Judith Harford Bücher

Focusing on the historical context of women's education in nineteenth-century Ireland, this book explores the emergence of women's colleges and the broader reform movements advocating for higher education access. It analyzes the state of female education at the century's start, the debates surrounding women's higher education, and the significant impact these institutions had on women's roles in society. By examining the origins of these colleges and their influence on women's career opportunities, the book provides a comprehensive overview of this pivotal development in Irish educational history.

This book, commissioned to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the introduction of free post-primary education in Ireland, examines its origins, legacy and impact. The contributions are written by a range of scholars internationally recognized for their expertise in the fields of history of education, sociology of education, education policy and curriculum. Collectively, they theorize both the historical context for the introduction of free education as well as the impact of the initiative on the promotion of equality of opportunity. The book takes a long view, bringing new knowledge to the field by analysing previously unexamined primary sources, drawing on up-to-date research on educational disadvantage and assessing the changing emphases of Irish educational policy over time.

Ensuring quality in and through teaching and learning has become a fundamental global concern. Emanating from a colloquium on Quality Assurance and Teacher Education hosted by University College Dublin in 2010 and funded by the European Educational Research Association, this book interrogates how quality cultures can be fostered in the field of education. The volume brings together a series of background and case study chapters from leading scholars in the field of teacher education internationally.

Emanating from a conference celebrating one hundred years of women in university education in Ireland (‘Women in Higher Education: Have Women Made a Difference?’, 2007), this collection brings together papers from leading scholars in the fields of education, history, literature, nursing, social policy and women’s studies. Tracing the evolution of women’s role in university education from the nineteenth century to the present day, the book captures the complexity of women’s position within the academy and poses the critical question: ‘Have women made a difference?’