Here we reconsider teachers' changing subjectivities as autonomous agents whose practices acknowledge risk as an essential element in intellectual inquiry. We seek alternative descriptions to the limiting language of teachers' current practices within the primacy of the market. We are convinced by Levinas's claim that ethics is the first…

'Enquiry Based Learning' (EBL), as an engagement strategy to encourage lifelong learning, is the focus of this paper. Participants in this study are adult learners in full time employment who are returning to education, in many cases, after a substantial break. The empirical data was gathered from these students who are studying a master's in…

Over the past several decades, Ireland has seen dramatic economic growth as a result of globalization, changes to its economic policies, and an influx of multinational corporations (MNCs). As a result, the development of human capital and the cultivation of knowledge-based workers equipped with the skills necessary for competitiveness in the…

The core practice of professional scientists is inquiry, often referred to as research. If educators are to prepare students for a role in the professional scientific and technological community, exposing them to inquiry-based learning is essential. Despite this, inquiry-based teaching and learning (IBTL) remains relatively rare, possibly due to…

This paper engages in a critical analysis of the educational theory of Paulo Freire. It is based on qualitative research which explores Irish adult literacy practice. The research harnesses the ontological aspects of Freire's theory; his interpretation of how human reality is constructed. Using this as the theoretical foundation for inquiry,…

The prominence afforded to literacy in the Irish Primary School Curriculum has received considerable attention in recent years, spurred by Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings, governmental priorities, public commentary and academic debate. At times, this discourse has presented literacy as a separate and distinct entity…

In this article the author opens up a space for reflective inquiry linked to her pedagogy with Student English Teachers and in conjunction with readings on embodiment and aesthetic experience. The author tries to deepen her practice as a teacher educator, 'looking back to travel forward' (Cremin et al. 2005:1) and looking forward in desire and…

This article is a narrative résumé of a year-long collaborative critical inquiry into teaching methods with teachers of modern languages in Irish secondary schools. Putting myself, a cultural stranger and first-time qualitative researcher, at the core of this self-study, I discuss first the context and methodological framework of the study to…

The IADIS CELDA 2012 Conference intention was to address the main issues concerned with evolving learning processes and supporting pedagogies and applications in the digital age. There had been advances in both cognitive psychology and computing that have affected the educational arena. The convergence of these two disciplines is increasing at a…