Greg Foley

9 results

At a disadvantage: while middle-class girls thrive, working-class boys struggle. Photograph: Moment/Getty
Class and education in Ireland: ‘Disadvantaged students cannot thrive’

No Child 2020 is an initiative by The Irish Times providing a sustained focus on child welfare and children’s issues. We explore the problems facing c(...)

Opportunities: a qualification in a Stem subject is a good career launchpad. Photograph: Jetta Productions/Getty
Is a broad Stem course the right choice for you?

With more students opting for science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) degrees, what’s the best route? Should you go for a specialised Stem c(...)

Photograph: iStock
Beware the black hole of ‘independent learning’

The dominant mode of learning in third-level education is supposed to be “independent learning”, or what some institutions refer to as autonomous stu(...)

UCD campus. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons
Broad-entry courses will not suit all students

There is a certain air of plausibility around the idea that school leavers should continue on to third-level education via a broad entry route. It ma(...)

Some academics fret that the digitisation of information means research skills are being lost. Photograph: Thinkstock
Eight technologies that are changing education

Whether in a preschool or in a university computer lab, technology is rapidly transforming the way teaching and learning takes place. A baffling ar(...)

“There is far too much reliance on notes made available to download, which undermines independent research.” Photograph: Getty Images
Opinion: meddling parents help third-level students fail test of independence

I am sure my parents did not look forward to parent-teacher meetings when I was at school, as I was far from a model pupil. But whatever about having (...)

UCD is not alone in offering “literacy clinics” for struggling students. Photograph: Eric Luke
Universities offer ‘literacy clinics’ for students

Fiona Ó Murchú, a secondary teacher in Co Louth, regularly ploughs through students’ essays. The results are not pretty. There are the forest-style(...)

Greg Foley: “In our desire to improve the education of students, maybe we’ve gone too far and are afraid to demand more of our students.” Photograph: Aidan Crawley
Lawnmower parents cutting a new swathe for their offspring

Teachers have long been used to helicopter parents: those who hover over their offspring to ensure their every whim is catered for. Now there is a new(...)

Attendance rates for lectures at third-level are falling as students increasingly opt to rely on notes posted online by their lecturers, an Oireachtas committee has heard. File photograph: Getty Images/Wavebreak Media
Students have unrealistic expectations, academic says

Attendance rates for lectures at third-level are falling as students increasingly opt to rely on notes posted online by their lecturers, an Oireachtas(...)