% respectively.
There are several conclusions that can be
drawn from these changes. First, there is the
continuing importance of textbooks which,
32
4 This corresponds to the results of the survey of H.Dip.Ed. students. See Chapter 2.
as Chapter 3 indicates, does not include
significant material on women’s history.
Second, there is a definite growth overall in the
use of different types of resources. Third, while
the use of television, maps and charts continue
to be important, computers, use of the internet,
CD Roms and DVDs has also risen
dramatically. The need for information on
women’s history in some type of electronic
format, therefore, is indicated.
5.3 Gender BalancedDimension of theCurriculum
When our respondents were asked whether
they either always or sometimes make pupils
equally aware of the contributions and
experiences of men and women, 92% replied
they had. This is certainly a positive indication
for a gender balanced Junior Cycle History
curriculum. However, there is a discrepancy in
this reply. Our data on examinations reflect a
very heavy emphasis on male contributions and
experiences and a quarter of our respondents
thought it important to teach subject areas
likely to occur on the examinations. This
would seem to contradict the respondents’ own
wish to deliver a gender-balanced curriculum.
Moreover, our data on textbooks and their
lack of information on women’s history
indicates the need to supplement textbooks
with other resources in order to deliver a
gender-balanced curriculum. What seems to be
the case is that, despite these difficulties, the
intention of our respondents is to deliver a
gender-balanced curriculum.
5.4 Textbooks andExaminations
Overwhelmingly (95%) our respondents
believed that the experiences of men were
given adequate attention in textbooks. Again,
this is born out by the study we did on
textbooks and their lack of material on women
(See Chapter 3). It also emphasizes the pivotal
role of supplemental information in the desire
to deliver a balanced curriculum. In the
assessment of examinations, the same pattern
of response was evident. While 96% of our
respondents believed that men’s contributions
and experiences were given adequate attention,
66% of our respondents did not believe that
women’s experiences and contributions were
adequately covered in the examinations.
5.5 Resources
Our data clearly indicates that more resources
are needed to insure that the contributions and
experiences of women are adequately covered.
While certainly our respondents did believe
that supplementary material was necessary for
the adequate delivery of men’s history, what
was obvious was that there was a pressing
need for more resources about women. Videos
and resource packs ranked a joint first (69%)
for including more information about women.
Revising textbooks ranked second (66%) as
being critical to a more gender-balanced
approach to the delivery of a gender-balanced
curriculum.
33
5.6 Changes in the Deliveryof the Junior CycleHistory Curriculum
Our questionnaire explored the changes that
our respondents had made in the delivery of
the Junior Cycle History curriculum and those
areas they thought were most in need of
revision. It was an important section of the
questionnaire because it demonstrated a
willingness to revise courses in the light of
new knowledge. In terms of the historical areas
that our respondents had revised, social history
(75%) and gender history (42%) were the
highest. This corresponds to the areas that our
respondents believed were most in need of
revision with gender history being first with
39% and social history second with 29%.
From these questions it seems that our
respondents have made changes in the content
of their social history curriculum but believe
that more needs to be done. Equally important,
our data indicates that fewer changes have been
made in gender history but a great deal more
needs to be done. This is a recognition of the
need for a more gender-balanced curriculum.
5.7 Teaching the JuniorCycle HistoryCurriculum
This question focused on the determinants of
how teachers decided which topics to cover in
the delivery of the Junior Cycle History
curriculum. The top four motivators were:
1) the desire to widen pupils’ knowledge of
history (26%); 2) the likelihood of the topic
occurring on the examination paper (25%); 3)
the level of ability of pupils (21%); and the
teachers’ own familiarity with topics (13%).
These are not unexpected responses. However,
they do highlight the importance of women’s
history appearing on the examination papers as
well as the need for teachers to be familiar
with resources in women’s history in order to
teach it effectively.
5.8 Textbooks
Our questionnaire sought to explore the
relationship between the popularity of
textbooks and the information it contains on
women. Our data indicates that, in terms of
the questions in the textbooks on women’s
contributions and achievements, the most
popular textbook (60%) with four books in
the series ranked 2nd, 5th, 7th and 11th with an
average of 2.44% of questions relating to
women. The fourth most popular textbook – a
two volume series – which is used by 19% of
all teachers who answered this survey ranked
first and eleventh in terms of questions with an
average of 4.35% - still rather low yet better
than 2.44%. This information is particularly
important because the cost of textbooks makes
changing them a step not undertaken easily or
often, especially among less affluent schools.
In terms of illustrations, there is a somewhat
different result. A text in the most popular
series came first in an analysis of illustrative
material with 17.30% relating to women.
The other three texts in the series ranked 5th,
6th and 10th.
5.9 Narrative Comments
Out of the 249 questionnaires returned,
88 (35.34%) teachers wrote narrative
comments.
34
Of these, 64% were female and 35% were
male and 1% did not indicate a gender
response.
In analysing the narrative comments,
there was a consensus among male and
female respondents about general teaching
issues and pressures. Both wrote of the amount
of material that had to be covered and the time
constraints in covering the curriculum and the
lack of resources that were available to teach a
gender-balanced curriculum. The issues of time
and space were particularly relevant for the
male respondents. Both men and women wrote
of the need to revise the Junior Cycle History
syllabus in order to redress the gender
imbalance. However, there was a noticeable
difference in attitude toward including
women’s contributions and experiences in the
delivery and assessment of the Junior Cycle
History syllabus.
This gender difference is evident in the type of
comments that were made about the inclusion
of women in history. A few of the male
teachers responded positively to the necessity
of including women in the historical narrative,
acknowledging that women were ‘air-brushed
out of most topics covered in the Junior
Certificate programme.’ However, this response
was not typical. Most were adverse to
including more information about women.
A sample of the comments of male teachers
included the following: ‘I dislike this narrow
gender focus… I do not feel that I am overtly
sexist but I dislike the idea of trying to pretend
somebody is important in the interests of
gender balance.’ Another wrote: ‘Gender issues
should be dealt with in social history, but
please don’t try and integrate them into every
aspect of the course.’ A third said: ‘Gender
perspectives must not become an issue just for
the sake of it.’
This contrasts with many of the comments
from female teachers who wrote of ‘writing
women out of history,’ of the ‘gender
imbalance,’ of women being a ‘marginalized
voice in the Junior Certificate cycle,’ and
mentioned the fact that the ‘male perspective
dominated.’ Others felt that there was ‘very
little focus on the role of women’ or that
‘women have been effectively sidelined in
history.’ Another wrote: ‘Generally women in
history are dealt with in the context of famous
men and rarely in their own right….’
5.10 Narrative Commentson Textbooks
The question of whether textbooks were
providing inadequate information about women
is highly significant because, according to our
respondents’ views, textbooks remain the
primary teaching tool for history teachers. For
our female respondents this was an often
mentioned problem. Typically, the view was
expressed that ‘…female perspectives are all but
ignored in most textbooks,’ or ‘the gender
imbalance of our textbooks could use some
attention.’ The point was made that given the
tremendous pressure teachers are under to cover
the course for the examination, it is unlikely
that such information on women’s history will
be included ‘unless the material is readily
available in text-books.’ One female respondent
drew attention to the fact that the ‘textbooks
show[ed] inadequate photographs of women
like Countess Markievicz and Maude Gonne.’
Some respondents called for revision of the
textbooks while others expressed the hope that
‘book publishers’ can be persuaded to ‘present
35
women in their proper historical context, and
not just the so called “important” women but
women in their everyday lives and experiences
in all eras.’
5.11 Narrative Commentson Resource Material
Among both our male and female respondents,
the need for supplementary resources on
women’s history was acknowledged.5 In their
comments, they believed that they themselves
had not the background or available
information to include women’s roles and
contributions. One male respondent wrote:
‘I would love to introduce the role of females in
history but information would need to be more
readily available.’ Another stated that ‘there are
few accessible resources available to explore
gender issues, e.g., wall charts, short profiles,
posters, all of which are student-friendly.’
The female respondents were more numerous
and somewhat stronger in their comments on
this issue. They indicated a willingness to
include women but felt hampered by the lack
of resource materials. One respondent wrote:
‘I would be very willing to cover more topics
relating to the part played by women in History
– if such resources were available.’ They wanted
primary source material and more videos, CDs,
DVDs, film footage and resource packs. They
also believed it was necessary to make available
websites highlighting women in the past.
5.12 Narrative Commentson Junior CertificateHistory Examinations
There was a strong belief among our female
respondents in particular that the Junior
Certificate History examinations had to be
revised to include questions on women’s
experiences and contributions. The view was
expressed that if questions on women’s history
were not asked on the examinations, then
women’s history is seen as ‘irrelevant.’
Furthermore, the lack of attention paid to
women’s history on the examinations make it
difficult for teachers to include women’s
experiences and contributions because ‘the sad
fact is most teachers will concentrate on what
they think will come up in an examination…’
5.13 Narrative Commentson Why HistoryMatters
For some of our female respondents, the issue of
the importance of including women was seen to
have direct consequences for their students.
As one teacher suggested: ‘Women have been
effectively sidelined in History. The cast of male
characters in history lessons suggest women’s
roles were as victims or mere handmaidens to
the starring males. This is hardly likely to attract
girls to the study of history.’
36
5 This questionnaire was completed before the Gender Equality Unit of the Department of Eduction and Science issued its supplementarymaterial on women’s history in the spring of 2004.
‘ Women have been effectively sidelined in History. The cast of male characters in history lessons suggestwomen’s roles were as victims or mere handmaidens tothe starring males. This is hardly likely to attract girls to the study of history.’
Recommendations
Based on the data gathered from our research
project, we make the following
recommendations in the pursuit of a gender-
balanced Junior Cycle History:
1. That, in the long term, the Junior
Certificate History examination at both
Higher and Ordinary level, include
specific questions on women’s history;
2. That, in the short term, the Junior
Certificate History examinations at
both Higher and Ordinary level ask
open ended questions which can apply
to either men or women;
3. That the Junior Certificate History
examination include documents and
illustrative material from women’s
history;
4. That the Junior Cycle History syllabus
integrate more sections and material on
women’s history;
5. That the textbooks used in the Junior
Certificate History Cycle be revised to
include more information on women so
that students have an equal opportunity
to answer questions on either men
or women;
6. That more resource material on
women’s history be made available, in
both traditional and electronic format,
for both teachers and students;
7. That teachers of the Junior Certificate
History Cycle be offered workshops on
women’s history and the teaching of a
gender-balanced curriculum;
8. That H.Dip.Ed. students be made aware
in their training of the need for
a gender balanced curriculum and be
given opportunities for training in
this area;
9. That professional development training
is immediately made available for
Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs),
as this would be a target group to bring
about a transformation in the delivery
and assessment of a gender-balanced
curriculum;
10. That there is a commitment to
enforcing the decisions and
recommendations made at policy level
in the Department of Education and
Science in the Junior Cycle History
syllabus to reflect their long-standing
commitment to gender equality
in education.
38
Both the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies, Trinity College, and the Education Department, University College Dublin, are committed to continuedcollaboration and cooperation with the educationpartners to achieve these aims.