Teachers’ perspectives on the implementation of an ethical education curriculum in Ireland

This study examines the perspectives of ten secondary school teachers on the implementation of a pilot Ethical Education curriculum at senior cycle in three Educate Together schools in Ireland. Informed by a synergy between two ecological approaches, namely the meta-theoretical Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the OECD Learning Compass 2030 policy framework for curriculum change, teacher data from interviews and surveys informed a revision to this draft curriculum. Teachers reported that the Ethical Education curriculum facilitated an environment where students had the opportunity to exercise their agency in demonstrating their knowledge, skills, attitudes and values to develop as moral agents. Recommendations were formulated and are presented using an ecosystemic approach, congruent with the CFIR and the Learning Compass, to guide the implementation of this curriculum at a national level.