Vanessa Gstrein

Bio: Vanessa Gstrein is an academic researcher from Ulster University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Local history & Curriculum development. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 7 citations.

Lessons learned from 10 Years of citizenship education in Northern Ireland: A critical analysis of curriculum change

Abstract: Curriculum change is an intricate, lengthy process, requiring commitment, co-operation and compromise amongst the agencies and stakeholders involved; its development is more complex in divided societies, particularly when the subject content is open to contention. The addition of Local and Global Citizenship to the Northern Ireland curriculum in 2007 was intended to prepare students for life in a post-conflict and increasingly diverse society, and the precariousness of current events locally and globally have reinforced its relevance. Yet, the initial curricular aspirations underpinning citizenship education have been largely unfulfilled and its diminished status within the education system reflects the divergences that beset its development and implementation. This paper employs Fullan’s change model of implementation to critically reflect on the interplay of factors that informed and influenced the design and introduction of the Local and Global Citizenship curriculum in Northern Ireland. Using Fullan’s framework as an analytic tool, interviews with key stakeholders directly involved in curriculum reform at the time illustrate how the complexity of change motivated and undermined in equal measure. Whilst the paper assesses the implications of a dislocated citizenship curriculum and identifies lessons learned for Northern Ireland, the findings have wide-ranging relevance for education systems generally.

Experience and Education.

Abstract: Preparing the books to read every day is enjoyable for many people. However, there are still many people who also don't like reading. This is a problem. But, when you can support others to start reading, it will be better. One of the books that can be recommended for new readers is experience and education. This book is not kind of difficult book to read. It can be read and understand by the new readers.

Managerialism and human rights in a post-conflict society: challenges for educational leaders in Northern Ireland

Abstract: International human rights instruments provide a legal basis for an agreed set of human values globally. These ‘values’ are expected to underpin the purposes and content of education. This paper ai...

Teaching controversial issues in Northern Ireland

Abstract: This chapter examines the evolution of practice regarding the teaching of controversial and sensitive issues in the secondary education sector in Northern Ireland. The latter presents an interesting context for such teaching. Northern Ireland is emerging from three decades of violent conflict. It is a deeply divided society where the great majority of Protestants and Catholics are educated in segregated schools yet, unlike many areas affected by conflict, its education system shares many of the sophisticated characteristics of modern western states. Untypically, educators there began addressing the relationship between education and conflict at an early stage in the 1970s when violence was endemic, envisaging that education should have an interventionist role in contributing to a more peaceful society. Consequently, over the next four decades curricular provision and pedagogy have evolved in response to evaluation and research, educational trends and changes in political circumstances. Observers have commented on a ‘culture of avoidance’ (Richardson & Gallagher 2011) prevalent in Northern Ireland which may help people to cope with difference but works against them participating in the difficult conversations necessary for the transformation from conflict. Hence, educational initiatives have frequently placed an emphasis on facilitating dialogue around controversial issues as a way of clarifying young people’s views and preparing them to contribute to a more cohesive society.The chapter traces the development of policy and practice around controversial issues in two phases. The break between these phases roughly corresponds to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), 1998. Prior to that, work was centred on fostering better community relations through building mutual understanding between individuals and groups. The Cross-curricular theme of Education for Mutual Understanding was to be infused into all subjects but, in reality, it sat at the periphery of the curriculum and its more contentious aspects were often side-stepped. After the GFA, in a climate which is becoming more conducive to cross-community dialogue, the educational focus has shifted to addressing structural inequalities in society, largely through the introduction of a Local and Global Citizenship programme founded on Human Rights principles. The chief characteristics of each phase are drawn out. In the conclusion, the generic learning from the Northern Irish experience is distilled and principles of practice are presented.

Community Conversations: deliberative democracy, education provision and divided societies

Abstract: How can Community Conversations be used to give communities a voice in policy decisions? This paper is a response to the challenge of engaging citizens in inclusive, meaningful dialogue and deliberation on potentially sensitive policy topics that affect their lives and to create a bridge between individual, community and policy perspectives. This dual aim therefore is to give individuals and communities a stronger voice in key decisions affecting them and to provide stakeholders involved in public policy and decision-making a genuine evidence base which they can use to inform their work. This challenge is even greater in divided societies where consensus building can be difficult. The paper focuses on a Community Conversation methodology and the innovative Community Conversation Toolkit developed by the authors as a mechanism for deliberative democracy through citizen engagement in important public policy decisions. Particular attention is given to the application of the Community Conversation methodology in relation to educational change and sustainability in Northern Ireland, a divided society. The methodology and context are aligned with a socio-ecological perspective which provides a conceptual lens to better understand the complex interplay that spans individual (micro) to policy (macro) levels. In addition to providing a theoretical foundation for the methodology, its application in a specific educational context is presented and discussed. It is therefore intended that the paper provides a rubric for the adaptation and application of the Community Conversation approach in a wide range of policy settings and contexts in order to evoke change. The value of the approach in enabling constructive dialogue on sensitive topics in a divided society is explored throughout the paper. Using an exemplar where divergent community views on school provision were shared, we synthesise the Community Conversation methodology with the socio-ecological approach to illustrate how our approach is particularly suited to closing the gap between parents/communities and policy stakeholders and enabling change.