Views from the margins: teacher perspectives on alternative education provision in Ireland

ABSTRACT

Alternative education provision in Ireland is under-researched. This paper is a qualitative investigation of the perspectives of a purposive sample of ten teachers on curriculum, pedagogy and assessment in their respective alternative settings of a voluntary education centre, a Youthreach centre and a post-primary special school. ‘Funds of knowledge’ ideas contribute to the theoretical framework of the study [Moll, Luis C., Cathy Amanti, Deborah Neff, and Norma Gonzalez. 1992. ‘Funds of Knowledge for Teaching: Using a Qualitative Approach to Connect Homes and Classrooms.’ Theory Into Practice 31 (2): 132–141]. The findings in this paper focus on: (1) how curriculum is enacted and mediated in alternative education settings; (2) the pedagogical decisions of teachers as they strive to connect their students to learning and (3) the tensions in assessment practices as teachers and alternative settings attempt to provide authentic and yet certified evidence of learning through the formal state assessment processes. This article is timely as it offers a view of the under-researched area of alternative settings in Ireland.

KEYWORDS:

• Alternative education
• inclusive education
• disadvantaged youth
• teacher perspectives
• Youthreach
• special schools
• voluntary education setting

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Kevin Cahill is a faculty member in the School of Education, University College Cork. His research interests intersect across adolescent literacies, inclusive education, teacher identity and sociocultural understandings of identity and learning.

Alicia Curtin is a faculty member in the School of Education, University College Cork. Her research interests intersect across adolescent literacies, inclusive education, teacher identity and sociocultural understandings of identity and learning.

Kathy Hall is a faculty member in the School of Education, University College Cork. Her research interests intersect across adolescent literacies, inclusive education, teacher identity and sociocultural understandings of identity and learning.

Dan O’Sullivan is a faculty member in the School of Education, University College Cork. His research interests intersect across adolescent literacies, inclusive education, teacher identity and sociocultural understandings of identity and learning.

ORCID

Kevin Cahill http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3302-9550

Notes

1 DEIS is the system of designation for schools serving disadvantaged areas at primary and post-primary level. It provides targeted supports and funding to these schools in an effort to offset the detrimental impact of poverty on educational opportunity and experience.