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Role and influence of globalization, multinational corporations, and foreign direct investment on educational policy and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and inquiry-based instructi...
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Role and influence of globalization, multinational corporations, and foreign direct investment on educational policy and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and inquiry-based instructi...
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Running head: ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 1
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION, MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS,
AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT ON EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS, AND INQUIRY-BASED
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES IN SCHOOLS SUCH AS CENTRAL
CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL OF IRELAND
by
Wayne Shannon
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2019
Copyright 2019 Wayne Shannon
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 2
Dedication
My dissertation is dedicated to my family, whose unwavering support and understanding
truly made it possible for me to pursue this personal and professional accomplishment. Their
unselfish commitment to addressing a high percentage of our family’s needs during my program
has been nothing short of amazing. This dissertation is dedicated to my sons, Connor and
Cameron, who have inspired me to pursue academic goals that they could be proud of as they
navigate their individual academic paths and in the future when they discuss the accomplish-
ments of their father with their own children.
Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Sandi, who has always been a supporter of my
career and academic goals. Her unwavering pledge to my growth as a professional has been
irrefutable and grounded by her love and belief that I could do it. Ultimately, she has been the
one who always found time to encourage me when things became difficult. I knew that I could
always count on her for her positivity even when I found it difficult to muster it on my own.
Consequently, this is actually our dissertation, and I consider myself blessed to share in this
success with her.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 3
Acknowledgments
It is without hesitation that I extend a heartfelt thank you to the following individual who
has inspired me to pursue an EdD degree. Dr. Michael Escalante has demonstrated an over-
whelming level of care and consideration for our cohort over the past 3 years. His ongoing
commitment to our success and productivity has been nothing short of amazing. I consider
myself fortunate to have a dissertation chair and mentor like Dr. Escalante in my corner as I
continue to pursue my personal and career goals. His belief in me started well before I began this
program. He saw potential in me before I even saw it in myself, and I am grateful to him for that.
He taught me how to push myself to pursue academic excellence as an individual, but even more
importantly as an integrated member of our cohort. I am certain that I will continue to rely on his
leadership and support as my career progresses, and I can only hope that I have made him proud
of my accomplishments.
Another individual who has had a tremendous impact on my journey in the USC Superin-
tendents Executive Cohort is my friend and colleague, Roger Brossmer. His commitment to our
work and interdependent support of one another was unwavering when it came to program and
dissertation academic requirements. I always knew that he had my back and I had his, even when
things were difficult and it felt like I could not go on. Ultimately, I knew that I could count on
him, and that mattered! I just want to say, “Thanks for everything, buddy, including the laughter
along the way.” Also, I would be remiss if I did not thank my colleague and friend, Veronica
Lizardi, who always had a positive attitude, a willingness to laugh, and a quick picture trigger.
She had a way of making our school days just a bit better, and I always appreciated that very
much!
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 4
In addition, I want to thank Dr. John Garcia, who is my boss, mentor, and friend. His
belief in me and constant support have been instrumental as I have progressed through my
program. There was never any question regarding his understanding when my academic expecta-
tions required me to be present on campus, and this was greatly appreciated. I look forward to
the day when I can officially celebrate this milestone with him because I know that he will be
proud.
Finally, I want to thank all the members of our cohort and the many teachers who have
been there to inspire and support me throughout this learning experience. Professors like Dr.
Rudy Castruita, Dr. David Cash, Dr. Artineh Samkian, and Dr. Daryabigi Mendoza have made an
impact on me that I will always hold onto. Their commitment to academic rigor, inspiring peda-
gogy, and student success was undeniable. As for my cohort members, I thank them for always
being there. Their collective commitments to our cohort’s success was amazing and so appreci-
ated by me. I consider all of them family and hope that we can continue to support one another
as our careers continue to evolve.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 5
Table of Contents
Dedication 2
Acknowledgments 3
List of Tables 8
Abstract 11
Chapter One: Overview of the Study 13
Background of the Problem 14
Statement of the Problem 15
Purpose of the Study 16
Research Question 17
Significance of the Study 17
Limitations of the Study 18
Delimitations of the Study 19
Assumptions of the Study 19
Definitions of Terms 20
Organization of the Dissertation Proposal 22
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature 23
Globalization 25
Definition and Overview 25
History of Globalization 26
Flattening Phenomenon 28
Impact of Globalization 30
Ireland 32
History and Political Overview 32
Economic History 38
Import-Substituting-Industrialization (ISI) 39
Export-Led Industrialization 40
MNCs and FDI 49
Influence of Economics on Educational Policy 50
Education in Ireland 52
Historical Overview 52
Current Education System in Ireland 53
Leadership 56
Twenty-First Century Skills 59
STEM and PBL 61
Gender Equity 63
Science Competitions 65
Chapter Summary 68
Chapter Three: Research Methodology 70
Research Design 72
Research Team 77
Population and Sample 78
Educators and Students 79
Business and Industry Leaders 80
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 6
Political Leaders and Educational Policy Makers 81
Instrumentation 81
Interview Protocols 84
Observation Protocols 86
Survey Protocols 88
Data Collection 89
Data Analysis 92
Validity, Credibility, and Trustworthiness 94
Reliability 94
Ethical Considerations 95
Chapter Summary 96
Chapter Four: Results 97
Study School 99
Research Design 100
Study Participants 100
Findings for Research Question 1 101
Theme 1: Student Participation in SciFest Helps Students Feel Better Prepared
to Successfully Take the LCE 103
Theme 2: Teachers/Administration Encourage and Support Students in Partici-
pate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Take the LCE 110
Findings for Research Question 2 116
Theme 1: Principal and Teacher Leaders Are Influential in Students’ Decision to
Participate in SciFest 117
Theme 2: Whether School Leaders Provide Necessary Resources for Students to
Successfully Participate in SciFest 123
Findings for Research Question 3 130
Theme 1: Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in SciFest
Theme 2: Participation in SciFest Positively Influences Female Students’ Interest
in Taking Senior-Level and Third-Level Courses 137
Findings for Research Question 4 145
Theme 1: Participation in SciFest Helps Students Develop 21st-Century Skills
That Are Required in a Global Economy 146
Theme 2: Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’ Academic Development
in STEM Content and Coursework 152
Chapter Summary 159
Chapter Five: Summary, Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions 163
Summary of Findings 166
Findings for Research Question 1 167
Findings for Research Question 2 169
Findings for Research Question 3 171
Findings for Research Question 4 172
Practical Implications 173
Recommendations for Future Research 176
Conclusions 177
References 179
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 7
Appendices
Appendix A: Recruitment Letter to Principal 189
Appendix B: Political Leader/Educational Policy Maker Interview Protocol 190
Appendix C: Business and Industry (MNCs) Interview Protocol 192
Appendix D: School Leader Interview Protocol 194
Appendix E: Teacher Interview Protocol 196
Appendix F: Student/Parent Interview Protocol 198
Appendix G: Classroom Observation Protocol 200
Appendix H: SciFest Observation Protocol 203
Appendix I: Survey Protocol for School Administrator or Teacher 206
Appendix J: Survey Protocol for Political Leader, Business Leader, or Policy
Maker 210
Appendix K: Survey Protocol for Parent of Second-Level Student 214
Appendix L: Survey Protocol for Student Participation in SciFest 218
Appendix M: Information/Fact Sheet for Exempt Research 222
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 8
List of Tables
Table 1: Alignment of Interview Protocols to Research Questions (RQs) and Theoretical
Frameworks 86
Table 2: Alignment of Survey Protocols to Research Questions (RQs) and Theoretical
Frameworks 90
Table 3: Summary of Participants, Their Organization/Position, and Data Type 102
Table 4: Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to
Successfully Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic
Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students 104
Table 5: Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to
Successfully Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic
Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators 105
Table 6: Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to
Successfully Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Business Leaders
and Educational Policy Makers 106
Table 7: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators Encourage
and Support Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Prepare to
Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic Secondary
School (CCSS) and All Students 112
Table 8: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators Encourage
and Support Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Prepare to
Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic Secondary
School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators 113
Table 9: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators
Encourage and Support Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism
to Prepare to Take the Leaving Certificate Examination: Business Leaders
and Educational Policy Makers 114
Table 10: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision
to Participate in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Students 119
Table 11: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision
to Participate in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Teachers and Administrators 120
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 9
Table 12: Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision
to Participate in SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers 121
Table 13: Responses Indicating How Leaders Provide the Necessary Resources for
Students to Successfully Participate in SciFest: Central Catholic
Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students 125
Table 14: Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision to Participate
in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers
and Administrators 126
Table 15: Responses Indicating How Leaders Provide the Necessary Resources for
Students to Successfully Participate in SciFest: Business Leaders and
Educational Policy Makers 127
Table 16: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Students 133
Table 17: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Teachers and Administrators 134
Table 18: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers 135
Table 19: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Students 140
Table 20: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and
All Teachers and Administrators 141
Table 21: Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’
Participation in SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers 143
Table 22: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop
the 21st-Century Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Central Catholic
Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students 147
Table 23: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop
the 21st-Century Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Central Catholic
Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators 148
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 10
Table 24: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop
the 21st-Century Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Business Leaders and
Educational Policy Makers 149
Table 25: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’
Academic Development in STEM Content and Coursework: Central
Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students 154
Table 26: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’
Academic Development in STEM Content and Coursework: Central
Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators 155
Table 27: Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’
Academic Development in STEM Content and Coursework: Business
Leaders and Educational Policy Makers 156
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 11
Abstract
Today, countries must deliberately develop educational systems and economic policies
that can prepare themselves to be competitive around the globe. As such, Ireland has evolved
into a nation that endeavors to create internal structures necessary to influence multinational
corporations (MNCs) to place headquarters in the country. These efforts are anchored in proac-
tive economic policies aimed at creating favorable business environments for MNCs to conduct
business and educational policies that place emphasis on creating science, technology, engineer-
ing, and mathematics (STEM) learning environments necessary to develop the requisite knowl-
edge-based workforce that Ireland and their MNC partners need.
However, students in Ireland are currently in a paradox regarding academic expectations
being placed upon them. While the nation understands the critical importance of developing an
innovative knowledge-based workforce with STEM skillsets, it also immerses students in a
mandated structural environment that requires them to take a high-stakes summative assessment
called the Leaving Certificate Exam (LCE), which is central to a student’s academic experiences
from the perspective of determining which students are placed in universities and colleges.
Stress that students and teachers feel as a result of preparing for this test may reduce their will-
ingness to explore subject matter and content for growth experiences because they cannot risk the
chance of not sufficiently preparing themselves for core subjects that are measured on the LCE.
This study examined the influence of globalization and educational policy on the devel-
opment of 21st-century skills in Irish students through the implementation of STEM education,
instructional practices, and student participation in the SciFest science competition. The princi-
pal findings of this predominantly qualitative study indicated that STEM-related content,
21st-century skills, and school leadership are important in Irish schools to ensure that students
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 12
have access to real-world, inquiry-based learning experiences necessary to prepare them to
compete in a globalized economy. The findings indicated that female students’ participation in
science fair competitions such as SciFest was beneficial to their self-efficacy in relation to their
confidence and authentic interest in enrolling into STEM-related coursework.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 13
Chapter One: Overview of the Study
Economic growth in Ireland has been driven by two separate pathways of globalization
that have become ingrained into the country (Riain, 2000). Riain (2000) posited that economic
prosperity in Ireland is driven by the integration of foreign direct investment (FDI), global corpo-
rate players, and the evolution of indigenous firms into global businesses with vast technology
networks. However, globalization can also be characterized by dynamic processes that develop
and support the interdependent and symbiotic relationships necessary to shape innovative product
development endeavors, creative thinking, and other aspects of worldview attitudes that impact
economic prosperity (Spring, 2008). Ultimately, it was a transition that the country of Ireland
deliberately engaged that ultimately ignited revolutionary, yet sensible, political decisions that
ultimately facilitated decades of improved economic performance for the country (Dorgan,
2006). This transition was buttressed by Ireland’s assertiveness as it pertained to their interest to
proactively pursue opportunities that were available in global markets (Dorgan, 2006). This
phase of the country’s economic growth was identified by Dorgan (2006) as the Celtic Tiger era.
This era can best be described as an evolution in economic opportunity and prosperity that was
incited by FDI and multinational corporations (MNCs). As a result, it was and still is imperative
that Ireland create educational policy and systems that embed deliberate goals and objectives that
promote the human capital acquisition necessary to provide its citizenry with the knowledge
worker skills required to compete and thrive in the 21st century (Spring, 2008).
This study examined the collective perceptions of a variety of stakeholders including
teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/university professors. and MNCs
regarding the influence of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education
and the influence of globalization and educational policy as it pertains to the development of
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 14
21st-century skills, inquiry-based learning (IBL), gender imbalance in STEM coursework, and
school leadership. An investigation was also conducted to determine the qualitative value of
students’ participation in SciFest and the role it may play to inspire students to enroll into senior-
level and third-level STEM coursework, so that students can immerse themselves into the IBL
opportunities required to develop the requisite 21st-century skills necessary to prosper in a
knowledge economy. As the need for highly skilled technical knowledge workers continues to
increase in Ireland, there is inherently a similar need to create educational policy and programs
that provide integrated, relevant and positive inquiry-based teaching and learning opportunities
that inspire student interest in STEM coursework and fields (Duffy, 2016).
Background of the Problem
Friedman (2007) discussed the convergence that occurred around the year 2000 with the
convergence of the personal computer and workflow software that enabled individuals all over
the world to seamlessly collaborate on a broader platform of existence than ever before. Global-
ization 3.0 is shrinking and flattening the world in ways that empower a much more diverse
group of individuals from every corner of the world to act globally (Friedman, 2007). Compa-
nies both large and small have also experienced a shift in existence and empowerment as a result
of the flattening of the world. These commensurate advances in technology have profoundly and
irreversibly lowered impediments for individuals and corporations to expand into global markets
and leverage human capital with international influence.
The 21st-century ushered in the beginning of the digital age. when a new and undeniable
time of unprecedented growth in technological advancement and unfettered access to information
commenced (Beers, 2011). STEM education places emphasis on 21st-century skills such as
communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. Collectively, these skills are
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 15
about developing cognitive capabilities and embedded behaviors that students will utilize as they
work with peers to connect content knowledge to real-world inquiry based applications (Beers,
2011). Demands will be placed upon educational systems, requiring them to be responsive to
and organized around conceptual frameworks that clearly articulate students’ expectations
regarding the use of information in unique and unforeseen ways (Beers, 2011; Friedman, 2007).
A critical component of this responsiveness is an educational system’s capability to inspire and
influence students’ ability and interest to compete in both national and international contexts.
Ireland is committed to providing students with the highest quality STEM education
possible (Institute of Physics [IOP], 2006). As a result, the nation is placing emphasis on provid-
ing students with innovative teaching and learning modalities that will enhance their STEM
educational experiences at the first, second and third levels (IOP, 2016). This endeavor will
provide the nation with the knowledge workers necessary to realize its ambitions to be a beacon
of technological innovation, creativity, and leadership (IOP, 2016). As a nation, Ireland has a
vision for STEM education. “Our vision is to provide students in Ireland with a STEM education
experience of the highest international quality; this provision should underpin high levels of
student engagement, enjoyment, and excellent performance in STEM disciplines” (Childs, 2001;
IOP, 2016).
Statement of the Problem
With the flattening of the world, companies have had to reinvent themselves through FDI
and innovative production, marketing, and distribution models that have become necessary as a
result of globalization and the multinational economic conditions within which they must operate
(O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). Pursuant to these global economic realities, Ireland has engaged in
an economic openness strategy inclusive of low taxes; pragmatism; ambition; and significant
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 16
revisions of trade agreements, educational policy initiatives, and federal and local government
mandates necessary to be globally competitive (Dorgan, 2006). From the 1990s, Ireland has
continued to prosper as a nation due to its ongoing Celtic Tiger Era, when fundamental procom-
petitive decisions were made to constantly evolve policy and proactively pursue FDI and MNCs
(Buckley & Ruane, 2006; Dorgan, 2006). However, Ireland is experiencing unanticipated
knowledge worker challenges that have resulted due to the proliferation of MNCs and FDI; as
such, the nation must enrich and expand 21st-century STEM coursework and learning opportuni-
ties for all students in order to reverse this reality (Dorgan, 2006; O’Hagan & Newman, 2014).
These opportunities must be anchored in real-world, inquiry-based problems that promote stu-
dents’ interdependent communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity (Beers,
2011). Science fairs such as Ireland’s SciFest provide an ideal platform upon which students can
demonstrate their STEM acumen and development of the 21st-century skills necessary to help
them succeed in a global economy (Beers, 2011; Capraro, Capraro, & Morgan, 2013).
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study was to understand the influence of globalization and educa-
tional policy on the development of 21st-century skills through implementation of STEM educa-
tion instructional practices as well as student participation in the SciFest science competition.
The study examined how school leadership influences student participation in SciFest and how
school engage in SciFest while preparing students for the Leaving Certificate Exam. Addition-
ally, this study investigated how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses
and stakeholders’ perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st
century workforce.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 17
Research Questions
To meet the objective of this study, four research questions were addressed:
1. How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students for the Leaving Certifi-
cate Examination (LCE)?
2. How does school leadership influence participation in Scifest?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses?
4. What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/uni-
versity professors and MNCs have regarding the value of student participation in SciFest?
Six frameworks were selected by the researchers to guide this study and assist in analyz-
ing collected data: (a) Friedman’s (2007) description of the flatteners that leveled the global
marketplace rules; (b) Spring’s (2015) theoretical perspectives on global forces and its intersec-
tion with education; (c) Wagner’s (2014) description of seven survival skills that students need to
become the knowledge workers required for the 21st century; (d) Bolman and Deal’s (1991) four-
frame approach that suggests that leaders display behaviors in one of four types of frameworks—
structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames; (e) Acker’s (1987) feminist theory;
and Slough and Milam’s (2013) theoretical framework for the design of STEM project-based
learning (PBL).
Significance of the Study
The undeniable impact that globalization has had upon many nations across the globe is
undeniable, as the world has been flattened and condensed due to the irrefutable influence of
technology and the demand to outsource production (Friedman, 2007). As a result, it is para-
mount that nations develop educational programs that will enable them to enroll students into
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 18
real-world classroom course content and extended enrichment opportunities that will facilitate
their acquisition of 21st-century skills necessary for success in today’s globalized economies
(Spring, 2015; Thurow, 2000). The ongoing and sustainable growth of the Irish economy is
inextricably linked to a thriving knowledge workforce that possesses high-leverage, 21st-century
skills that empower them to produce at higher levels of acumen and efficiency (O’Hagan &
Newman, 2014).
As a result, it should be a fundamental expectation that educational policies in Ireland
support a system that must prepare students for the jobs of today but, even more importantly, the
new jobs that will exist in 20 or 30 years (Duffy, 2016). Accomplishing this goal with fidelity
will require a cultural shift in regard to building inschool professional capital among teachers that
will empower them to deliver instruction that is effective and inquiry based (Duffy, 2016; Har-
greaves & Fullan, 2013). These collective efforts, if engaged with deliberate intent, will help
contribute to Ireland’s knowledge-based smart economy (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). This
study evaluated the influence of SciFest on students’ development of 21st-century skills while
enrolled in STEM coursework, with an emphasis placed on gender. It will also analyze students’
participation in SciFest and its influence on their decisions to pursue third-level STEM course-
work and career-related STEM occupations.
Limitations of the Study
Limitations of this study included the geographic realities as a result of the distance
between Los Angeles, California, and the study location of Dublin, Ireland, and surrounding
cities. Consequently, the research team members were required to complete the data collection
process in a finite amount of time that encompassed 9 days during their visit to Ireland. This data
collection impediment meant that it was not feasible to revisit schools and/or classrooms and that
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 19
it was not possible to reinterview or observe critical stakeholders. The research team planned to
accomplish its purposeful validity and reliability efforts by collecting rich verbatim transcripts of
stakeholder interviews that were conducted in participants’ natural settings. Data were analyzed
and triangulated with responses to surveys and with observations throughout a variety of inde-
pendent settings.
Delimitations of the Study
This study faced delimitations that could not be mitigated, including the necessity to
identify and choose schools that participated in SciFest exhibitions, which are primarily held in
geographic areas central to Dublin. There is no generalizability of the study, as no control was
engaged in the effort to select schools with predetermined socioeconomic, ethnic, or other
demographic criteria. However, this generalizability limitation does create an opportunity for
future research teams to conduct additional studies whose primary emphasis may be examining
potential connections between schools of varying socioeconomic and/or primary language skill
levels of students.
Assumptions
There were several key assumptions made for this study. The initial assumption was that
globalization and MNCs have profoundly impacted the educational system of Ireland, with
particular emphasis on 21st-century skills and STEM education. The second assumption was
that science competitions such as SciFest were being supported through student participation at
schools in Ireland. The third assumption was that students are developing 21st-century skills
through teachers’ use of inquiry-based instructional strategies such as PBL. Fourth, it was
assumed that STEM and inquiry-based instructional strategies such as PBL are necessary
components of an educational system that is dedicated to the development of a prepared
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 20
knowledge workforce for the Irish economy and MNCs that function within it. Fifth, it was
assumed that female students’ participation in STEM course content and SciFest activities was
lower than that of their male peers. Sixth, it was assumed that all interview, survey, and observa-
tion protocol efforts would provide the necessary information to articulate the significant impact
of globalization and MNCs on educational policy, coursework, and student efficacy with
21st-century skills in Ireland. Finally, it was assumed that a mixed-methods study with primary
emphasis placed on the qualitative approach was applicable for this study effort.
Definition of Terms
The following terms, words, phrases, and acronyms are operationally defined and used
throughout this dissertation:
FDI: A means for creating direct, stable, and long-lasting connections between economies
that can serve as an integral vehicle for local market development under the right government
policy umbrella. In addition, it encourages the transfer of technology and acumen between
countries, and provides an opportunity for indigenous economies to promote their products more
widely; which has a positive effect on the development of international trade and capital genera-
tion (Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2008).
Globalization: The inexorable synthesis of markets, nation states, and technologies, at
levels never experienced before, in an integrated manner that enables individuals, corporations,
and nations to navigate the world with deliberateness that is faster, deeper, and more economical
than ever before (Friedman, 2007).
Human capital: A set of skills, ability, knowledge, or experiences that comprise an
individual’s talents that, when developed effectively, can generate economic returns (Hargreaves
& Fullan, 2012).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 21
IBL: A method of instruction that presents questions, problems, or scenarios while
placing the student and students’ interdependent interaction at the nexus of the learning experi-
ence (Capraro et al., 2013; Slough & Milam, 2013).
Knowledge-based economy: The utilization of requisite knowledge, skills, and technology
to produce jobs and generate economic rewards. A KBE values the impact of knowledge and
education due to its influence on high-value economic returns (Wagner, 2014).
MNC: A corporation that is registered to manufacture and market its products to consum-
ers in more than one country (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014).
PBL: An instructional practice that requires students to think critically and analyze
inquiry-based situations while integrating STEM education and 21st-century skills that promote
teamwork (Capraro & Slough, 2013).
SciFest: A series of science competitions that are held in Ireland and hosted in schools at
regional and international levels for secondary students to participate in (SciFest, 2018).
STEM education: Curriculum that incorporates students’ creativity, critical thinking,
collaboration skills, and communication skills. Students work together interdependently as they
leverage these 21st-century skills to create innovative solutions to real-world, inquiry-based
problems (Beers, 2011).
Twenty-first-century skills: Skills required to compete in the knowledge economy of the
21st-century. Wagner (2014) posited that these skills that include critical thinking, collaboration,
adaptability, initiative, effective oral communication, and imagination are necessary for students
who endeavor to successfully participate in today’s interconnected global workforce and econ-
omy.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 22
Organization of the Dissertation
This dissertation is divided into five chapters. Chapter One dealt with an overview of the
study including the background of the problem; statement of the problem; purpose of the study;
importance of the study; limitations and delimitations; and definitions of key terms, words,
phrases, and acronyms. Chapter Two briefly introduces major topics of review of pertinent liter-
ature regarding Ireland’s educational system, 21st-century skills, STEM and PBL, gender equity,
science and technology fairs, leadership, and the theoretical frameworks that will be used in the
proposed study. Chapter Three addresses the methodology that was employed in the study,
including techniques used for collecting, organizing, and analyzing data as well as the study
sample, population, and instrumentation.
Chapter Four restates the focus of the study and organizes the findings by research
question. Additionally, it includes a reflection on these findings and provides the researcher with
an opportunity to provide authentic insights about the same findings. Chapter Five provides a
summary of the study’s findings, a conclusion, and an examination of the implications for further
research considered necessary as a result of the study’s findings.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 23
Chapter Two: Review of the Literature
Friedman (1995) described three phases of globalization that have led to the flattening
phenomenon that is influencing or shrinking the world today. The driving forces began with
Globalization 1.0, which was a time in history when countries began to embrace the notion of
their need to extend their reach in a globalized manner. The next phase of globalization was
ushered in with Globalization 2.0, which was driven by companies that began to understand the
importance and possibilities inherent in globalization; companies were no longer required to
limit their scope of influence and/or profit potential based on physical, technological, and social
impediments. Friedman (1995) further illustrated the ongoing impact of globalization’s driving
force with the advent of Globalization 3.0 and its capability to empower individuals to engage in
collective collaboration, participation, and competition.
Tierney (2004) posited that globalization exists within an inextricable, interconnected
reality that is innately woven into social fact and social construct. By definition, Tierney
described globalization as a social process, where the nationalistic intent of a country to be at the
zenith of economic, political, and cultural investigation diminishes or quite possibly is even
immaterial, and the substituting reality is one that thrives in a world where no demarcations exist
that attempt to limit social connectivity or potential. It is paramount that countries understand
the importance of proactively cultivating educated workforces who have the professional capital
required to fulfill demands that are generated in a global economic model (Thurow, 2000).
Governments across developed countries have also acknowledged the necessity to
develop more highly skilled workers in an attempt to remain economically nimble and viable
(Spring, 2008). Spring (2008) further stressed the role that governments play in determining the
educational discourses that are required to proactively invest in coherent commitments that will
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 24
encourage economic growth. However, Spring (2008) posited that intergovernmental organiza-
tions, nongovernmental organizations, and MNCs are also playing an interconnected role with
national governments to develop, promote, and enact global educational policies.
O’Hagan and Newman (2014) asserted that Ireland’s success, as it pertains to the coun-
try’s competitiveness in a globalized world economy, hinges on the ultimate and formative
successes of the educational system. Specifically, Ireland’s educational system must play a
proactive and pivotal role in support of the nation’s interests as they relates to Ireland’s integral
participation with globalization. Reflective of this demand are Ireland’s deliberate efforts with
regard to developing education policy that will generate students who are prepared to become
knowledge workers in the innovation-driven, high-technology sectors of their economy
(O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). This national platform evolved as a direct result of the property
inflation and oppressive recession that negatively impacted Ireland’s economy as a result of the
Celtic Tiger period (1996–2008) that had reached its economic tipping point by leveraging FDI
as a vehicle for economic growth in Ireland. As such, Ireland’s education policy initiatives have
been drafted with the intent of achieving student academic outcomes that will buttress the na-
tion’s interest to develop knowledge workers who are the end product of a globalized educational
system (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014; Spring, 2008).
The purpose of this literature review is to examine the history, impact, and flattening
phenomenon of globalization and its subsequent impact upon the Irish educational system. The
first section will be driven by an overview and definition of globalization. The second section
will place emphasis on the history of Ireland and the interconnected role that economic history,
MNCs, and FDI have played as they have influenced Ireland’s educational policy. The third
section will provide a detailed explanation of Ireland’s educational system. This system will be
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 25
analyzed through a lens that will focus on its history, current status, the role of 21st-century skills
including PBL and STEM initiatives that include student participation in science fairs and STEM
pathways that scaffold into university coursework opportunities.
Globalization
Definition and Overview
According to Al-Rodhan and Stoudmann (2006), globalization is the relationship between
(a) the transnational and the transcultural integration of both human and nonhuman activities and
(b) the process that envelops the causes, course, and inherent consequences of these activities.
Globalization has also been widely accepted to be the term that best describes the international-
ization of financial markets, goods, and services (OECD, 2005). It is a process of economic
synthesis that facilitates the international mobility of national resources, thereby creating national
economies that serve as interdependent structures that foster market growth (OECD, 2005).
Friedman (1995) defined globalization as the expansion of free market capitalism to virtually
every corner of the world in a way that is empowering individuals, corporations, and nations to
reach around the world in a more efficient and effective way than ever before.
Spooner (2015) posited that globalization is a phenomenon that should be analyzed
through two separate but similar conceptual frameworks. First, it is important to understand and
acknowledge globalization as a historical benchmark that began thousands of years ago when
fundamental disparities existed among settlements, thereby creating uneven settlement expan-
sion. On the other hand, Spooner also postulated that it is necessary to understand people’s
current beliefs regarding globalization and the discourse that is necessary to engage in collective
requisite actions that will facilitate the deliberate creation of a more optimistic future existence—
an existence where globalization does not accelerate disadvantages among those who want to
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 26
hold on to the past and those who want to leave it behind. However, these balances have contin-
ued to shift and create social, political, and economic gaps between countries that feel almost
inexorable today (Spooner, 2015). Ultimately, it is paramount that individuals and economies of
the world develop interconnected markets where knowledge workers generate capital, technol-
ogy, and innovative ideas that cross borders (Spring, 2015). According to Friedman (2005),
Globalization 3.0 will empower an increasingly diverse cross-section of the world that will
construct the system. The interconnected and interdependent efforts will develop self-efficacy
within individuals to pursue global competitiveness (Friedman, 2005). Inherent in this preferred
reality, however, is the need to create for individuals economic and wealth distribution opportu-
nities from which they will benefit (Thurow, 2000). Goldberg and Pavcnik (2007) suggested that
the nature of globalization and the inequality that it generates could be more aptly be attributed to
individual corporations and the role they play in a nation’s economy as opposed to the role of
individuals.
History of Globalization
There are historical accounts of events that marked the impact that globalism created as
far back as 2,500 BC, when trade between the European and Asian worlds began (Al-Rodhan &
Stoudmann, 2006). However, it was from the late 15th century through the late 18th century that
globalism started to surge (Al-Rodhan & Stoudmann, 2006). Specifically, there were two events
that had a monumental impact upon the surge in globalization: Columbus’s discovery of North
America and the international increase in interdependent trade among nations during this time
(Al-Rodhan & Stoudmann, 2006). According to Friedman (2012), globalization continued to
grow at a frenzied pace from the 1800s to the late 1920s, as indicated by an analysis of inter-
border trade volume, capital, and labor flow during this time frame. In fact, Friedman (2012)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 27
posited that globalization’s impact during this period was very analogous to what is being
experienced today. During this time frame, steamships and the invention of the steam engine and
telephone played a pivotal role in the rapid expansion of globalization and the inevitable shrink-
ing of the world (Al-Rodhan & Stoudmann, 2006; Friedman, 1995). For example, trains and
steamships had the capability to exponentially increase distribution of humans and goods due to
their ability to maximize time and payload variables (Al-Rodhan & Stoudmann, 2006).
Subsequent to this phase of globalization growth, there were two world wars that had a
tremendous impact on the development of warfare and the rise of political establishments that
continue to have an impact on the world today (Friedman, 1995). The next phase of globaliza-
tion was directly linked to and impacted by political policy. From the beginning of the 1950s to
the end of the 1970s, governments dismantled tariffs and import–export quotas in an effort to
manufacture a more interdependent economic model across national borders (Thurow, 2000). In
the 1980s and 1990s, the impact of shifts in technology played a pivotal role in the ongoing rise
of globalization (Thurow, 2000). Corporations sensed this evolution in technology and devel-
oped organizations that were nimble and reliant on computerization, telecommunications, and the
World Wide Web for their global success (Friedman, 1995; Thurow, 2000). The 21st century is
already experiencing the impact of exponential globalization growth due to the global reach of
companies, the rise of the Internet, and global discussions about the use of military force around
the globe (Friedman, 1995; Thurow, 2000). Chanda (2007) offered as a basis for debate the fact
that globalization is actually a phenomenon of interdependent resources that can cross borders,
including capital, trade, and technology, in an effort to create a new sense of being for humans
that will fulfill their individual needs to pursue a more vibrant and connected life.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 28
Flattening Phenomenon
Friedman (2005) references the term Genesis when he described the monumental events
that spawned development of the fundamental capstones that would be necessary to construct a
foundation that could support a new global platform for individuals and businesses to connect,
create, and innovate together. Comprised within these events were three specific moments in
time that ultimately began to impact individuals in a way that made it clear that the world was
beginning to change in a comprehensive manner (Friedman, 2005).
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and for the first time in modern history, the
world was provided with a canvas to paint upon that would depict the global view of the new
future by allowing people to think of the world as a single space. The literal and figurative
impact of the wall falling was immense. It fostered a sense of collective hope that the balance of
power across the globe for those who longed for a democratic, free-market governance model
might actually become a reality that would empower citizens to write their own stories of unifica-
tion, as opposed to the stories and existence that had been written for them under authoritarian
rule. Ultimately, the fall of the Berlin Wall also charted the course for systemic national
improvements due to the access to best-practices ideas and models that had been embedded
throughout the world but unattainable to the public (Friedman, 2005).
Subsequent to the fall of the wall, the next key date was August 9, 1995, which is the day
that Netscape went public. This event ignited two very important events that ultimately facili-
tated comprehensive access to the necessary conduits required to exponentially increase an
individual’s ability to connect with other people around the world. First, it spawned a revolution
in the Internet by providing individuals with a browser that could store data and display images.
Second, Netscape’s ability to go public also triggered the dot-com boom and dot-com bubble,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 29
which provided the necessary economic resources to support the grossly mismanaged and overly
developed fiber-optic telecommunications cable network. Ultimately, the Netscape public offer-
ing greatly enhanced the interconnectivity that individuals could experience with one another
(Friedman, 2005).
Finally, the development of powerful workflow software generated the development of
uniform transmission pathways and protocols that were universally available on everyone’s
machines. This universality within the software promoted proactive development of system-
atized business processes that would ultimately dictate the way business or commerce is con-
ducted. Most importantly, workflow software created a paradigm shift in the way that individu-
als perceived their experiences with technology—from a model of simple one-to-one connections
to an interconnected and interdependent model where individuals’ sphere of influence is magni-
fied due to their ability to work together seamlessly on one another’s digital content and projects
(Friedman, 2005).
The creation of this coherent global platform necessitated development of six new forms
of interdependent collaboration, as posited by Friedman (2005). These six “flatteners,” as
Friedman (2005) identified them, are the following: uploading, outsourcing, offshoring, supply
chaining, insourcing, in-forming, and the steroids. In brief, uploading empowered individuals or
interconnected groups of people to share ideas and to generate collectively developed work
products, which could then be uploaded onto the Web. The benefit of this ability is empowering
individuals to produce complex work products with less organizational impediments to get in the
way; individuals can accomplish these tasks at a faster pace that is more fiscally responsible.
Outsourcing, the fifth flattener, is rooted in the economic belief that a country should outsource
everything it possibly can. Outsourcing helped to provide talented knowledge workers in India
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 30
with the ability to have access to good jobs and the companies that were utilizing their talents
with higher profits. Friedman’s (2005) flattener of offshoring literally flipped the economic
model with regard to how companies conducted business in that they no longer focused on out-
sourcing jobs requiring specific tasks. Companies that embodied the tenets of offshoring would
now move an entire factory to another country. Inherent in the motives embedded in this busi-
ness model are benefits including cheaper labor, cheaper resources, fewer trade barriers, and
reduced tax structures (Friedman, 2005).
Supply chaining, insourcing, and in-forming collectively make up business practices that,
when implemented with fidelity, can be attributed to further flattening of the world due to their
ability to create synchronized horizontal distribution models for products and information that
add value to the consumer. The tenth and final flattener, which Friedman (2005) called “the
steroids,” magnifies the power of interconnectedness by facilitating communication structures
and pathways that actually boost and strengthen other flatteners.
Impact of Globalization
Globalization has thrust the world into a new understanding of what is happening in the
world due to the improved channels of communication that are now available across borders and
continents, thereby creating a flattening effect (Friedman, 2005; Spooner, 2015). A fundamental
difference lies in the formative processes that ultimately facilitate the global understanding of
what comes next—which in previous times in history meant exactly that (Spooner, 2015). How-
ever, what comes next is now more figurative than literal. Spooner (2015) asserted that world
transformation is no longer about crossing a demarcation line from one point to the next but that
it is a promise that assures progress toward a qualitatively new and innovative preferred future
state that thrives in a globally interconnected community. However, Goldberg and Pavcnik
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 31
(2007) outlined an alternative paradigm that endeavors to define a state of being for globalization
that actually encompasses both positive and negative effects for participating countries. Positive
attributes of globalization provide structures that elicit and ensure a country’s interdependence
with external partners through the increased mobilization of goods and services that may be
possible due to revised and/or changed policies that impact trade interests (Goldberg & Pavcnik,
2007). However, according to Torres (2002), globalization can best be described as a double-
edged sword with unique implications.
On the one hand, it is quite obvious that it removes competence from the national context
and that it undermines the institutions which civil society and the democratic public
hitherto have used for communication. On the other hand, globalization opens up new
possibilities for democratic influence on essential common issues that by their nature are
about the notion of the nation state. Attempts to democratize are, therefore, forced to
work for the establishment of democratic global structures, including international organs
for civil society. (Mayo, 1999, pp. 175–176)
Thurow (2000) asserted that globalization and the impact that is associated with it can
also create economic models where countries need corporations more than corporations need
countries. This structure of economic interdependence has the ability to impact the policy
landscape of countries in ways that may ultimately diminish the role and relative authority of
national governments (Thurow, 2000). Pursuant to this impact is another reality that creates a
paradox to be discussed, and that is the fact that developing countries do not have a choice as to
whether or not they will participate in globalization (Thurow, 2000). Their embedded and
necessary commitment to participate in a global economy further exacerbates the reality that they
can no longer opt out, as this decision would ignite political ripple effects that could ultimately
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 32
alter the very fabric upon which their government structure is woven (Thurow, 2000). As a
result, it may be necessary to adhere to the notion that the ultimate progression of globalization is
reliant on an essential form of human behavior that drives change—the increased capacity for
developing enhanced pathways for social interaction and information processing (Spooner,
2015). It is these interdependent collective efforts among people that have driven all of the
technological and societal innovations and, as such, must be acknowledged and supported if
nations want to prosper in a globalized world (Spooner, 2015). Thurow (2000) explained that
there has been a shift of power for nations that participate in global economic activity—from a
base that is economically driven from within their borders to a more dynamic structure that is
attracted inextricably to increased global participation. This underlying and necessary structure
exhorts the importance of educating a dynamic and thriving knowledge workforce that can
successfully and confidently influence a nation’s ability to participate and succeed in a global
economy (Thurow, 2000). If that is the path and Ireland wishes to continue to travel down it
successfully, it will be important to move forward by focusing on the four basics of infrastruc-
ture, education, governance, and environment (Friedman, 2005). However, this researcher would
be remiss if he focused only on the next steps in Ireland’s evolution as a globalized nation
without first looking at its historical context and the role that globalization has played in shaping
this dynamic nation.
Ireland
History and Political Overview
History acknowledges Ireland as a country that was fundamentally ripe for a golden age
of Christianity and monasticism to thrive within (Cronin, 2001). According to legends that have
been passed down through generations, Christianity was recognized as having reached the shores
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 33
of Ireland in 433 AD. The barbarian invasions and their subsequent impact on the Roman
Empire in Western Europe unintentionally created a safe haven in Ireland for those who followed
Christ (Cronin, 2001). It was also during this time in Ireland’s history when the written word
became a commodity that would change its history forever (Cronin, 2001). Religious instruction
and formal access to education also flourished within the monasteries during this time period and
trade continued along the Atlantic coast, thereby furthering Ireland’s capability to thrive and
prosper (Cronin, 2001). All of these collective realities led to the evolution of an Irish cultural
identity during the uncertain and chaotic centuries that followed the fall of Rome (Hegarty,
2012).
In October 1171, King Henry II arrived on the shores of Ireland with an interest to secure
his authority amidst the potentially threatening activities of Richard de Clare, the 2nd Earl of
Pembroke who played a leading role in the Normal invasion of Ireland (Cronin, 2001; Hegarty,
2012). This was a pivotal moment in the history of Ireland, compounded by the establishment of
the Lordship of Ireland (Hegarty, 2012). Cronin (2001) and Hegarty (2012) posited the recon-
solidation of the English presence in Ireland to be part of a larger strategy that included making
Ireland part of England—in essence, the creation of the first English colony (Hegarty, 2012).
The Plantation of Ulster, at its core, was the systematic settlement of Northern Ireland by
Protestant colonists who were loyal to the crown (Hegarty, 2012). What made this event in the
spring of 1606 so important was that it subsequently ignited a mass exodus of Ulster’s Gaelic
aristocracy in 1607 (Hegarty, 2012). This project was driven by a land distribution system that
allocated land parcels to English and Scottish nobility and Irish citizens who were loyal to the
Crown (Hegarty, 2012). However, there was a glaring disparity between the size of plots distrib-
uted to English and Scottish nobility, who were responsible for ensuring that suitable security
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 34
protocols and structures would be in place for the settlement and that plots were distributed to
their Irish counterparts (Hegarty, 2012). The Plantation epitomizes the inception of a cultural
downfall for Gaelic society and highlighted the beginning of a turbulent and violent era in Ireland
that was marked by sectarian tensions (Hegarty, 2012).
Oliver Cromwell landed at Dublin with his New Model Army in August, 1649, with the
goal of reinforcing the stability of the new Puritan regime in England (Hegarty, 2012). On the
morning of September 3, 1649, Cromwell’s forces approached the medieval walls of Drogheda,
where he demanded the immediate surrender of the Royalist commander, Sir Henry Aston
(Hegarty, 2012). Aston summarily refused to surrender, and Cromwell proceeded to use his
artillery against its fortifications until the morning when the parliamentary army breached the
walls and overthrew the town (Hegarty, 2012). During the overthrow, Cromwell ordered his
army to kill more than 2,500 members of the garrison, including Catholics, Protestants, English,
and Irish townsfolk (Hegarty, 2012). Cromwell’s army also participated in the sack of Wexford,
and by 1660 approximately one quarter of the Irish population had perished as a result of the
effects of war and disease (Hegarty, 2012).
Wolfe Tone was a key figure in the reformist model that positioned many of its ideologi-
cal positions on revolutions that occurred in France and America (Cronin, 2001). These events
created a groundswell of support for Tone and many Presbyterians, who believed that Ireland
could become a nonsectarian republic where Catholics and Presbyterians could join together to
dissent from the established Protestant clergy (Cronin, 2001). In September 1791, Tone pub-
lished a pamphlet entitled Argument on Behalf of Catholics of Ireland (Hegarty, 2012). Tone’s
pamphlet is considered to be the first step of Ireland becoming a nonsectarian republic, due to the
reform voice that Tone espoused in matters including the emancipation of Ireland’s
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 35
disenfranchised Catholic majority (Hegarty, 2012). Tone’s revolutionary vision inspired support-
ers of equally disenfranchised individuals and the French, who ultimately supported Tone during
the Rising of 1798 (Cronin, 2001). Despite a promising start, support of Ireland’s Catholics. who
feared retribution, created a divide in strength that French commanders could not reverse;
therefore, they surrendered and returned to France with their forces intact (Cronin, 2001). Tone
was captured and sentenced to hang for his role in the failure of the Rising of 1798, but he sub-
sequently committed suicide in November 1798 while still imprisoned by the English (Cronin,
2001).
The Catholic emancipation movement was led by Daniel O’Connell, a middle-class
Catholic from Kerry, Ireland (Cronin, 2001). His formal education included the study of law in
London, where he mixed in with liberal circles with like-minded individuals who believed in the
value of law (Cronin, 2001). O’Connell’s vision included the creation of an Ireland where
Catholicism and national identity were inherently intertwined, without further oppression from
the Act of Union that endorsed the position of the traditional Church in Ireland (Cronin, 2001;
Dorgan, 2006). The national impediment that O’Connell had to navigate was the reality that
Catholics could not sit in parliament without agreeing to renounce their faith (Cronin, 2001). To
that end, O’Connell knew that he would need to channel the collective strength of the Irish
people to drive this interest due to the fact that he could not present bills to the Commons
because he was a Catholic (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan, 2006). In May of 1823, O’Connell formed the
Catholic Association, which was one of the first truly democratic organizations in the modern
world (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan, 2006). His objective was to resuscitate the emancipation move-
ment by enlisting the mass of the populace to engage in collective actions that would facilitate
the realization of his vision (Dorgan, 2006). To accomplish this, O’Connell created a tier of
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 36
associate members who could join his Catholic Association for a penny a month (Cronin, 2001).
This shift in associate membership access for the lower classes ignited a flood of participation
that made the Catholic Association a certified mass movement (Cronin, 2001). A critical aspect
that supported the Catholic Association’s ability to flourish was that O’Connell engaged these
collective activities at a time when news could travel farther and faster than ever before due to
modern communication lines that enabled information to be passed in ways that were previously
impossible (Cronin, 2001). Information or access thereto was so accessible that passions were
also debated in America (Dorgan, 2006). Ultimately, O’Connell never realized his vision of
Catholic emancipation, but he did lay the framework for political structures and interests that
could be mobilized for change as a result of harnessing the mutual beliefs and actions of the
masses (Dorgan, 2006).
In September of 1845, as farmers began to harvest their crops of potatoes, a terrible blight
started to become evident throughout the countryside of Ireland (Dorgan, 2006). Specifically, the
potato harvest was producing a commodity that was being catastrophically impacted due to
rotting (Dorgan, 2006). By 1851, the overwhelming impact had reached an apex that resulted in
a population decline that reduced the populace from approximately 8.5 million to roughly 6.5
million (Cronin, 2001). It is estimated that half of this number emigrated in search of a new life,
while the other half tragically died from starvation (Cronin, 2001). There were destructive
variables compounding this collective loss in that the British government’s willful inaction and
incomprehension of Ireland’s reliance on its potato crops intensified the repercussions of the
famine (Dorgan, 2006). Inherent in these repercussions was the fact that emigration from Ireland
continued for more than a century after the famine, and the resulting exodus created a substantive
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 37
change in the way that Ireland was connected to the rest of the world both politically and eco-
nomically (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan, 2006).
On the April 24, 1916, the Easter Rising began (Dorgan, 2006). The strategic plan
required direct action by the forces of Irish Volunteers, whose collective objective was to take
control of all the major and strategically influential buildings in Dublin and other important
towns across the country (Cronin, 2001). A very influential event took place on Easter Monday
that continued to have an impact across Ireland for the remainder of the 20th century (Cronin,
2001). Leaders of the rising marched onto the steps of the General Post Office in Dublin and
read the Proclamation of the Provisional Government of the Irish People (Cronin, 2001). In
addition, the leaders signed the single-page document that would become the foundation upon
which nationalist and republican beliefs would be leveraged for the remainder of the 20th century
(Cronin, 2001). Ultimately, the rising was defeated in a matter of days; 15 men including James
Connolly and battalion leaders were executed by a British firing squad (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan,
2006). This decision made by British authorities altered the public and political opinion and
mood overnight, and the 15 men who were executed became heroes (Cronin, 2001). Addition-
ally, it led to the dismantling of constitutional nationalism and shuttled in the beginning of a
sustained campaign of violence against British rule, and the formation of the Irish Free State in
1922 (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan, 2006).
Bloody Sunday occurred on January 30, 1972, when 14 men who were participating in a
civil rights march were killed by members of the British Army (Dorgan, 2006). The activists
were marching to express their mutual interests of demanding equal rights for the Catholic
minority and the dissolution of Unionist majority rule (Dorgan, 2006). The official stance of the
British Army was that its soldiers responded only after being fired upon by members of the Irish
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 38
Republican Army who were operating subversively within the crowd (Dorgan, 2006). A periph-
eral impact of this event occurred in the public opinion of Catholics, whose viewpoint was
vehemently against what they believed to be a state-sponsored event (Dorgan, 2006). The ripple
effect of this Catholic sentiment led to increased support for the Irish Republican Army and other
terrorist groups functioning within Ireland (Dorgan, 2006). Ultimately, on June 15, 2010, the
final report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry was communicated to the country, and its findings
confirmed that the British army’s actions had been unwarranted and inexcusable (Dorgan, 2006).
Past grievances between the British and Irish states seemed to create a paradox with
regard to finding a solution to Northern Ireland’s troubles during the 20th-century (Dorgan,
2006). Many of these challenges were a result of sectarian differences regarding politics and
economic rivalries (Dorgan, 2006). Ultimately, in April of 1998, a political solution was found
with the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, which is widely considered to be one of the most
important documents ever drafted in Ireland (Cronin, 2001). This agreement outlined the politi-
cal framework necessary to drive future political progress in Northern Ireland and appeared to
offer a viable chance for Northern Ireland to finally experience peace (Cronin, 2001; Dorgan,
2006).
Economic History
Ireland’s politicians and bureaucrats have used economic and governmental policies to
provide their nation with prosperity since the beginning of the 20th century. Their accidental and
purposeful decisions have led to both economic prosperity and stagnation. Their protectionist
structure supported short-term economic successes but at the cost of formative and embedded
growth models. Subsequent decisions endeavored to reverse the protectionist model that ulti-
mately led to economic stagnation and mass emigration (Dorgan, 2006; O’Hearn, 1990). These
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 39
new policies were embedded in the belief that Ireland had to facilitate its economic expansion
through an interdependent import–export trade structure with other nations (O’Sullivan, 1993).
Import-Substituting-Industrialization (ISI)
Ireland developed and employed economic structures and policies that provided an
umbrella of protection after achieving independence from the United Kingdom (UK) in 1922
(O’Hearn, 1990). Inherent in the efforts was a nationalistic driven scope of goals and objectives
that relied on exporting agricultural resources to the UK and local manufacturing that supported
the country’s indigenous population of approximately 3 million people (O’Hearn, 1990).
National impediments to import subsidies were controlled through elevated tariff rates and policy
regarding import replacement (O’Hearn, 1990). Ireland’s primary objective was to create
policies that would fuel a reliance on economic nationalism (O’Hearn, 1990). At the root of this
economic reliance was Ireland’s belief that ISI would act as the primary driver influencing the
country’s financial success (O’Hearn, 1990).
ISI defined trading behaviors both internally and externally for Ireland (O’Hearn, 1990).
One indicator of Ireland’s limited scope of economic strength during this time—and an igniter
for ISI—would be the fact that the Irish stock exchange included only 25 companies in 1933
(O’Hearn 1990). Politics played a pivotal role in this transition, when nationalists took control of
the government in 1932 (O’Hearn, 1990). A pivotal component of the nationalists’ platform was
to create market structures that would facilitate economic independence for Ireland and diminish
an overreliance that the citizenry had for imports from Britain (O’Hearn, 1990). It was during
this time that new tariff measures generated a renaissance in Ireland that fueled the country’s
development into one of the most insulated and protected economies in the world (O’Hearn,
1990). Industrial employment and output in many key sectors prospered and grew in Ireland
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 40
from 1931 to 1939 (O’Hearn, 1990). However, there was a structural change in Ireland’s politi-
cal system occurring at the same time that had a profound impact on the ultimate fate of ISI, and
that was the tremendous growth of the political bureaucracy (O’Hearn, 1990). These department
secretaries and officers held a tremendous amount of legitimate power that impacted the policy
development that nourished the insatiable appetites of constituents who were attempting to
garner favor for their specific benefit (O’Hearn, 1990). Ultimately, this economic policy failed
because Irish capitalists were not reinvesting revenues into their own infrastructure (O’Hearn,
1990). Additionally, ISI created a damaging overreliance on exports that were received from a
variety of nations, but the real difficulty was exacerbated when Britain declared an economic war
on Ireland that decimated the country’s ability to maintain export levels necessary for survival
(O’Hearn, 1990). ISI is an economic policy that clearly outlined a structural and procedural
framework within which Ireland’s government attempted to define the rules of commodity
ownership (Stone, 2002). Stone (2002) posited that markets without constraints can develop
process inefficiencies. ISI was laden with internal and external economic and political forces that
made it difficult for the policy to function efficiently and ultimately led to a demand for substan-
tive change in Ireland, beginning with expansionary efforts in the late 1940s (O’Hearn, 1990;
Stone, 2002).
Export-Led Industrialization
The demise of ISI and its failed economic policies was exacerbated by the emigration of
more than 400,000 Irish citizens during the 1950s (Dorgan, 2006). National interest and collec-
tive worry began when the alarming emigration and crippling economic realities were digested by
the populace (Dorgan, 2006). It was clear that economic protectionist and nationalistic policy
interests were no longer in the best interests of Ireland, as the nation fell further behind other
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 41
postwar European nations whose economies were demonstrating accelerated recovery results
(Dorgan, 2006). It was during this time that the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) evolved
from governmental control of an industry body into a bureaucratic body that deliberately engaged
in important actions required to attract new industry to Ireland (O’Hearn, 1990). In the begin-
ning, the IDA focused on efforts that would produce proposals that ultimately would enhance
Ireland’s capabilities with regard to maximizing the exports through expansion efforts (O’Hearn,
1990). Local manufacturers who demonstrated a sense of apathy toward potential export benefits
required the removal of organizational impediments that would facilitate interest (O’Hearn,
1990).
Beginning in 1958, many of these impediments were eventually removed when policy
changes were defined in Economic Development, an official paper published that redefined much
of Ireland’s protectionist thinking (Dorgan, 2006). Inherent in this innovative policy thinking
were issues such as free trade, foreign investment, and national growth rather than conservative
fiscal interests as the primary actions necessary to induce economic development (Dorgan, 2006).
Specifically, Ireland engaged in an innovative transformation effort that would adjust its eco-
nomic model from a protectionist import substitution policy into a trade policy that relied on
strength that was realized in an export-oriented model relying on FDI (O’Sullivan, 1993). One
such policy that was developed to motivate the export interests of local manufacturers was the
Finance Acts of 1956, 1957 and 1958, which actually provided enticing tax reliefs for export
profits (O’Hearn, 1990). The cogent effect of these and subsequent economic plans was to
leverage imported private capital and indigenous technology resources to create a vast and
cultivated industrial base within Ireland (O’Sullivan, 1993). Important solutions to some of
Ireland’s challenges with surplus labor, high emigration, and stagnated economic growth were
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 42
identified as benefits that could be realized by an infusion of private capital (O’Sullivan, 1993).
Consequently, these economic plans would provide the structural foundation to transform
Ireland’s reliance on agriculture and service business sectors into a more dynamic and evolving
industrial base (O’Sullivan, 1993). Ireland’s evolution from a nation with a protectionist eco-
nomic policy structure into a nation whose economics were driven by an export-led growth
policy can be attributed to the relative need that the country had to increase its economic prosper-
ity (Stone, 2002). In addition, Ireland needed to shift from an instrumental need to protect
nationalistic goals to providing economic policies that would support export and import expan-
sion efforts that would enable the country to prosper in a global economy (Stone, 2002).
This ongoing shift in economic reality must continue to be proactively driven by politi-
cians who understand that Ireland must demonstrate a willingness to consider and implement
economic policies that will support its economic nationalism interests (Dorgan, 2006). Ulti-
mately, the success of the nation will rest on the collective, deliberate efforts of bureaucrats,
politicians, and the citizenry as a whole, who will develop, adopt, and engage in economic
policies as part of an ongoing, continuous process toward greater consistent prosperity (O’Hearn,
1990).
Economic structures that were guiding the evolution of Ireland’s prosperity during the
1950s were in desperate need of revision due to the reality that an economy based on nationalism
was simply unsustainable (Dorgan, 2006). National concerns regarding stagnation, emigration,
and the economic failures that were mired within these phenomena created fluctuations in Ire-
land’s citizenry that were indicative of confidence levels that were waning within the populace
(Dorgan, 2006). As a result, it was clear that a major shift in economic policy would have to be
implemented to propel Ireland into an invigorated state of economic being (Dorgan, 2006). It
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 43
was imperative that Ireland answer the pivotal question upon which its economic future was
leveraged. Specifically, how was the country going to move from an economic structure that was
highly protectionist to an export-oriented model that favored free trade and openness (Dorgan,
2006; FitzGerald, 2000; O’Sullivan, 1993)?
Beginning in the early 1960s, Ireland began to make deliberate policy shifts that were
drafted with the intent of opening up international markets that would ultimately provide the
country with a necessary infusion of outside influences and ideas that would promote the macro-
economic stability needed (FitzGerald, 2000; Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). These policy
shifts were driven by revised tax-based structures that lowered tariffs and created a more compet-
itive economic framework necessary to attract FDI (Bradley, 2001; Dorgan, 2006). It is impor-
tant to note that these revised policy structures were embedded in an economic plan that was
driven by a long-term objective that manifested economic prosperity in Ireland through utiliza-
tion of FDI as an essential factor necessary for growth (O’Sullivan, 1993; Rios-Morales &
Brennan, 2009). Early on in the 1960s, inward investment from MNCs that could facilitate the
inherent demands of a more industrial-oriented economy played a pivotal role in the ultimate
success of Ireland’s economic plan. As the decade progressed, many benefits that were not
necessarily quantifiable but nonetheless important improved in areas associated with education,
training, finance, and the empowerment of entrepreneurial enterprise (O’Sullivan, 1993).
Ultimately, it was this coherent and interdependent set of policy and economic factors that
empowered Ireland to reduce its reliance on the UK and to expand its export markets.
During the 1970s, domestic policy platforms and trade relations in Ireland continued to
improve with the country’s entry into the membership of the European Economic Community
(EEC) in 1973 (FitzGerald, 2000; Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). This action supported the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 44
economic interests of Ireland to become an integrated global player in a single market, thereby
further loosening the structural grip that the UK had on the country (Dorgan, 2006; FitzGerald,
2000). However, there was also a structural threat that Ireland required to manage within its own
economic model, and that was the undeniable impact that could potentially be felt by indigenous
manufacturing companies (Bradley, 2001). The concern stemmed from the reality that Ireland’s
own indigenous industries might find it difficult to compete successfully in this larger single-
market business model due to an imbalance in economies of scale with more experienced off-
shore competitors (Bradley, 2001). Fortunately, more opportunity than threat was realized as a
result of Ireland’s entrance into the EEC, and improvements in Ireland’s living standards were a
quantifiable indicator that provided evidence of this fact (Dorgan, 2006; FitzGerald, 2000).
Areas such as national income and population increases during the 1970s were indicators of
Ireland’s economic policy successes (Dorgan, 2006). However, the Industrial Development
Authority (IDA) also began to play a larger role in shaping the prosperity of Ireland during this
time by placing more direct emphasis on methods of doing business that explicitly focused their
collective efforts into actions that would attract high-tech companies of the future (Dorgan,
2006). Specifically, IDA developed and subsequently engaged targeted marketing strategies into
subsector areas such as electronics, medical technology, and pharmaceutical companies in an
effort to bring these companies into Ireland to conduct business (Dorgan, 2006; Ruane & Grg,
1997). In fact, Ireland was home to more than 400 foreign-owned companies by the middle of
the 1970s, spanning a diversified business portfolio encompassed within the manufacturing
sectors (Bradley, 2001; Dorgan, 2006). However, high unemployment, an increase in public
sector jobs, and a rapid increase in social services for the country’s people created a new reality
for Ireland as the nation was poised to enter the decade of the 1980s (FitzGerald, 2000).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 45
During the 1980s, Ireland experienced economic and national challenges that continued
to deplete the country’s prior economic and policy successes. High unemployment, a renewed
wave of knowledge worker emigration, and an ongoing deterioration of public finances ignited
public sentiment in Ireland that was highly skeptical of the government and its leaders’ capacity
to govern effectively (Dorgan, 2006; FitzGerald, 2000). This lack of proactive governance by
Ireland’s politicians further exacerbated the resulting impacts that were felt by the entire country
and did so in an expedited manner (FitzGerald, 2000). Attempts to reverse this trend were not
successful, either, as the government attempted to identify and implement interventions that
would improve its efficiencies (Dorgan, 2006). However, IDA continued to demonstrate effi-
ciencies with regard to its ability to attract foreign investors and to place renewed emphasis on
Irish-owned industry (Dorgan, 2006). In addition, Fiana Fail, the opposition party that won the
general election in Ireland in 1987, also played a role in stemming the tide of government spend-
ing inefficiencies by engaging in a course of fiscal correction, including severe cuts (Dorgan,
2006; FitzGerald, 2000). The Fiana Fail party also worked to create coherent structures within
Ireland’s government machine that facilitated consensus building and a unification of living
standards that finally began to reverse negative public sentiment toward the government and
politicians in general (Dorgan, 2006; FitzGerald, 2000).
A smaller and more efficient government structure was the order of the day for Ireland
during the 1990s, and it was this adjustment that actually moved the pendulum toward an out-
come that was leveraged on the nation’s success (Dorgan, 2006). One of the critical policy
decisions made by Ireland’s new government was the Program for National Recovery, which
placed emphasis on the creation of interdependent efforts among the government, employers,
unions, and farmers in Ireland (Dorgan, 2006). This revitalized and interconnected model
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 46
created the impetus for handling Ireland’s challenges while still remaining cognizant of the open,
free trade economy and Irish industries that were fundamentally necessary to stimulate ongoing
economic growth for the country (Crotty, 2000; Dorgan, 2006). Strategic investment plans and
open competition within business sectors provided conditions for transformational structural
efforts to take place in Ireland (Burnham, 2003; Dorgan, 2006). One of the most important
investments occurred within Ireland’s telecommunications market, when the government com-
mitted itself to providing substantive capital spending programs that were intended to transform
telecommunications service for the entire nation (Burnham, 2003). Ultimately, the economic
stimulus package that was instituted by the government on behalf of the Irish telecommunica-
tions sector turned around a national resource that had become an undeniable impediment to
Ireland’s economic growth policy and job creation interests (Burnham, 2003; Dorgan, 2006).
Ireland also began to express the need to place renewed emphasis on the role and importance of
education as pertaining to its role as a major factor necessary to support the nation’s economic
growth goals, both in the 1990s and beyond (Burnham, 2003). As a result, government’s influ-
ence was engaged once again in an effort to ensure that Ireland’s ongoing restructuring efforts in
pursuit of economic progress and success remain a proactive effort as opposed to a reactive one
(Crotty, 2000). The National Development Plan, which was created in the late 1990s, and the
establishment of the Science Foundation Ireland are just a couple of the deliberate actions that
were made by Ireland’s government in an attempt to maximize the country’s economic and world
class research potential (Crotty, 2000; Dorgan, 2006).
At the turn of the century, Ireland continued to place emphasis on its acquisition of FDI
through creation of open markets and beneficial corporate tax structures (Dorgan, 2006; Rios-
Morales & Brennan, 2009). Placing an emphasis on the country’s ability to be a global player in
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 47
business and commerce has served the nation well through development of a competitive busi-
ness environment that successfully attracts MNCs and FDI that are necessary to fuel economic
growth (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). Rios-Morales and Brennan (2009) posited that Ire-
land’s business environment could e directly attributed to Ireland’s ongoing commitment to
creating favorable investment climates and policies that support MNCs and leverage FDI as a
vital component for economic growth. Today, attracting FDI remains a priority for the Irish
government, and there are specific factors that have facilitated Ireland’s ability to do so success-
fully (Thornton, 2014). Some of these factors include access to highly skilled workers, favorable
corporate tax structures, research and development grants, and Ireland’s access to the European
Union (EU) and world markets (Thornton, 2014). The Department of Public Expenditure and
Reform in Ireland has clearly stated that “the Government is committed to ensuring that the
country’s stock of infrastructure is capable of facilitating economic growth and that enterprise
development agencies have ample resources to foster opportunities for enterprise development
and job creation” (as cited in Thornton, 2014, p. 19). Collectively, these deliberate decisions by
Ireland’s government to create a nation that flourishes due to its ability to create a favorable
climate for economic growth potential have been fundamental for creating an economic frame-
work where competitive opportunities for expansion and profit exist (Thornton, 2014).
Inherently, policy development and approval processes must continue to support Ireland’s
ongoing evolution as it strives to continue to be a nation that can nimbly adjust to refined skill
sets that knowledge workers must possess to pursue and secure specialized high-income jobs
(Dorgan, 2006; Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). Mechanisms for this ongoing long-term coher-
ence model for Ireland’s national policy must be embedded in a strategic framework that remains
responsive, ambitious, and meets the needs of FDI and MNCs (Dorgan, 2006; Rios- Morales &
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 48
Brennan, 2009). One such decision initiated the creation of Enterprise Ireland, whose primary
operating paradigm is to create interdependent linkages between MNCs and local industry (Rios-
Morales & Brennan, 2009). Enterprise Ireland has also played a vital role in promoting innova-
tion and productivity, creating new companies, and spurring business development and training
(Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). However, Ireland must also address additional critical compo-
nents required for its ongoing competitiveness (Thornton, 2014). For example, Irish policy mak-
ers must endeavor to enhance the business environment within which it requires MNCs and FDI
to thrive in an effort to maintain a position of competitive advantage as a trading nation with a
global mindset (Dorgan, 2006; Dweck, 2006; Thornton, 2014). Not surprisingly, this enhance-
ment falls in line with Ireland’s cost competitiveness with regard to its strategic interest to
provide ongoing support in pursuit of reduced business costs inclusive of labor, transportation,
utility, and property expenses (Thornton, 2014).
In addition, Ireland cannot forget the importance of creating a highly educated, young
workforce who possess the knowledge and skills required to thrive in jobs within the science,
engineering, and technology sectors (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009; Thornton, 2014). Pursuant
to this interest, Ireland created the Science Foundation Ireland, whose mission is to promote
scientific research and market sector innovation (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). When these
actions are engaged in with fidelity, Ireland will continue to be well positioned to sustain its
prominence in attracting FDI and MNCs into the country. Dorgan (2006) noted that
Ireland’s economic openness, combined with low taxes, pragmatism and ambition,
further investment in education, and a continuing eye to the future will be critical to
maintaining the momentum for success. Ireland’s experience shows that hard work and
good policy can bring rewards. (p. 13)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 49
If that is the case, then it can ostensibly be estimated that Ireland is poised to continue its creation
of a future where the outlook is bright.
MNCs and FDI
MNCs and FDI have played a substantial role in the development of Ireland’s export-led
growth economy for decades (Ruane & Grg, 1997b). Ireland’s deliberate efforts to address its
economic challenges by encouraging foreign companies to establish manufacturing plants within
the country is a fundamental variable that has led to the country’s economic growth and develop-
ment (Ruane & Grg, 1997b; Thornton, 2014). The nexus of Ireland’s accelerated industrializa-
tion and economic growth is rooted in the government’s decision to initiate an open economy
model, whose fundamental design is shaped to attract FDI (Gunnigle, Collings, & Morley, 2006).
With specificity, Ireland offered grants and preferred tax structures to corporations, ultimately
creating considerable success during the 1960s with high-volume, low-cost manufacturing
(Gunnigle et al., 2006). In the 1970s, Ireland moved into an economic model that emphasized
sectoral selectivity (Ruane & Grg, 1997). Subsectors in the electronics and pharmaceutical
industries were targeted as providing the greatest economic benefits for FDI, and the United
States was determined to be the nation that offered Ireland the most significant advantage with
regard to potential mutually beneficial projects (Ruane & Grg, 1997). It was during this time that
American firms such as Intel, Motorola, and Hewlett Packard began to seize the economic oppor-
tunity and benefits that Ireland’s industrial clusters offered to MNCs (Gunnigle et al., 2006;
Ruane & Grg, 1997).
At its fundamental economic core, policies that are deliberately developed and enacted to
attract FDI are based on the empirical notion that FDI brings original investment to the economy
that ultimately acts as a lever to increase personal income, national income, and employment
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 50
opportunities (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). Ireland has identified and developed key factors that
prove to be attractive to foreign investors including a highly skilled workforce, a preferential
corporate tax rate, a low inflation rate, and access to the EU and world markets (Thornton, 2014).
The flow of FDI into Ireland has led to the creation of an economic structure that has resulted in
increased employment opportunities over the past 2 decades (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). As a
result, Ireland now hosts more than 1,000 overseas companies that employ approximately
161,000 people (Thornton, 2014). The U.S. portion of these economic indicators is extremely
high. In fact, the United States is the single largest source of FDI in Ireland; its footprint extends
to more than 500 companies that employ over 100,000 people directly in Ireland (Thornton,
2014). However, Ireland must endeavor to remain vigilant with regard to its interest to provide a
cost-competitive economic environment within which MNCs can do business (Thornton, 2014).
Gunnigle et al. (2006) posited that Ireland’s economic prosperity hinges on the nation’s ability to
continue to successfully attract FDI and support the MNC sector and its export potential. Not
surprisingly, government policy and policy makers will continue to play a pivotal role in the
overall success or lack thereof when it comes to developing policy in support of MNCs and FDI
(Thornton, 2014). However, Ireland’s ability to enhance its credibility with a purpose of increas-
ing FDI cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the government and policy makers. This endeavor
must also be collectively owned and supported through the work and/or assistance of organiza-
tions including the IDA Ireland, Enterprise Ireland, and the Department of Enterprise and Trade
(Thornton, 2014).
Influence of Economics on Educational Policy
Ireland has continued to place strategic emphasis and reliance on the nation’s ability to
create a young well-educated workforce who can continue to play a pivotal role in the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 51
sustainability of FDI pursuits (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009). In 1960 the OECD drafted a
publication entitled Investment in Education that espoused the importance of an educated work-
force (as cited in FitzGerald, 2000). It was soon afterwards that Ireland’s education system
evolved and began to offer free second-level education opportunities to its children (FitzGerald,
2000). Over time, Ireland’s commitment to investing in education has led to increases in human
capital and the supply of skilled indigenous labor (FitzGerald, 2000). This effect continued to
take place during the 1980s at a gradual pace that ultimately led to the expansion of state-funded
higher education opportunities for students (Burnham, 2003). Student participation in third-level
education has continued to increase in a parallel manner to the expansion of state-funded educa-
tion opportunities afforded to Ireland’s students (Burnham, 2003; FitzGerald, 2000). However,
there was a concern that Ireland was educating young people who would then take this knowl-
edge and emigrate to other countries for their own benefit (Dorgan, 2006).
During the 1990s, Ireland made a national decision to place emphasis on science and
technology education and backed this national interest with the creation of Science Foundation
Ireland, which was modeled on the National Science Foundation in the United States (Dorgan,
2006). It was during the 1990s that not only did Ireland begin to see a decrease in emigration but
also the nation realized a net increase in population due to increased migration patterns into the
country as the economy and job opportunities improved (Burnham, 2003). The development of
strong skills-based educational opportunities and confidence about the high-quality education
that the younger generation has received has resulted in Ireland’s ability to attract important
knowledge-based FDI (Dorgan, 2006; Thornton, 2014). Furthermore, the removal of tuition fees
for third-level education has had a spiraling positive effect on the number of citizens who possess
third-level qualifications in Ireland (Thornton, 2014). At the same time, Ireland continues to
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 52
present ongoing recruiting and hiring challenges for science, engineering, and healthcare compa-
nies that require knowledge workers with specific skill sets commensurate with employment
opportunities (Thornton, 2014). For that reason, there continues to be a platform upon which
companies continue to exhort Ireland’s leaders and government to do something that will stem
this tide (Thornton, 2014). Undoubtedly, it remains clear that Ireland must continue to intention-
ally create high-functioning structures within its education system that provides students with the
requisite skills necessary to confidently and successfully keep pace with the future employment
needs of companies and the nation (Thornton, 2014).
Education in Ireland
Education Overview
Formalized education has always been a capstone of national intent and deemed to be of
high value in Ireland (Ireland Department of Education and Skills [DES], Communications Unit,
2004). During the 17th and 18th centuries, many citizens of Ireland had to emigrate abroad in
order to pursue opportunities for higher education due to the political and social landscapes that
shaped the nation during this time (Ireland Department of Education and Science, Communica-
tions Unit, 2004). When the national school system was established in 1831, Ireland already had
an extensive system of schools flourishing across its countryside (Ireland Department of Educa-
tion and Skills, Communications Unit, 2004; Donnelly, 2011). From the beginning of its exis-
tence, the national school system was interested in more than merely educating children; its core
intention was to offer an interconnected moral and literary educational experience to students
(Donnelly, 2011). However, it was clear that this endeavor was to be accomplished with com-
plete assurance that no deliberate interferences would occur with regard to the religious tenets of
any students (Donnelly, 2011). These historical and collective interdependent actions ignited a
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 53
series of deliberate decisions—continuing to this day—that Ireland has made with regard to the
education system in an effort to ensure that the nation can continue to produce a skilled, knowl-
edge workforce that will promote FDI, MNC acquisitions, and a sustained pattern of employment
opportunities (Burnham, 2003; Donnelly, 2011). To this end, the educational system in Ireland
functions under the premise that its intent is to provide equal opportunities for access and success
to all of the nation’s students (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014).
Current Education System in Ireland
First-level education. Children are immersed into a first-level education system from a
compulsory expectation at the age of 6 (Childs, 2001). However, most children begin their first-
level education at the age of 4 when they are enrolled into a junior or senior infants’ program that
is also a component of Ireland’s 8-year cycle (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). Goals
and objectives for first-level education are to immerse children in learning environments that are
rigorous and that empower children to live a life that allows them to realize their potential
(Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). Moreover, first-level education aims to begin to
develop self-awareness capital within children that will inform their understanding of the role
that they play in interdependent relationships with peers that will promote the overall benefit of
society (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). Students are exposed to a guaranteed and
viable curriculum during their first-level education that provides for a comprehensive learning
experience supported by teaching pedagogy that utilizes a differentiated instructional approach to
ensure that the diverse learning needs of all students are addressed (Ireland DES, Communica-
tions Unit, 2004). The curriculum is deliberately structured to emulate the educational, cultural,
social, and economic ambitions and interests of Irish society (Ireland DES, Communications
Unit, 2004). It is important to note that there is no primary or first-level Leaving Examination, or
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 54
any form of systematized national assessment protocols for children receiving a first-level
education (Childs, 2001).
Second-level education. Second-level educational objectives in Ireland include coherent
processes that scaffold learning from first-level education, with an emphasis placed upon a com-
prehensive, high-quality learning environment that will successfully prepare students for third-
level education or entry into careers and the workforce (Ireland DES, Communications Unit,
2004). Second-level education encompasses 5 years in total for students, with 3 of those years
being spent at the Junior Cycle and an additional 2- or 3-year exposure in the Senior Cycle. The
difference between a 2- and 3-year exposure is dependent upon a student’s desire to take advan-
tage of the optional Transition Year (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). Today, essen-
tially all schools now offer a Transition Year option that exists structurally between the Junior
and Senior Cycles and includes no formal course of study or requirement to take formal examina-
tions (Childs, 2001; Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). The objective of the Transition
Year, is to allow students to be immersed into a wide swath of experiences and opportunities
including, work experience, personal development, and social awareness and soft skills necessary
for life (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). At age 12, students transition into their
second-level educational experience, where they begin at the Junior Cycle that encompasses 3
years and culminates with students’ first exposure to a national exam that is taken by most
students at the age of 15—the Junior Certificate (Childs, 2001). The Senior Cycle commences
for most students at the age of 15 and continues through age 18. It is during the last 2 years of
second-level education that Senior Cycle students will be required to pursue one of three pro-
grams of study, each leading to a state examination (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004).
These examinations include the traditional Leaving Certificate, which is the fundamental
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 55
assessment used to measure the academic success potential for students interested in attending
universities, Institutes of Technology and colleges of education (Ireland DES, Communications
Unit, 2004). The Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme is also an option; this is a modifica-
tion of the traditional Leaving Certificate in that it places emphasis on technical subjects and
curricula necessary to support students with vocational interests (Childs, 2001; Ireland DES,
Communications Unit, 2004). Finally, students at the secondary level have the option of partici-
pating in the Leaving Certificate Applied Programme, which provides them with a 2-year course
of relevant studies that will prepare them for adulthood and occupations (Ireland DES, Commu-
nications Unit, 2004).
Third-level education. Admission into third-level education is evaluated on the basis of
the results that students obtain on the LCE (Childs, 2001). The quantitative measurement is
based on an aggregate score of national examinations, with more points being allocated to grades
in the Higher Level compared to the Ordinary Level (Childs, 2001). Students participating in
third-level education are exposed to a system that is comprised of a number of sectors including
university, technological schools, and colleges of education (Ireland DES, Communications Unit,
2004). The university sector in Ireland offers degree programs for students at seven universities,
14 Institutes of Technology, five teacher training colleges, and a variety of private institutions of
higher learning (Childs, 2001; Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). The technological
sector is directed by the DES, whose primary role is to provide third-level education options to
students interested in this area of study (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004). The depart-
ment is also responsible for fiscal oversight, policy review, and development actions that support
the technological sector (Ireland DES, Communications Unit, 2004).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 56
The last sector is comprised of the Colleges of Education, which specialize in the pro-
grammatic coursework and training opportunities required by first-level teachers (Ireland Depart-
ment of Education and Skills, Communications Unit, 2004). There are two academic pathway
options available to students in five Colleges of Education, including a 3-year Bachelor of Edu-
cation degree program and an 18-month Post Graduate Diploma track (Ireland DES, Communi-
cations Unit, 2004). Ultimately, it is the department’s goal and responsibility to ensure that the
Colleges of Education prepare highly skilled teachers who can fulfill the teaching demands
necessary to support students attending first-level schools (Ireland DES, Communications Unit,
2004). According to Childs (2001), Ireland experienced tremendous growth in the numbers of
students participating in the third-level education program; embedded in this growth has been a
measurable uptick in the numbers of degree courses being offered in information and computer
technology in an effort to meet the immediate demand from this sector of industry. These results
are encouraging given the weight that is being placed on Ireland to continue to develop and
support education programs that will create the number of knowledge workers necessary to fulfill
future employment requirements (Thornton, 2014).
Leadership
Bolman and Deal’s (2013) four-frame approach suggests that leaders display identifiable
leadership behaviors that can be defined by one of four different frameworks: structural, human
resource, political, or symbolic. This four-frame model advocates that leaders ultimately operate
in one of four distinguishable categories that ultimately are selected and engaged in when appro-
priate (Bolman & Deal, 2013). It is critical that leaders understand the importance of being
conscious of all four frames, because relying on any one of these in isolation would prove to be
too limiting when conducting a leadership behavior analysis (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Therefore,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 57
it is necessary for leaders to understand themselves and their proclivities with regard to a pre-
ferred approach, as this decision would inherently include limitations for leaders to operate
within (Bolman & Deal, 2013; McGowan & Miller, 2001).
Dynamic school leadership requires a principal who can successfully engage in leadership
and/or management behaviors when required to do so (Bolman & Deal, 2013). In fact, it is this
duality ownership of professional capital that will support leaders as they work collectively with
teachers to create a vision for a school’s non-negotiable operational coherence as well as the
leadership structures and resource allocation that will be necessary to inspire students to perform
at high levels of academic acumen (Bolman & Deal, 2013).
Management, at its core, is an endeavor that focuses on maintaining structures that
demonstrate operational efficiencies and consistency (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Managers believe
that operational strength is harnessed in maintaining a thought process embedded in core behav-
iors that are tested, proved, and undeniable (McGowan & Miller, 2001). It is this burning pro-
fessional desire to keep organizational workflow moving with favorable predictability that drives
the thinking and actions of managers (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Many facets of successfully
leading a school toward common goals and objectives requires this skill set, where momentum
and collective accomplishments occur due to development and conscious implementation of an
established set of mutually acceptable standard operating procedures and daily routines
(Marzano, McNulty, & Waters, 2005). Therefore, school leaders must use their management
skills to identify and select strategic tactics that are necessary to develop and use empowering
relationships with stakeholders (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Ultimately, it is these relationships
between leaders and members of the organization that will promote the development of social
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 58
capital required to maximize discretionary behaviors that support the leader and organization
(Northouse, 2015).
Effective leaders, on the other hand, understand how their actions can positively influence
coherence efforts within an organization and members of their team as they communicate and
work together (Bolman & Deal, 2013). They understand the importance of creating organiza-
tional structures that facilitate meaningful collective collaboration that is beneficial to both
teachers and their students (DuFour & DuFour, 2013). Successful pursuit of this organizational
goal requires inspiring and influential leadership actions that are courageous enough to actively
empower others and reflective enough to manage their own preexisting beliefs and actions so as
to magnify collective thoughts and actions in a meaningful way (Bolman & Deal, 1991, 2013;
Coburn, Tour, & Yamashita, 2009). It is this defined autonomy leadership structure that can
successfully empower principals and teachers to collectively work together as they define and
create progressive schools that can provide authentic, meaningful, and coherent learning environ-
ments for students who are deliberately driven by a keen sense of direction and professional
commitment (Bolman & Deal, 2013).
Therefore, it is imperative that school principals emphasize the necessity for stakeholders
at their schools to effectively communicate in both formal and informal settings; it is savvy lead-
ership actions such as this that will make it clear that principals are not a top-down governing
body of a single individual with all the answers who is working to make things happen (Bolman
& Deal, 2013). Instead, the leader partners with internal and external stakeholders as they work
together to create a dynamic organizational culture that values high standards and inspires people
around a shared vision (Bolman & Deal, 2013). This organizational culture should support their
defined shared beliefs and professional behaviors, ultimately creating high-quality relationships
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 59
that support core values (Northouse, 2015). Accomplishing this organizational outcome with
fidelity will require school leaders to possess the personal capital necessary to inspire their teams
to develop the internal self-efficacy and professional capital required to set the right goals and
engage in the right work to create dynamic learning opportunities for all students (DuFour &
DuFour, 2013; Hargreaves & Fullan, 2013). With this increase in collective skills and knowl-
edge, teachers and principals will be empowered to create schools that will engage students in
learning that is differentiated, academically rigorous, and driven by specific success criteria
(Childress, Elmore, & Grossman, 2006; Hattie, 2012).
Twenty-First-Century Skills
Twenty-first-century skills encompass a portfolio of requisite competencies that students
need in order to successfully participate in today’s knowledge society, including strong commu-
nication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, perseverance, and elevated problem-solving
capabilities (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller, 2011). Students who possess 21st-
century skills will benefit through improvement of their long-term ability to successfully engage
in job hunting efforts that will support their pursuit of sustainable employment options that
today’s global economies demand (Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Therefore, it is incumbent
that education systems create coherent knowledge delivery models capable of providing students
with the necessary information, knowledge, and efficacy that will facilitate their cognitive ability
to use information as both a source and product (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller,
2011). It is a deliberate synthesis of these inextricable talents that students must be able to
summon when engaging in intellectual effort that requires them to make decisions and to create
new and innovative ideas (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller, 2011). For Ireland,
creation of a coherent educational system that facilitates student acquisition of 21st-century skills
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 60
is an ongoing and targeted effort in which the country must engage; this effort will empower the
country to continue to produce students who possess the strong skills base that has and will
continue to be a key driver in the ongoing economic growth of the country (Thornton, 2014).
Skills that scaffold those that are needed in the 21st century have some differences with
regard to interpretation or category, but there are also many commonalities (Beers, 2011). Edu-
cational systems must provide students with learning opportunities that are buttressed by the
utilization of real-world problems and questions that require real-world applications developed
through creativity and innovation processes that strive to elicit new ways of thinking that will
foster new solutions that support creations of innovative products and services (Beers, 2011;
Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Ultimately, it is the expression of diverse viewpoints among
learners that will foster creation of innovative theories that can address the most effective ways to
solve complex problems (Beers, 2011; Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Interpersonal communica-
tion skill sets must be developed by students who intend to thrive in the 21st-century economy
(Ananiadou & Claro, 2009). It is important that students understand that they are members of a
diverse and broad community with thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships that not only
provide voice but also inherently demand a sense of responsibility to others (Ananiadou & Claro,
2009; Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). It is this interdependent responsibility to one another that
students must respect in order to enlist the collaboration skills necessary to work with others
effectively when using and sharing co-developed knowledge, solutions, and innovations (Beers,
2011; Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Information management and the effective use of technol-
ogy must also be 21st-century skill areas where students can use embedded acumen to organize
information in a variety of ways to understand, evaluate, and distribute information more effec-
tively to others (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Beers, 2011). Collectively, these 21st-century skills,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 61
once learned and embedded with efficacy, will provide students with the necessary skill sets
required to be self-directed, independent learners who take responsibility for their work product
and the role that it plays in a digital citizen partnership with the work of others (Ananiadou &
Claro, 2009; Beers, 2011).
STEM and PBL
In an effort to ensure that the nation possesses the knowledge workers necessary to
continue to drive economic prosperity through FDI and MNCs, Ireland must provide a high-
quality STEM education that spurs innovation and provides the human capital foundation
required for ongoing future prosperity (Gunnigle et al., 2006; IOP, 2016). Beers (2011) posited
that there is a symbiotic connection between 21st-century skills and STEM education. Specifi-
cally, students must be immersed in a STEM curriculum through navigation of real-life problems
that offer PBL opportunities that require and encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaboration
and interdependent communication, and problem solving (Beers, 2011).
However, Ireland is not pursuing this endeavor alone. Since the launch of the first
Russian spacecraft, nations have had a collective understanding that an integrated education
emphasizing that science, technology, and math would be a necessity to keep pace with other
nations (Ritz & Fan, 2015). Ritz and Fan (2015) postulated that there are a couple reasons for
this evolution in mandatory learning: a nation’s economic aspirations to remain or evolve into a
globalized leader or concerning student achievement outcomes in STEM subjects as measured by
state and national assessment instruments. Meta research has established that integrative STEM
education that facilitates knowledge acquisition through direct interaction of teachers and
students promotes engaging learning opportunities through connections made among and
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 62
between science, mathematics, and technology education and other facets of core curriculum
(Sanders, 2008).
Collectively, these efforts are pursued in a coordinated pattern of political and economic
decisions that provide the impetus for education reform efforts such as STEM and PBL (Ritz &
Fan, 2015). It is important for students to develop and embed broad knowledge sets that they can
access not only to facilitate the knowledge work required by high-stakes tests but also to develop
the cognitive capacity to be critical thinkers who confidently navigate the strengths and limita-
tions of their thinking (Capraro & Slough, 2013). Capraro and Slough (2013) contended that
STEM PBL and occupational success are interdependent and that acumen is constructively
developed in an integrated manner across all subjects. As such, an undeniable benefit of STEM
and PBL is the integration of authentic, real-world tasks that are driven by learning goals and
teacher-driven expectations for the task or product to be constructed (Capraro & Slough, 2013).
Specifically, STEM PBL engages students in integrated learning experiences that are essential in
the current standards-based educational model that must adhered to, while simultaneously con-
necting K-12 and higher education and addressing future workplace needs required to drive
Ireland’s economic competitiveness (Capraro & Slough, 2013; Gunnigle et al., 2006). Slough
and Milam (2013) recommended four fundamental criteria as a framework for facilitating STEM
PBL: (a) making content accessible, (b) making things visible, (c) helping students to learn from
others, and (d) promoting autonomy and lifelong learning.
Ultimately, Ireland must endeavor to produce a highly functioning 21st-century work-
force with the specialized skills required to better understand STEM subjects as a result of their
honed skills in the areas of teamwork, communication, problem solving, innovation, and collabo-
ration in order to develop the specialized literacy required by many 21st-century citizens,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 63
workers, and—most importantly—foreign firms (Ritz & Fan, 2015; Thornton, 2014). Ireland’s
Vision for STEM Education (as cited in IOP, 2016) states the nation’s objectives best: “Our
vision is to provide students in Ireland with a STEM education experience of the highest interna-
tional quality; this provision should underpin high levels of student engagement, enjoyment, and
excellent performance in STEM disciplines” (p. 13).
Gender Equity
The perpetuation of women’s subordination to men and how it can and should evolve are
platforms for reform that should ignite efforts to articulate answers about these realities (Acker,
1987). According to Acker (1987), feminist theoretical frameworks endeavor to understand the
tacit reality of women’s subordination to men. Gender inequality and guides to action as a means
of mitigating this existence are buttressed by feminist theories, whether liberal, socialist, or
radical, that may provide a framework for new thoughts and beliefs about social change. Liberal
feminists are deliberate with regard to their intentions to remove barriers, such as sex stereotyp-
ing and discrimination, to secure equal educational opportunities for girls. Some of these educa-
tional opportunities include an analysis of a school’s organizational structure, curriculum con-
tent, and the self-efficacy of girls enrolled in science and technology courses to determine
whether stereotyping is inherent. The socialist-feminist perspective concerns itself with gender
divisions reproduced in educational settings. Socialist-feminist work in education can most aptly
be articulated into three main points of emphasis: theoretical arguments, historical research, and
policy analysis. Radical feminists’ work falls outside the scope of work done by liberal and
socialist feminists in that radical feminists have made few attempts to find an intertwined rela-
tionship among school life, the economy and family structures. Radical feminists have worked
hard to ensure that sexuality remains a topic for discussion as it pertains to girls’ complaints,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 64
exposure to curriculum, and school success measures compared to boys. Feminist theoretical
writing maintains a pragmatic lens with regard to remaining constructively germane despite
obvious tensions about education reform for girls, and it is this tension that serves as a vehicle for
generating potential solutions that ultimately facilitate feminist theory progress (Acker, 1987).
The vast and positive impact that globalization efforts, government policy, FDI, and
MNCs have created in Ireland has been tremendous (Thornton, 2014). Deliberate decisions have
been made by Ireland’s leaders to create economic operating norms within the country that have
resulted in innovative career opportunities for Irish residents (Thornton, 2014). These new career
pathways are intricately embedded within the structural foundations that delineate the knowledge
workers who are necessary to support Ireland’s information, technology, and pharmaceutical
industries respectively (Lane & Ruane, 2006; Turner & D’Art, 2008). However, amidst this
economic growth, an alarming trend has also become critically apparent—the gross underrepre-
sentation of females who pursue and hold careers in these vital industries (Adya & Kaiser, 2005;
Turner & D’Art, 2008). Much of this underrepresentation can be linked to deficiencies encum-
bered in the number of females who choose fields of academic study that inherently will provide
potential pathways to careers within the nation’s technological sector (Clancy, 1996).
However, in order to truly understand how this gap is created, it is necessary to under-
stand the early influences of career choice that have been experienced by girls (Adya & Kaiser,
2005). Adya and Kaiser (2005) posited that there are both social and structural forces that can
influence an individual’s career choices positively or negatively. Specifically, gender stereotyp-
ing by parents, teachers, peers, and counselors can influence the self-efficacy that girls possess
with regard to their skills, interests, and/or career option possibilities. One indicator that brings
clarity to this dilemma is the gross underrepresentation of female entrepreneurs in Ireland—a
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 65
situation that currently places the nation at the bottom of the list when compared to other global-
ized countries in Europe (O’Gorman & Terjesen, 2006). Another indicator is the dip that is
represented in girls who pursue science courses, where data indicate a higher percentage who
take biology (Childs, 2001). However, a paradox becomes noticeable when the percentage of
girls who take physics is measured (Childs, 2001). The bottom line is that girls in Ireland are
enrolling in higher level science courses at percentage rates that are markedly lower than boys
(Childs, 2001).
On the other hand, there is a promising trend occurring in Ireland that facilitates the
expansion efforts of higher education. Quite simply, more students are applying, being accepted.
and attending universities and Institutes of Technology (McCoy & Smyth, 2011). Ultimately, it
will be imperative that Ireland’s educational system empower girls to successfully navigate the
nuances of role model identification, peer group pressure, and gender stereotypes by providing
engaging and exciting real-world educational experiences that will influence and inspire them to
pursue careers in technology (Adya & Kaiser, 2005). Therefore, it is important that educators
and the educational system in Ireland at all levels, align their collective interests and reshape
instructional non-negotiables so that all students including girls are prepared to compete and
succeed in a world that requires citizens to possess 21st-century skills to thrive (Larson & Miller,
2011).
Science Competitions
It is difficult to determine the specific nature or identifiable characteristics of interest; but
when it comes to an early interest in science, research has shown that some variables may include
self-intrinsic motivation, educational experiences such as science competitions, and influence or
inspiration received from a family member (Maltese & Tai, 2010). Maltese and Tai (2010)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 66
contended that women and men exhibited equal levels of early interest as a motivating factor that
fostered an intrigue for science. Fostering an early interest in science may be the key to authenti-
cally engage young children in the investigation and discovery possibilities that are available for
them to explore in this curriculum content (Maltese & Tai, 2010). Accomplishing this goal will
require educators to be cognizant of the variety of content and meaningful inquiry-based experi-
ences in which they engage students during the study of science, and student participation in
science fairs is one enriching way to accomplish this (Maltese & Tai, 2010; McComas, 2011).
Identifying the specific time or event that marked the true beginning of science fairs and
their capability to provide engaging academic extension and enrichment opportunities for
students is virtually impossible (McComas, 2011). However, one thing is clear: that science fairs
have become an annual rite of passage for many young students (McComas, 2011). The tradi-
tional science fair can most clearly be dated as far back as 1928, when the American Institute of
New York City hosted its inaugural event (McComas, 2011). This event had a heritage of pro-
viding the populace with public expositions of science and technological innovations (Bellipanni
& Lilly, 1999). In 1928, the American Institute began to evolve as its focus shifted from exposi-
tions highlighting industrial innovations into science fairs with a primary emphasis on children
and encouragement of their interest in science (Bellipanni & Lilly, 1999). Local, district, re-
gional, and state competitions flourished over time as a result of this watershed science fair in
1928, ultimately resulting in the first national science fair that took place in Philadelphia in 1950
(McComas, 2011). The national science fair was an undeniable success and continued to flourish
throughout the 1950s, resulting in the exponential creation of various science clubs and science
fairs in which students could participate (Bellipanni & Lilly, 1999; McComas, 2011). Subse-
quently, its scope broadened to a point when it eventually became known as the Intel
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 67
International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which held its inaugural event in 1968 when
it hosted 208 finalists from science fairs from all over the world (Bellipanni & Lilly, 1999;
McComas, 2011).
However, more recently, data have suggested that science fair participation and support
have begun to taper off (McComas, 2011). It is difficult to elucidate why this phenomenon is
occurring, but generally it seems that teachers may be hesitant to participate in science fair or
science club efforts due to the increased course workload and lack of reward associated with
these professional endeavors (McComas, 2011). This situation is alarming because international
statistics on student proficiency in math and science (e.g., Trends in International Mathematics
and Science Study [TIMMS] and Program for International Student Assessment [PISA]) have
indicated that the next generation of students may not be prepared to successfully participate in
the knowledge economy in which they are growing up (Drudy, 2009; Sahin, 2013). This factor is
particularly concerning when one further considers research conducted by Sahin (2013), who
contended that “students who attended STEM courses and after school science clubs had a higher
percentage of post-secondary matriculation into STEM majors than the national average” (p. 8).
Ultimately, it is critical that educators and educational systems promote and encourage student
participation in science fair activities as a non-negotiable component of their science educational
experience in order to develop interests, processing skills, and literal content knowledge (Aber-
nathy & Vineyard, 2001).
The key in helping students plan early for careers in science is to begin this effort with
vigor when students are still in elementary school (Tai, Qi Liu, Maltese, & Fan, 2006). Science
exposure at this stage in a student’s education should focus on encouragement and creation of
authentic interests that students will develop as a result of being immersed in inquiry-based
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 68
projects of their choosing. Science fairs are an inspiring way to accomplish this goal (McComas,
2011; Tai et al., 2006).
Chapter Summary
The review of literature in this chapter has explored the historical and political decisions
in which Ireland has engaged to create economic conditions, government policies, and an educa-
tion system that are deliberate, contributing factors that stimulate FDI and MNC growth in the
global economy being experiencing today. These collective efforts have been orchestrated in an
effort to ensure that Ireland does not become complacent, but instead is nimble and responsive
with respect to constant reflection of their policies and vision that promote MNCs and FDI
interests (Buckley & Ruane, 2006). Accomplishing this aim with fidelity will help to insulate
Ireland from an emigration recurrence of knowledge workers who in the past have felt compelled
to leave their nation’s shores in search of more lucrative and available job opportunities (Dorgan,
2006).
One path that Ireland must take to sustain its position as an integral member of the global-
ized world is to continue to ensure that the education system is world class and is providing
students with the 21st-century skills and competencies necessary to become thriving workers and
citizens in their national economy (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Thornton, 2014). If the recent
past is used as a predictor of the future, Ireland’s commitment to ongoing and deliberate invest-
ment in and expectations from its educational system will provide students with real-world
learning experiences that are inexorable and necessary to support globalized economic sustain-
ability models required for the nation’s current and future successes (Beers, 2011; Dorgan, 2006).
The creation of an education system that immerses students into problem-based STEM
educational environments that require them to utilize 21st-century skills, including
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 69
communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, is mandatory if Ireland wants to
sustain its economic growth interests within the EU and beyond (Beers, 2011; Wickham &
Boucher, 2004). Doing this means that multiple stakeholders within the educational, political,
and business sectors must endeavor to collectively work together to create STEM education
opportunities that will help Ireland’s students to better understand the world around them (IOP,
2016).
Ultimately, it will be this collective commitment to investment and early action that will
ensure that Ireland’s educational system is developing graduates whose knowledge work output
will support the nation’s economic sustainability and growth interests for generations to come
(IOP, 2016). Accomplishing this goal with fidelity will require courage and commitment to
pursuing the unknown at times, because it is virtually impossible to prognosticate emerging
career opportunities 20 or 30 years from now (Duffy, 2016). However, what is known is that
students who are immersed in meaningful, project-based work requiring intellect capital in the
core subjects of STEM will be considered best prepared to meet the professional demands that
are required in Ireland’s knowledge economy (Beers, 2011; Duffy, 2016).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 70
Chapter Three: Research Methodology
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of globalization and MNCs on
educational policy as well as the curriculum and instructional practices in schools. The influence
and evolution of the Celtic Tiger were the offshoot of Irish governmental policies whose struc-
ture was embedded in favorable tax laws and the repatriation of profits for corporations (Riain,
2000). Ireland proactively identified and created business operating structures that moved away
from protectionist measures that had defined the country and turned to a state infrastructure
whose operating framework was to attract FDI (Riain, 2000). The emergence of Ireland’s high-
tech sector placed emphasis on human resource recruitment and hiring activities within the
software industry (Riain, 2000). These personnel practices ultimately had a pernicious effect on
the inventory of the local supply of knowledge workers (Riain, 2000). To address this knowl-
edge worker gap, the Irish government is committed to reframe the educational system by placing
more emphasis on technical education and development of students who possess 21st-century
skills and who will ultimately attend colleges that have reinvented themselves as a result of their
focus on technical and scientific education opportunities linked to industry (Riain, 2000). The
present study utilized qualitative and quantitative research methods in the Irish educational
setting to study how science and technology competitions, such as SciFest, influence the use of
inquiry-based classroom instruction that provides students with essential knowledge that they
must possess to prepare them to thrive as contributing STEM knowledge workers in a 21st-
century global economy.
Research questions “guide the inquiry in that they explain specifically what your study
will attempt to learn or understand” (Maxwell, 2013, p. 77). This study is designed to focus on
the research questions by employing both qualitative and quantitative data, analyzing the data
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 71
independently, and comparing the results to determine whether the findings confirm or discon-
firm one another (Creswell, 2014). The researcher collected data from teachers, students, prin-
cipals, and other stakeholders who were directly involved in the teaching and learning process, as
well as business and governmental participants. By employing the researcher as the essential
instrument in data collection and analysis, an inductive investigation was conducted to collect a
valuable description of the events and actors in the setting (Merriam, 2009). The subject
addressed in the research questions was discovering potential solutions to problems and filling in
identified gaps in academic knowledge while delving into the connection among and between
MNCs and STEM education, PBL, and science fairs (Creswell, 2014; Maxwell, 2013). Four
research questions were developed to conduct this study:
1. How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students for the LCE?
2. How does school leadership influence participation in SciFest?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level stem courses?
4. What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/uni-
versity professors and MNCs have regarding the value of student participation in SciFest?
This chapter describes how the research questions were addressed through a description
of all salient aspects of the research design including settings; participant sample; and various
methods of data collection and necessary instruments that were selected, developed, and utilized
to facilitate the data collection and analysis process. The first section provides a rationale for the
use of qualitative and quantitative approaches and presents a description of the University of
Southern California’s (USC) research team participants who were assembled to conduct the
study in a coherent and interdependent model of collaborative leadership (Fullan & Quinn,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 72
2015). The second section identifies the sample population and describes the participant selec-
tion process employed. The third section defines the instrumentation and protocols that were
applied to execute the interviews, observations, and surveys. The fourth section outlines the
germane data collection process and subsequent analysis. The final section of this chapter
addresses ethical considerations of the research process and provides a synopsis of the USC
Institutional Review Board’s (IRB) process and observance of the USC guidelines by the
research team.
Research Design
Qualitative research is a process by which individuals or groups seek to explore and
understand meaning that is attributed to a social or human problem (Creswell, 2014). The
research effort involves “emerging questions and procedures; collecting data in the participants’
setting; analyzing the data inductively, building from particulars to general themes; and making
interpretations of the meaning of the data” (Creswell, 2014, pp. 246–247). The inductive devel-
opment of contextualized meaning by the researcher will be achieved by conducting requisite
observations and data collection efforts of events that occur in natural settings and interviews
with individuals who contextualize their feelings and personal observations or opinions, as well
as an assiduous review of documents and artifacts from a setting or organization (Creswell, 2014;
Merriam, 2009; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Qualitative data collection and analysis of procured
data ultimately facilitated a coherent understanding of processes, events, cultures and social
dynamics necessary to address the research questions.
Qualitative research and its methods are empirical and derived from a common assump-
tion that the research is inquiring into or investigating something in a methodical manner
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Effective qualitative research, as described by Merriam and Tisdell
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 73
(2016), is interpretive and does not impart a clear meaning. However, effective qualitative
research should be “emergent and flexible, responsive to the changing conditions of the study in
progress” (Merriam, 2009, p. 16). Study designs for use in qualitative research cannot be overly
construed or scripted. Settings that are identified and selected for research purposes must be
authentic, complex social networks, as this procedure will facilitate a planned research design
with the inherent flexibility to obtain the variant nature of collective activity within the study
parameters.
However, a qualitative approach was not the sole research design that was utilized for this
study. The research team also chose to address the specific research questions by using a blended
or mixed-method structure of qualitative and, to a lesser degree, quantitative research design
approaches. Quantitative research is a design that allows a researcher to test objective theories by
studying and determining relationships amongst variables (Creswell, 2014). Quantitative
research involves the systematic, empirical investigation of setting phenomena through employ-
ing statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques (Creswell, 2014) and was employed in
this study through utilization of survey instruments. Data collection efforts were buttressed by
these surveys and empowered the researcher to accumulate copious amounts of information in a
structured format that produced a plethora of data to address the research questions (Creswell,
2014). Data collected through utilization of survey instruments were integrated cooperatively
with qualitative data to elucidate a complete framework of Irish 21st-century skill development,
science and technology fairs, and the inclusion of STEM curricula necessary to facilitate the
connection required among education, skills, and the economy in Ireland (Wickham & Bruff,
2008). Participant groups including school leaders, teachers, students, policy makers, and
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 74
political and business leaders were identified and subsequently selected as key stakeholders with
whom to connect if they were deemed to be critical to the study in Ireland.
Data that were generated during interview processes were coded using the following
categories: the process and meaning of SciFest, the influence of MNCs and globalization, gender
equity and STEM curriculum, and career choices. The primary use of qualitative research
methods and, to a lesser extent, a quantitative research methods approach, advanced this
researcher’s efforts as he focused on the research questions based on substantive data procured
from participants within societal contexts, thus elucidating understanding of the connotations and
mechanisms of another nation (Creswell, 2014).
An isolated primary methodology was not conducive for conducting this study. On the
contrary, a considerable number of qualitative approaches were utilized, including ethnography,
case studies, narrative research, grounded theory, and phenomenological research (Maxwell,
2013). These interactive approaches have been acknowledged as strategies of inquiry that
contribute structure to the type of research design (Creswell, 2014; Glesne, 2011). Case study
methodologies were employed to determine how Ireland’s educational system has been trans-
formed. Merriam (2009) defined a case study as “an in-depth description and analysis of a
bounded system” (p. 40) that can be engaged to help to examine and understand it. Using this
approach, the researcher may then place explicit emphasis on the problem and mitigated outside
variables that could modify the objective of the study. Merriam identified three necessary com-
ponents of a case study: particularistic, descriptive and heuristic. A particularistic study places
emphasis on a particular situation. The case study approach is important because it enables the
researcher to analyze data that are derived from interviews, field observations, and documents to
provide an understanding of the case (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). A case study that uses rich
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 75
description to convey findings can facilitate the ability to transport readers to the setting and,
through shared experiences, provide a story of the phenomenon of the study as it has transpired
over time (Creswell, 2014). The use of thick, detailed descriptions of the setting can generate
many divergent perspectives about a theme including holistic, lifelike, grounded, and exploratory
accounts that reveal the researcher’s insights and interpretation of the data as they relate to the
case study (Creswell, 2014; Glesne, 2011; Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Heuristic inquiry enables
the researcher to include an interpretation of his own understanding as part of the data and further
provides understanding and insight into why situations are the way they are (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). The result will ultimately be a qualitative study with limited utilization of quantitative
research methodology—a study that is appreciated for its capacity to identify and secure a depth
of comprehensible content and the overriding rationale behind the data that were acquired.
Merriam (2009) posited that there are three types of case studies: historical and observa-
tional, intrinsic and instrumental, and multisite. A multisite approach was selected for the
purpose of this study and facilitated the researcher’s ability to reflect on or study more than one
case simultaneously. The multisite approach is lauded due to the fact that its structure can
strengthen the external validity of the research findings (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016); however, it is
also important to note that the multisite approach can create research effort realities that are
cumbersome to manage (Merriam, 2009).
Triangulation was used to validate data that will be collected through cross-verification
from multiple sources of information including interviews, observations, and surveys that were
administered by members of the research team (Creswell, 2014). Once pertinent data were vetted
through the triangulation process, themes emerged and ultimately became established based on
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 76
the convergence of a variety of independent sources of data and authentic participant perspectives
(Patton, 2002).
A conceptual framework is principally a concept or model of what exists that the
researcher plans to study; what is transpiring within these conditions; and how the framework
supports the work of the researcher in identifying similarities among assumptions, beliefs, and
theories that buttress and inform the research (Maxwell, 2013). The research team approached its
work within the study through utilization of the following frameworks in a cogent manner: (a)
Friedman’s (2007) framework of globalization; (b) Spring’s (2015) theoretical perspectives on
global forces and its intersection with education; (c) Wagner’s (2014) description of seven sur-
vival skills that students need to become the knowledge workers required for the 21st century; (d)
Bolman and Deal’s (1991) four-frame approach that suggests that leaders display behaviors in
one of four types of frameworks: structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames; (e)
Acker’s (1987) feminist theory; and (f) Slough and Milam’s (2013) framework on STEM and
PBL.
This study placed emphasis and focus upon distinct phenomena identified in another
country; therefore, it was bounded by the borders, schools, and classrooms that were visited
(Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Smith (1978) described a bounded system as “a single entity, a unit
around which there are boundaries. You can ‘fence in’ what you are going to study” (as cited in
Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 38). Therefore, the research team made the determination that the
best research design method would be a qualitative case study because the study was fundamen-
tally bounded by a finite amount of time that the team spent in Ireland. The decision to focus on
qualitative studies stemmed from the fact that this design was chosen precisely because the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 77
researchers were interested in insight, discovery, and interpretation rather than hypothesis testing
(Merriam, 2009).
An inductive process was employed so that the researchers could cooperatively compile
data to develop concepts, hypotheses, and theories based on observations and intuitive under-
standings extracted from conducting field work (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Research data were
collected and analyzed, with particular emphasis placed upon the researcher’s bias in order to
make certain that this variable would remain in context so that its impact would be diminished in
the conclusions that were developed for the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). The research team
investigated the influence that science and technology fairs such as SciFest have upon the use of
project-based instructional strategies, STEM content, and 21st-century learning skills by teachers
who are working with students in Irish classrooms. The researcher used data compiled during the
study to inform educational leaders in Ireland, with strategic emphasis placed on the improve-
ment of educational policies, leadership actions, and pedagogical strategies in the country.
Research Team
A group of 13 doctoral students who attended the USC Rosier School of Education filled
slots as researchers for this interdependent team. All research team participants were conducting
their research under the direction of Dr. Michael Escalante. All members of the research team
were integral to the collaborative efforts and, as such, made collective professional commitments
to meet weekly so that necessary tasks could be identified, scheduled, and disseminated to the
individual(s) responsible for completing requisite tasks. Research team members, under the
direction of Dr. Escalante, engaged in collaborative work efforts that included an extensive
review of existing literature, establishment of research questions that facilitated the research by
providing focus to the team, and determination of conceptual frameworks that buttressed the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 78
study. These deliberate actions provided the research team with rich data and knowledge that
were required to understand the impact that globalization and inquiry-based instructional strate-
gies in STEM education and SciFest have had on student educational experiences in Ireland.
From this thematic group approach to constructing the dissertations, similarities may
present themselves among the final dissertations that were ultimately completed by this research
team cohort. Moreover, many of the protocols utilized were built upon and leveraged from the
2016 USC Executive Cohort that conducted similar research in Ireland. However, the conclu-
sions drawn from the data collected were independent of the team and unique to each individual
researcher.
Population and Sample
Participants for this mixed-method study included Irish educators, students, political
leaders, policy makers, and business and industry leaders of MNCs within Dublin and its greater
vicinity who possessed an interest in the future of Ireland’s educational system and knowledge
workers. The participants and sites that were used in the study were purposefully selected due to
the research team’s belief that these decisions would facilitate the ability to understand the
research problem and research questions (Creswell, 2014). To ensure a multifaceted and neces-
sary understanding of the influence that education initiatives including STEM, PBL, and 21st-
century learning create and their interconnectedness with globalization and MNCs, it was para-
mount that a participant selection process was employed to place emphasis on the knowledge and
experience that participants possessed in these areas (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Throughout fall and spring of 2017–2018, cohort members of the research team partici-
pated in monthly communication sessions with Dr. Sheila Porter, founder and chief executive
officer (CEO) of the SciFest Project, and with George Porter, chief financial officer (CFO) of
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 79
SciFest. This collaborative communication model empowered the research team to develop the
interpersonal relationships required to facilitate the purposeful selection of site-level contacts in
school leadership positions who could streamline the team’s efforts as the members attempted to
gain access to participants for this study (Creswell, 2014). Subsequently, the team worked with
these primary contacts to generate an interview participant list that would assure participation
from educators, business and industry executives, and government officials.
This researcher’s assigned research site was Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS; a
pseudonym). CCSS is a school for girls located in a small, largely residential suburb on the north
side of Dublin. The school was founded in 1967 by the Faith Sisters. CCSS is managed by a
group of stakeholders including parent, teacher, and Faith Sisters representatives who comprise a
Board of Management. CCSS’s 2017–2018 Improvement Plan clearly articulates the shared
belief that strong instructional practices, formative assessment instruments, active learning,
collaboration, and student well-being are benchmarks for a strong educational experience for
students attending the school. However, it is surprising that science and/or science education is
not mentioned explicitly in any portion of CCSS’s Improvement Plan. In fact, student participa-
tion in science coursework at CCSS is optional. This is a facet of student scheduling that the
researcher intends to review to determine student participation in science classes including
biology, chemistry, and physics.
Educators and Students
Cohort members of the research team and the dissertation chair, Dr. Michael Escalante,
traveled to Ireland in April of 2018 to gather the data necessary to conduct this mixed-methods
study. Team members interviewed and surveyed teachers, principals, parents, students, civic
leaders, college/university professors, and business executives employed by MNCs. Participants
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 80
were purposefully selected to ensure that they possessed the appropriate knowledge necessary to
provide data necessary to address the study’s research questions (Merriam, 2009). Additionally,
instructional walkthroughs will be conducted in classrooms at assigned schools in Dublin and its
greater vicinity and at a SciFest science and technology fair at the Cork Institute of Technology to
provided data that addressed the study’s research questions on the influence of school leadership,
female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-level and third level STEM courses, and global-
ization and inquiry-based instructional strategies in STEM and PBL.
SciFest was identified and ultimately selected as an instrumental event for the study due
to its high level of undeniable influence and value in the international community and its promi-
nent role in Ireland’s second-level education landscape. SciFest’s vision defines this formidable
commitment as follows:
Every second level student has an opportunity to participate in a STEM fair, irrespective
of their ability, background or circumstances, empowering them to lead a fulfilling
personal life as a citizen in an increasingly technological society while contributing to the
creation of a strong 21st century Ireland. (SciFest, 2018, SciFest’s Vision section, para. 1)
Teachers, principals, and students who were actively participating in a SciFest competition were
identified, interviewed, and subsequently surveyed. The research team interviewed the founder,
CEO, and CFO of SciFest in an attempt to elucidate their individual and collective goals and
objectives. At assigned school sites, teachers, and principals were surveyed and observed in an
attempt to gather all data necessary to address the research questions.
Business and Industry Leaders
During their visit to Ireland, research team members systematically interviewed and
surveyed purposefully selected business executives who were employed or affiliated with MNCs
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 81
(Creswell, 2014). These business and industry leaders, who were identified by the team’s educa-
tional contacts in Ireland, had proactively made strides toward positively influencing Irish educa-
tional policy as it pertains to the need for producing more highly qualified knowledge workers
who possess 21st-century skills that are prized by employers (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). Each
participant provided a unique perspective that facilitated the research team’s ability to discern the
interconnected relationship between students who participate in SciFest and STEM education
and the MNCs that ultimately recruit and hire them.
Political Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Political leaders and educational policy makers in Ireland undoubtedly exude influence
on the country’s educational system and direction for specific growth area emphasis (Donnelly,
2011). Fortunately, many of these influential leaders are also steadfast proponents of the SciFest
project. In an effort to analyze and embed a firm understanding of Ireland’s educational policy
and its perceived impact on the education that students receive, members of the research team
interviewed the Lord Mayor of Dublin to learn his perspectives and recommendations on current
educational progress and the future political direction that may impact educational outcomes and
learning initiatives for schools and students in Ireland (see Appendix A). The research team
hoped that the perspectives and recommendations shared would provide authentic opportunities
for ongoing systemic improvement efforts of Ireland’s educational system from a political or
policy making perspective.
Instrumentation
This research study was conducted using a predominantly qualitative approach requiring
the researchers to serve as the primary instruments for gathering necessary data. Deliberate
efforts were made by the researchers to the compile necessary data to allow for the inductive
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 82
investigation to generate viable perspectives regarding the impact of globalization, leadership,
and SciFest on schools in Ireland (Creswell, 2014). The instrumentation and protocols that were
developed by the team were comprised of six interview protocols, two observational protocols,
and four survey protocols, all of which included essential and critical questions to support the
researchers’ efforts to conduct the interviews, focus the observations, and validate the survey
questions. Subsequent data that were collected from these mixed methods served as a check on
one another and allowed for the triangulation of data so as to reduce researcher bias and produce
a more accurate interpretation of the data (Kurpius & Stafford, 2005; Maxwell, 2013).
The primary instrument selected for the research team’s data collection was the interview
protocol, which supported the researchers’ ability to effectively gather information from teachers,
principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/university professors, and MNCs. All mem-
bers of the research team worked in a collaborative fashion to develop the research instrument
protocols. In the fall and spring of 2017–2018, researchers met regularly to develop interview
protocols that comprised interview questions decided upon prior to their departure in April of
2018. All members of the research team utilized their interdependent thinking and worked to
develop an agreed-upon survey protocol, including survey questions, during the same period of
time. Data that were ultimately be gathered from the interview and survey efforts were subse-
quently compared and cross-checked or triangulated (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016) through the
implementation of an observation protocol that was also developed in the spring of 2018.
All observation, interview, and survey protocols incorporated empirical questions that
promoted the research team members’ ability to conduct the interviews, focus the observations,
and validate the aligned survey questions (Creswell, 2014). Collectively, these instruments
empowered members of the research team as they sought to understand the influence of
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 83
globalization and MNCs on educational policy in the areas of STEM and the development of
21st-century skills that are required for knowledge workers who will fill positions in biomedical
and technology corporations (Creswell, 2014). All protocols were evaluated and reviewed by
officials in SciFest prior to the research team’s departure to Ireland to ensure that items were
drafted in a manner that would be comprehensible to citizens of Ireland. During this interdepen-
dent process, it was recommended that the term PBL be amended to IBL and that the term 21st-
century skills be defined for study participants. The protocols addressed how SciFest has influ-
enced success on the Leaving Exam, school leadership, female participation in science and
technology fairs, female students’ interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses, and the
development of 21st-century skills needed in a global economy.
Questions that were embedded in all interview protocols were coherently aligned to the
study’s research questions and theoretical frameworks. The interviews, observations, and
surveys that were conducted helped the research team to ensure that collected data would be sub-
mitted to an investigator triangulation process that “occurs when there are multiple investigators
collecting and analyzing data” (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016, p. 245). These methods provided
support to the researcher as he endeavored to understand how globalization and science and
technology fairs such as SciFest have influenced curriculum and instruction in Ireland’s class-
rooms through teachers’ deliberate integration of inquiry-based lessons and instructional strate-
gies in STEM. All research instruments were submitted to the USC IRB for review and approval
in the spring of 2018; subsequently, the IRB permitted the research team to perform an exempt
study on human participants in a country other than the United States (IRB Approval #UP-18-
00119).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 84
Interview Protocols
A semistructured approach was used to develop the interview protocols, and each proto-
col incorporated Patton’s (2002) justification for using a recording device. The ultimate goal of
the interview protocol questions was to guide the interview in a manner that would provide the
researcher with rich, thick data (Merriam, 2009; Patton, 2002). Interview protocols were pur-
posefully constructed to address each sample group: political leaders and educational policy mak-
ers, business and industry leaders, school leaders, teachers, students, and parents (see Appendices
B-F). Members of the research team endeavored to limit yes/no and why questions so that they
might extract information from participants that would be most advantageous to the study
(Merriam, 2009).
The research team aligned the interview questions to political leaders and educational
policy makers, business and industry leaders, school leaders, teachers, students, and parents with
the four research questions and conceptual frameworks. Interview questions were aligned pursu-
ant to the following structure: In Section I, Items 1–4 aligned with Research Question 1, which
addressed efforts that schools make to engage in SciFest while preparing students for the LCE.
In this section, the first item aligned with Bolman and Deal’s (2013) four-frame approach,
Slough and Milam’s (2013) framework on STEM and PBL, and Wagner’s (2014) framework for
21st-century skills. The second question in Section I aligned with Bolman and Deal’s (2013)
four-frame approach, Slough and Milam’s framework on STEM and PBL, Spring’s (2015) work
on theoretical perspectives on global forces and its intersection with education, and Wagner’s
(2014) framework for 21st-century skills. Questions 3 and 4 in Section I aligned with Acker’s
(1987) feminist theory, Friedman’s (2007) framework of globalization, Slough and Milam’s
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 85
framework on STEM and PBL, Spring’s (2015) work on theoretical perspectives on global forces
and its intersection with education, and Wagner’s (2014) framework for 21st-century skills.
Section II of the interview protocols included four questions that addressed Research
Question 2 on school leadership and how it influences staff and student participation in SciFest.
Questions 1 and 2 aligned with Acker’s (1987) feminist theory, Bolman and Deal’s (2013) four-
frame approach, Slough and Milam’s (2013) framework on STEM and PBL, and Wagner’s
(2014) framework for 21st-century skills. Question 3 aligned with Bolman and Deal’s (2013)
four-frame approach, Slough and Milam’s framework on STEM and PBL, and Wagner’s (2014)
framework for 21st-century skills. Question 4 in Section II aligned with all six frameworks.
Section III of the interview protocol included four questions that addressed Research
Question 2 and placed emphasis on female students’ participation in SciFest and how it has
influenced their interest in enrolling into senior-level and third-level STEM courses. Question 1
aligned with Acker’s (1987) feminist theory, Friedman’s (2007) framework of globalization,
Slough and Milam’s (2013) framework on STEM and PBL, Spring’s (2015) work on theoretical
perspectives on global forces and its intersection with education, and Wagner’s (2014) frame-
work for 21st-century skills. Question 3 and 4 aligned with all six frameworks.
Section IV of the interview protocol included four questions that were developed to
determine what perceptions teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/uni-
versity professors, and MNCs have regarding the value of student participation in SciFest.
Questions 1, 3 and 4 aligned with all six frameworks. Question 2 aligned with Friedman’s
(2007) framework of globalization, Slough and Milam’s (2013) framework on STEM and PBL,
Spring’s (2015) work on theoretical perspectives on global forces and its intersection with
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 86
education, and Wagner’s (2014) framework for 21st-century skills . The alignment of the
interview questions to the research questions is summarized in Table 1.
Table 1
Alignment of Interview Protocols to Research Questions (RQs) and Theoretical Frameworks
Bolman/ Slough/
Item RQ1 RQ2 RQ3 RQ4 Friedman Spring Wagner Deal Acker Milam
Section I
1 X # # #
2 X # # # #
3 X # # # # #
4 X # # # # #
Section II
1 X # # #
2 X # # #
3 X # # # #
4 # # # # # #
Section III
1 X # # #
2 X # # # #
3 X # # # # # #
4 X # # # # # #
Section IV
1 X # # # # # #
2 X # # # #
3 X # # # # # #
4 X # # # #
Observation Protocols
Merriam (2009) posited that observations take place in a location where a phenomenon
that is being studied can take on its natural form. As a result, an observation facilitates a first-
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 87
and account of what an interview cannot structurally provide. In this study, an observation
protocol developed to promote data collection efforts within two separate and distinct environ-
ments. According to Stringer (2007), researchers “acquire a record of important elements of the
life-world of the participants, and . . . they should record these notes during or soon after events
have occurred” (p.76). It is essential that field notes be descriptive and well organized (Bogdan
& Biklen, 2007). Observation protocols developed for this study were designed intentionally to
be flexible and accessible to facilitate efficiencies with note taking efforts. Understanding the
importance of observational data, participants in this research study developed an observational
protocol that would support classroom visitation data gathering efforts in Ireland (see Appendix
G) to record and examine instructional strategies in STEM classes and another observation
protocol that will be used at the SciFest science and technology fair at Cork Institute of Technol-
ogy (see Appendix H).
Frameworks that were discussed previously were employed to align and instruct the
development of the observation protocols to establish that all mandatory elements of the research
questions were attended to. The first section of the observation protocol was designed in a
manner that will support the researcher’s efforts to gather basic knowledge and information about
the setting and location as well as provide a physical depiction of the location, overview of the
lesson, and instructional materials that are being used. The second section charts the conceptual
frameworks of Slough and Milam (2013) and Wagner (2014) and guides the researcher to focus
on the seven skills for IBL within STEM and 21st-century learning, respectively. The third and
final section contains a series of eight reflective questions in the classroom observation protocol
and an identical set of eight questions in the SciFest observation protocol that spiral back in an
interconnected manner to the four research questions being considered.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 88
Survey Protocols
Surveys are used to collect information that describes, compares, or explains knowledge,
feelings, values, or behaviors and most often are self-administered through utilization of a ques-
tionnaire instrument that is completed by hand or by a computer (Fink, 2012). When executed
correctly, this quantitative approach can prove useful in providing reliable and usable data
(Creswell, 2014). The research team developed quantitative surveys that were distributed to
participating school leaders and teachers (see Appendix I), political leaders, business leaders and
policy makers (see Appendix J), parents of Senior Cycle students (see Appendix K), and student
participants (see Appendix L). Survey questions were aligned with the study’s research ques-
tions and formatted using a 6-point Likert-type response scale (Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral,
Disagree, Strongly Disagree, and Don’t Know). Each survey item targets each participant group
to enable the researcher to acquire the best possible responses to address the research questions:
six items for Research Question 1, six items for Research Question 2, nine items for Research
Question 3, and six items for Research Question 4. In developing the survey questions, the fol-
lowing characteristics were taken into careful consideration in an effort to cultivate clear and
valid items: Jargon was avoided; standard grammar and syntax were used; and items were kept
concrete and close to the participants’ experience (Fink, 2012).
Survey items were modified slightly in an effort to create relevancy for each participant
stakeholder group, with the exception of two initial questions at the beginning of the students’
survey where the main function was to inform the researcher whether the student had ever par-
ticipated in a school and/or college science fair before. Items 1–6 aligned with Research Ques-
tion 1. These aligned to the four frameworks as follows: Acker (1987) related to items 3, 4, and
6; Bolman and Deal (2013) related to items 1–6; Friedman (2007) aligned to item 6; Slough and
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 89
Milam (2013) related to items 1–6; Spring (2015) relates to items 1–6; and Wagner (2014)
related to items 1–6.
Items 6–11 and 13 aligned with Research Question 2. These items aligned to the six
frameworks as follows: Acker (1987), items 6–8, 10–11, and 13; Bolman and Deal (2013), items
6–11 and 13; Friedman (2007), item 6; Slough and Milam (2013), items 6–11 and 13; Spring
(2015), items 6-8; and Wagner (2014), items 6–8, 10, 11, and 13.
Items 12–20 aligned with Research Question 3. These items aligned to the six frame-
works as follows: Acker (1987), items 12–20; Bolman and Deal (2013), items 12–20; Friedman
(2007), items 17–20; Slough and Milam (2013), items 12–20; and Wagner (2014), items 12, 13,
15, and 17– 20.
Items 21–26 aligned with Research Question 4. These items aligned to the six frame-
works as follows: Acker (1987), items 21–26; Bolman and Deal (2013), item 23; Friedman
(2007), items 21–26; Slough and Milam (2013), items 21–26; Spring (2015), items 21–26; and
Wagner (2014), items 21–26. Table 2 summarizes the alignment of survey items to the corre-
sponding research questions and the four theoretical frameworks.
Data Collection
Pertinent data for this study were collected in Ireland from April 15 to April 21, 2018.
Multiple sources were utilized to capture data, including face-to-face interviews, classroom
observations, and administration of survey instruments at a variety of sites to ensure that suffi-
cient levels of information were procured to address the four research questions outlined in this
study (Merriam, 2009). Having the ability to collect data in the participants’ natural location by
the researcher is an advantage of using qualitative methods in research (Creswell, 2014). Study
participants completed a consent form as part of the data collection process. The purpose of this
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 90
Table 2
Alignment of Survey Protocols to Research Questions (RQs) and Theoretical Frameworks
Bolman/ Slough/
Item RQ1 RQ2 RQ3 RQ4 Friedman Spring Wagner Deal Acker Milam
1 X # # #
2 X # # # #
3 X # # # # #
4 X # # # # #
5 X # # # #
6 X # # # # # #
7 X # # # # # #
8 X # # # # # #
9 X # #
10 X # # #
11 X # # #
12 X # # #
13 X # # #
14 X # #
15 X # # #
16 X # # #
17 X # # # # #
18 X # # # # # #
19 X # # # # #
20 X # # # # # #
21 X # # # # #
22 X # # # # #
23 X # # # # #
24 X # # # #
25 X # # #
26 X # # # # #
consent form was to describe the purpose of the study and the confidential nature of the study
(see Appendix M). All interviews will recorded only after securing participants’ permission and
then transcribed following the completion of interviews (Merriam, 2009). The researchers gen-
erated field notes during interview sessions to capture pertinent information. Researchers’ field
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 91
notes were also used as a tool to include researcher observation comments once the observation
was completed.
Observations were coordinated and conducted at predetermined school sites and at the
SciFest event in Cork. Each classroom observation will last approximately 30 minutes (Bogdan
& Biklen, 2007). Observations at the SciFest event in Cork will occur over the duration of the
science competition in an effort to secure a comprehensive data collection effort.
Surveys were administered during SciFest in Cork and additionally at all school sites
where permissible. The goal was to administer surveys via email, in classrooms, and at various
locations that would provide researchers with needed data. The in-person surveys were adminis-
tered and then collected immediately upon completion in an attempt to improve the rate of
response. Ultimately, observation and survey protocols were utilized to triangulate data and to
address the research questions (Creswell, 2014; Merriam, 2009).
The research team worked in pairs to interview students and school site participants to
conduct observations. Each researcher focused on one school as a primary study site but had
access to data from all research team members. The collective data were analyzed individually to
address the research questions.
Access to participants in this study was provided through the contacts in Ireland, Dr.
Sheila and George Porter. They initiated contact with school site participants as well as govern-
ment and business officials. After an interest was expressed by these individuals to participate in
the research study, each research team pair contacted their respective school site via email to
confirm their commitment. Access was then granted by the administrator of each school site to
facilitate all interview and observation efforts. Arrangements and logistics for the visit and data
collection were made possible by the Porters.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 92
Data Analysis
Data collected for this study were analyzed and subsequently used to examine the influ-
ence of globalization and MNCs and their effect on educational policy, curriculum choices, and
instructional practices in schools that were visited by the research team. The researchers also
examined whether there was a cogent rationale as they analyzed how science and technology
competitions such as SciFest inspired and influenced the use of high-leverage, inquiry-based
instructional strategies by teachers in their classrooms that embed the skills and knowledge
necessary to prepare students for knowledge worker demands that are required for a 21st-century
workforce. This research required specific descriptions of settings and individuals who were
communicating and collaborating within them (Creswell, 2014). For the purposes of this study,
the researcher decided to adhere to Creswell’s (2014) model for data analysis and interpretation
of qualitative research. Creswell’s (2014) model was also utilized to regulate analysis of data
compiled via the survey instruments. Each research team member used data that were gathered
through their efforts from his or her specifically assigned school. In addition, the researcher used
pooled data that were elicited and collected from other teachers, principals, parents, students,
civic leaders, college/university professors and business and industry leaders of MNCs who had a
vested benefit in the future of Ireland’s educational system and knowledge workforce.
Once back in the United States, each individual researcher organized and prepared his or
her data for analysis. This process commenced with the analysis of transcribed interviews,
inputting field notes, and sorting and rearranging the data into categories for accessibility while
the information was still fresh. Next, the researcher worked to coherently identify emerging
patterns and consistencies in the data by closely reading and analyzing the input. The researcher
then labeled and coded the information to identify themes that could organized into chunks to
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 93
create meaning (Creswell, 2014). At this point, the researcher adopted Tesch’s eight substeps
discussed by Creswell (2014) that were constructed to facilitate the coding process:
1. Establish what is being read and comprehended and record ideas.
2. Select a single document and establish essential questions that support theory and
inquiry.
3. After individually studying all documents, list topics and prevalent themes.
4. From the list created, establish codes that identify the data.
5. Scale down the number of categories by identifying relationships in the data.
6. Coordinate the established codes into alphabetical order.
7. Execute preliminary and pragmatic data analysis after data have been organized.
8. Recode data as required.
Creswell’s (2014) fourth step places emphasis on coding and was used to develop a thick
description from the data. A narrative was drafted to provide an analysis of the themes selected
by the researcher. This analysis served as a foundation for the fifth step, which was in the form
of rich, thick descriptions and specific recognition of findings and themes and how they con-
nected. The concluding step required the researcher to make meaning of the data. Specifically,
this step involved a detailed, comprehensive explanation of the reviewed literature in an effort to
bring clarity, coherence, and understanding that supported previous research and identified
domains for further research efforts.
The study was coordinated in an organized and coherent fashion that facilitated data
collection efforts by the research team; thus, it was essential that the research team monitor the
data collection process and subsequent application to the global purpose of the study. As
Merriam and Tisdell (2016) recommended, a database was incorporated to function as a focal
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 94
point where data were organized, edited, and made accessible to individual research team
members throughout the duration of the study. The researcher ensured that all data and files were
periodically organized in order to maintain quality assurance measures.
Validity, Credibility, and Trustworthiness
Creswell (2014) referred to validity as the degree to which a study accurately reflects the
specific concept that the researcher was seeking to measure, whereas credibility illustrates the
researcher’s posited conclusions as supported by the research data. Trustworthiness is simply the
evidence and confirmation of both validity and credibility (Patton, 2002).
As data were collected, analyzed, and interpreted, members of the research team aligned
their practices to those recommended by Creswell (2014). The team conducted member checks
with essential participants to affirm the accuracy of the data, to prepare for and settle potential
issues of misuse of data, and to avoid using language that contained bias in any facet of the study
(Creswell, 2014). The acknowledgment of and focus on researchers’ personal bias, as it per-
tained to their own background and identity, assisted in minimizing the impact on the study’s
validity (Maxwell, 2013). Through the use of triangulation, multiple data points were identified
and employed to ultimately advance the validity of the study’s findings.
Reliability
Creswell (2014) referred to qualitative reliability as an indication as “to whether scores to
items on an instrument are internally consistent, stable over time, and whether there was consis-
tency in test administration and scoring” (p. 247). Creswell (2014) proposed a series of actions
to establish the reliability of a research study. Based on these suggested actions, the researcher
adhered to the recommended process:
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 95
1. Transcripts were analyzed to ensure that they are transcribed in an accurate manner;
2. Identified codes were analyzed to ensure uniformity and logical definitions;
3. Communication with research team members, who were also embedded in coding
efforts, occurred regularly in an effort to document and share analyses; and
4. Codes identified and developed by different researchers were cross-checked and
validated to ensure accuracy.
Ethical Considerations
Research efforts must endeavor to safeguard the privacy and rights of participants en-
gaged in the study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Study scope areas that could create apprehension
for the study are the data collection efforts and dissemination of findings (Merriam & Tisdell,
2016). All 13 members of the research team, under the careful tutelage of Dr. Michael Escalante,
completed USC’s IRB process. This process included completion of the Collaboration IRB
Training Initiative (CITI), an online program that affords instructional models to establish that
the researcher recognizes and understands the ethical considerations involved in conducting
research. CITI training was necessary to assure that the study is completed with fidelity. The
IRB process ensures that study participants are protected and, further, that all ethical consider-
ations are taken into consideration prior to conducting the study’s research efforts. All 13
members of the cohort research team, as well as Dr. Michael Escalante, successfully completed
the IRB’s CITI. The research team participants were granted collective approval to commence
and complete an expedited study on human subjects in Ireland (Approval #UP-18-00119). All
research team members presented an informed statement outlining the purpose of the study and
participants’ rights (see Appendix M). An information letter was disseminated to parents of
school children who would be participating in the study that described their child’s role in the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 96
context of the study. A student assent form to participate in research letter was provided to
students to gain approval for their participation that included a 15-minute online survey; a 45-
minute, audio-recorded face-to-face interview, and a 45-minute classroom observation and/or a
10-minute observation at SciFest in Cork. Moreover, a research site permission letter was
submitted to the university IRB.
Research team members guarded the anonymity of participants by assigning pseudonyms
to interview participants who were discussed in the dissertation and kept all collected data in a
secure location. Specific protection structures were developed and inserted, including the
separation of participants’ names and their individual responses associated with the study. All
primary source documents were ultimately be kept under lock and key and then subsequently
destroyed following conclusion of the dissertation research efforts. Additionally, participants’
identities and responses were protected, and the researcher did not interfere with educational
practices being used during observations by interrupting the authentic sequence of daily class-
room activities.
Chapter Summary
Chapter Three has presented the methodology to be used in this study, including the
research design, research team, population and sample, and instrumentation that was developed
and used to facilitate the data collection efforts of the research team. The method of data analysis
was defined and described, along with the validity, credibility and trustworthiness, reliability, and
ethical considerations.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 97
Chapter Four: Results
Beginning in the 1960s, Ireland has placed national emphasis on its ability to provide an
education system that possesses the capability of generating graduates who are skilled in aca-
demic majors and coursework, particularly in science, engineering, and math (Dorgan, 2006).
Beginning in the 1960s through current day, Ireland has been experiencing an economic period
that has been robust but not without challenges, too. This economic period has come to be
known as the Celtic Tiger era, which has seen both economic prosperity and hardship, especially
during the Great Recession (Dorgan, 2006; Thornton, 2014). The realities of national economic
forces, including the presence of MNCs and the need for FDI, continue to influence decisions
that are deliberately being made in an effort to influence expectations and policy recommenda-
tions for Ireland’s educational system (Buckley & Ruane, 2006; O’Reilly, 2013). Increased
student participation in IBL experiences in science and technology fairs such as SciFest has been
providing real-world learning opportunities for students to immerse themselves in STEM educa-
tion and PBL group work efforts (Bybee & Fuchs, 2006). These important advances have been
assisted by the collective, deliberate, and selfless support of many caring individuals, including
voluntary organizers and teacher leaders who understand that students in Ireland need learning
opportunities that will extend their cognitive effort more broadly than the structural mental
preparation that students put forth in preparing for state exams. These deliberate learning expe-
riences require students and teams to utilize 21st-century skills when they participate in science
and technology fairs. These fairs ultimately can assist Irish students by increasing self-efficacy in
their personal development of 21st-century skills, which can facilitate their capacity to become
knowledge-ready workers, prepared to thrive in a competitive and interconnected global econ-
omy.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 98
Chapter Four presents research data outcomes of the qualitative study that the cohort
conducted at a selection of private and public secondary schools in Ireland to determine the
influence of globalization and MNCs on educational policy in STEM and the development of
21st-century skills. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to understand the influence of
globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills through the
implementation of STEM education, inquiry-based instructional practices, and student participa-
tion in the SciFest science competition. The study also examined how school leadership influ-
ences student participation in SciFest, with additional emphasis placed on female participation
while preparing for state exams.
This study used protocols that enabled the research team to investigate the consciousness
of educational leaders, business leaders, educational policy makers, teachers, principals, parents,
and students regarding the influence of globalization on educational policy in STEM and the
value of increasing student interest in pursuing STEM coursework at third level and/or as a
ignitor for exploring a potential career pathway. The presentation of data that were collected for
this study was made possible through the implementation of a convergent, parallel, mixed-
methods design (Creswell, 2014). The design of this study promoted effective utilization of the
small sample size structural realities that were present as this researcher endeavored to gather
both qualitative and quantitative data relating to the research questions.
The primary focus of Chapter Four is to report the collective qualitative and quantitative
findings of the study. The study was grounded on the following four research questions:
1. How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students for the LCE?
2. How does school leadership influence participation in SciFest?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 99
3. How does participation in SciFest influence female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses?
4. What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/
university professors, and MNCs have regarding the value of student participation in SciFest?
Five deliberately selected frameworks were used to analyze necessary data that were
collected to address the research questions: Friedman (2007) and Spring (2008) on globalization
of education; Wagner (2014) on understanding the growth of 21st-century skills and STEM
education: Slough and Milam (2013), on better understanding the influences of IBL on PBL in
STEM; Acker (1987), for better understanding gender issues; and Bolman and Deal (2013), for
understanding the effects of leadership. Surveys, interviews, and observations were used to
triangulate the data.
Chapter Four includes a summary description of the secondary school that this researcher
selected for the study, a comprehensive review of the research design methods, and a description
of participants who were part of the study. Proceeding from that review, the chapter further
extends the efforts of the research by outlining the findings as collected and measured in the
survey, interview, and observation protocols. Emergent themes were identified and defined for
each research question and reinforced by their connection to the literature and frameworks noted
for the study. The triangulation of data among these three protocols, as well as data connected
among various participants, substantiated the themes. The chapter concludes with a detailed
summary of the findings for all research questions being considered in the study.
Study School
CCSS was selected by this researcher as the primary focus of the study efforts. CCSS
was founded in 1967 to function as a school that offers an exemplary educational experience in a
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 100
Catholic environment. It currently has an enrollment of approximately 400 female students. The
school offers a wide variety of academic subjects for students to explore and provides a Junior
Cycle, optional Transitional Year, Senior Cycle, and Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme.
In recent years, the school has made participation in SciFest part of the mandatory educational
experience for first-year Junior Cycle students. Students receive support during their participa-
tion in SciFest from multiple teacher leaders, the deputy principal, and the principal at the school.
Research Design
The research team for this study consisted of 13 doctoral students under the direction of
Dr. Michael Escalante. The group engaged in a collective research process by which the data
were collected and organized through the support of an empowering partnership with SciFest
Ireland CEO Sheila Porter and CFO George Porter. Through this established relationship and
with their valued assistance, the research team was able to purposefully select schools and engage
in site-level contacts with school leaders who proved to be invaluable in the efforts to gain access
to participants for the study. The team worked with these influential contacts to establish an
interview participant list that would ensure participation from the education, business and
industry, and government sectors.
Study Participants
All study participants were Irish citizens who were grouped into a deliberate structure
inclusive of teachers, principals, students, civic leaders, college/university professors, and
industry leaders employed by a variety of MNCs that were based in Ireland. A purposeful con-
venience sampling method was employed to aid participant selection efforts in this qualitative
study of Irish education and to facilitate an in-depth cross-examination of data collected for each
of the four research questions that were utilized to collect data (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016). Data
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 101
embedded in this study were collected from CCSS teachers, principals, and students using survey
instruments, open-ended interview questions, and observations (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016).
Qualitative data collected during these processes were then correlated to the responses, surveys,
interviews, and observations compiled from the 13 other research team members’ schools and
from participants in the SciFest at College competition that was being held at the Cork Institute
of Technology. Survey data reflected the aggregate total of surveys that were completed and
submitted; however, it is important to note that some survey questions were not answered by all
survey participants. It is also important to note that not all participants completed survey data
despite providing them with various means of doing so, including both paper and electronic
options to facilitate accessibility and participant confidence. Interview and survey data collected
from civic leaders, college/university professors, and MNC leaders were shared by all members
of the research team and subsequently used to triangulate different data sources that would
facilitate construction of a meaningful explanation for themes from each individual and unique
site (Creswell, 2014). Table 3 summarizes the participants involved in surveys, interviews,
and/or observations used for this study.
Findings for Research Question 1
The first area of inquiry posed the following question, “How do schools engage in SciFest
while preparing students for the LCE?” The primary intention of this research question was to
elicit responses that would provide data necessary to determine how schools have deliberately
integrated students SciFest activities with their preparation efforts for the LCE. The Senior Cycle
commences for most students at the age of 15 and continues through age 18, and it is during the
last 2 years of this second-level education that Senior Cycle students will be required to pursue
one of three programs of study, each leading to a state examination (Ireland DES,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 102
Table 3
Summary of Participants, Their Organization/Position, and Data Types
Participants Organizations/positions Data type(s)
Students
10 students CCSS Interview
59 students CCSS Survey
1,293 other students Cross-section of schools in Ireland Survey, interview
Teachers and administrators
3 teachers/administrators CCSS Interview
5 teachers/administrators CCSS Survey, interview
85 other teachers/adminin- Various schools in Ireland Survey, interview
istrators
13 business and industry leaders Various organizations and MNCs Survey, interview
7 political leaders/educational Various organizations Survey, interview
policy makers
Note. CCSS = Central Catholic Secondary School; MNC = multinational corporations.
Communication Unit, 2004). These examinations include the traditional Leaving Certificate,
which is the fundamental assessment used to measure the academic success potential for students
interested in attending universities, institutes of technology, and colleges of education (Ireland
DES, Communication Unit, 2004). Determining a connection between SciFest activities and
daily educational experiences in which students are immersed while preparing for the LCE
(Spring, 2015) was the focus of Research Question 1.
After careful examination of pertinent data collected through surveys and interviews, two
major themes emerged. The first theme was explicit for all of the stakeholder groups—namely,
that student participation in SciFest helps students to feel better prepared to successfully take the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 103
LCE. The second theme that emerged from the data was that teachers and administration encour-
age and support students to participate in SciFest as a mechanism to prepare to take the LCE.
Theme 1: Student Participation in SciFest Helps Students Feel Better Prepared to Success-
fully Take the LCE
In the literature review, it was noted that it is incumbent upon education systems to create
coherent knowledge delivery models capable of providing students with the necessary informa-
tion, knowledge, and efficacy that will facilitate their cognitive ability to use information as both
a source and product (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller, 2011). Students who partici-
pate in IBL activities requiring 21st-century skills will benefit through improvement of their
long-term ability to successfully pursue the sustainable knowledge–work employment options
that today’s global economies demand (Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Therefore, creation of an
education system that immerses students into problem-based STEM educational environments
such as SciFest and that require them to utilize 21st-century skills including communication,
collaboration, critical thinking and creativity is mandatory if Ireland wants to sustain its eco-
nomic growth interests within the EU and beyond (Beers, 2011; Wickham & Boucher, 2004).
Several questions were asked about the importance of student participation in SciFest and
the role played by various stakeholder groups that positively influenced them. The data compiled
demonstrated a correlation between the importance of student participation in SciFest and suc-
cessful LCE results. The students at CCSS showed a 58% agreement level regarding the connec-
tion between SciFest participation and success on the LCE and a 41% agreement level on the
importance of school leadership work with teachers to align SciFest activities with the LCE (see
Table 4). The data gathered from CCSS were aligned to the information collected from all
schools in the study. For all schools, 41% agreed or strongly agreed on the connection between
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 104
SciFest participation and the LCE, and 39% agreed or strongly agreed on the importance of
school leadership working with teachers to align SciFest activities with the LCE (Table 4).
Table 4
Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to Successfully Take the
Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on
state examinations.
Strongly Agree 3 85
Agree 28 401
Neutral 18 359
Disagree 7 225
Strongly Disagree 1 42
Don’t Know 1 75
Totals 58 1,187
School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest
activities with the state examinations.
Strongly Agree 3 108
Agree 21 337
Neutral 21 287
Disagree 2 154
Strongly Disagree 2 45
Don’t Know 9 233
Total 58 1,164
Teachers and administrators at CCSS demonstrated a high level of consensus regarding
the relevance of these two areas in education. Of the teachers and administrators surveyed at
CCSS, 66% agreed or strongly agreed on the connection between SciFest participation and
success on the LCE, and 66% agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership works with teach-
ers to align SciFest activities with the LCE (see Table 5). These data points agreed with the data
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 105
gathered across all schools in relation to student participation in SciFest preparing students to be
successful on the LCE (Table 5). However, there was a slight strength discrepancy between the
level of consensus for data gathered across all schools in relation to how school leadership works
with teachers to align SciFest activities with the LCE in that only 43% agreed or strongly agreed
that this collaboration occurred (Table 5).
Table 5
Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to Successfully Take the
Leaving Certificate Examination: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers
and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful
on state examinations.
Strongly Agree 3 16
Agree 1 42
Neutral 1 10
Disagree 0 6
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 1 5
Total 6 80
School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest
activities with the state examinations.
Strongly Agree 2 9
Agree 2 25
Neutral 1 24
Disagree 1 7
Strongly Disagree 0 6
Don’t Know 0 9
Total 6 80
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 106
In alignment with the students, teachers, and administrators of the Irish schools in this
study, the educational policy makers and business leaders were also in agreement (80%) that
participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on the LCE is important (see Table 6).
Educational policy makers and business leaders were in alignment (60%) with teachers and
administrators in relation to how school leadership works with teachers to align Scifest activities
with the LCE (Table 6).
Table 6
Participants’ Responses Indicating How SciFest Prepares Students to Successfully Take the
Leaving Certificate Examination: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on
state examinations.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 4
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest
activities with the state examinations.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 0
Neutral 3
Disagree 1
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 107
Meta research has established that integrative STEM education, which facilitates knowl-
edge acquisition through direct interaction of teachers and students, promotes engaging learning
opportunities through connections made among science, mathematics, technology education, and
other facets of core curriculum (Abernathy & Vineyard, 2001; Sanders, 2008). Successful
pursuit of promoting student learning opportunities requires inspiring and influential leadership
actions that are courageous enough to actively empower others and reflective enough to manage a
leader’s own preexisting beliefs and actions so as to magnify collective thoughts and actions in a
meaningful way (Bolman & Deal, 2013; Coburn et al., 2009). The agreement of stakeholders on
the importance of SciFest participation and the role that it plays in students’ success on the LCE
as well as the role of school leadership in working with teachers in alignment with SciFest and
the LCE were also supported by personal interview feedback that was supported by interviews
conducted as part of this study. Students, teachers, and administrators from CCSS and other
schools within the study, as well as educational policy makers and business leaders, all appeared
to agree that these topics to varying degrees are important for student learning.
Interview comments by students at CCSS identified SciFest participation and school
leadership support as effective preparation tools for success on the LCE. The students’
comments demonstrated that they understood the connection among SciFest activities, school
leadership, and their potential success level on the exam. Student 2 from CCSS stated,
So, you learn that you have to take things seriously, make them important. You learn to
prioritize different things. You learn to set your focus on an important goal and get it
done, and that’s what we have to do to prepare for our Leaving Cert’s. (interview,
April 17, 2018)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 108
Student 1, a second-year CCSS student who participated in SciFest during her first year,
talked about the skills she learned from her experience: “SciFest does teach you a lot, like, the
importance of planning, brainstorming, and smart time management” (interview, April 17, 2018)
Student 4 at CCSS acknowledged the role that school leadership plays when she noted,
I remember that the Deputy Principal and teachers volunteered; they gave up their eve-
nings to stay after school with us. They weren’t getting paid for that, and they were
helping us with everything we needed. Any day at any time, we could come to them and
ask them questions about SciFest. (interview, April 17, 2018)
The students recognized the importance of developing skills during their SciFest experi-
ence that would promote their success as students. They identified the correlation between these
newly acquired skills and the role that school leaders can play in partnership with teachers to
align SciFest activities in support of the LCE.
The educators, business leaders, and educational policy makers interviewed also felt that
SciFest participation was an effective preparation tool for student success on the LCE. A teacher
from CCSS stated that “SciFest gives the students that ability to be exposed to inquiry-based
learning. It’s what we would call the ideal way of preparing them for state exams” (Teacher 2,
interview, April 17, 2018). Educational Policy Maker 4 expressed the important connection
between SciFest and student success on state examinations in this comment:
SciFest adds so much value to what the student’s going to do, and it’s developing those
skills you described earlier—the creativity, the critical thinking—it’s developing those
soft skills that are so important to success on the Leaving Certificate Exam, because it’s
so focused on results. (interview, April 20, 2018)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 109
A business leader working for an MNC commented, “I agree that SciFest participation would
guide student decisions about what subjects to pursue to prepare for their exams” (Business
Leader 6, interview, April 20, 2018).
The connection between the comments of the adults interviewed aligned with the impor-
tance of student participation in science fair activities as a non-negotiable component of their
science educational experience to develop interests, processing skills, and literal content knowl-
edge (Abernathy & Vineyard, 2001). The key to helping students plan early for careers in science
is to begin this effort with vigor when students are still in elementary school (Tai et al., 2006).
Science exposure at this stage in a student’s education should focus on encouragement and
creation of authentic interests that students will develop as a result of being immersed in inquiry-
based projects of their choosing, and science fairs are an inspiring way to accomplish this goal
(McComas, 2011; Tai et al., 2006). Whether the influence comes from explicit learning experi-
ences or the deliberate impact of school leadership actions, student exposure to SciFest promotes
skills and knowledge that undeniably support student success on the LCE process.
Classroom observation periods were conducted during which researchers observed a
variety of instructional practices during science core instruction that promoted student communi-
cation, collaboration, creativity, and collaboration. Whether it was an interactive, lecture-driven
lesson or a hands-on laboratory experience, all lessons encouraged students to collaborate
together in a manner that promoted purposeful student inquiry, reflection, and problem solving
skills. Teacher A’s classroom was a safe environment where students felt comfortable question-
ing not only their peers’ ideas and thoughts but their teacher’s as well (personal observation,
April 17, 2018). This engaging learning environment would not have been possible without the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 110
deliberate actions of a skilled teacher-leader who had set the tone for her classroom culture and
student expectations.
The researchers observed the SciFest at the Cork Institute of Technology where they
spoke to school teams about their projects. This experience was powerful inasmuch as the team
members were able to witness students expressing their passion for science, technology, engi-
neering, and math. At CCSS, all first-year Junior Cycle students were required to participate in
SciFest at school; however, participation in SciFest after this year is voluntary, and participation
subsequently dropped. Students were involved in a variety of other school activities and were
also driven by the inherent high-stakes demands of future LCEs. Despite the demands that these
examinations place on student and schools, all stakeholders’ opinions seemed to align with the
research of Spring (2015) and Wagner (2014) in acknowledging the importance of STEM
education and 21st-century skills development for students to be successful in their future
careers.
Theme 2: Teachers/Administration Encourage and Support Students in Participating in
SciFest as a Mechanism to Take the LCE
The review of the literature reinforced the importance of Ireland employing a targeted
effort to ensure that the nation possesses knowledge workers necessary to continue to drive its
economic prosperity through FDI and MNCs and providing a high-quality STEM education that
spurs innovation and provides the human capital foundation required for ongoing future prosper-
ity (Gunnigle et al., 2006; IOP, 2016). Beers (2011) posited that there is a symbiotic connection
between 21st-century skills and STEM education. Specifically, students must be immersed in
science, technology, engineering, and math curricula through navigation of real-life problems
that offer PBL opportunities that require and encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaboration
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 111
and interdependent communication, and problem solving (Beers, 2011). Collectively, these 21st-
century skills, once learned and embedded with efficacy, will provide students with the necessary
skill sets required to be self-directed, independent learners who take responsibility for their work
product and the role that it plays in a digital citizen partnership with the work of others (Anani-
adou & Claro, 2009).
Survey data pertaining to this research question supported the concept that encourage-
ment by teachers and administrators in support of students who participate in SciFest facilitates
their efforts when they take the LCE. The students at CCSS showed an 83% agreement or strong
agreement regarding the role that school leadership plays to encourage participation in SciFest as
a support for student success, and 88% agreed or strongly agreed on the importance of teachers’
encouragement to participate in SciFest as an activity that supports student success on the LCE
(see Table 7). The data gathered from CCSS was aligned with the information collected from all
schools in the study. Fifty-six percent of all students agreed or strongly agreed on the role that
school leadership plays to encourage participation in SciFest as a support for student success, and
63% of all students agreed or strongly agreed on the importance of teachers’ encouragement to
participate in SciFest as an activity that supports student success on the LCE (Table 7).
Survey data compiled for teachers and administrators at CCSS demonstrated a high level
of consensus regarding the relevance of teachers’ and administrators’ encouragement and support
for students to participate in SciFest as a tool to prepare for the LCE. Of the teachers and admin-
istrators surveyed at CCSS, 83% agreed or strongly agreed on the role that school leadership
plays to encourage participation in Scifest as a support for student success, and 83% agreed or
strongly agreed on the importance of teachers’ encouragement to participate in SciFest as an
activity that supports student success on the LCE (see Table 8). These data points correlated with
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 112
Table 7
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators Encourage and Support
Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Prepare to Take the Leaving Certificate
Examination: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
The school leadership at my school encourages participation
in SciFest to support student success.
Strongly Agree 15 170
Agree 33 492
Neutral 6 273
Disagree 4 128
Strongly Disagree 0 29
Don’t Know 0 90
Totals 58 1,182
Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on state examinations.
Strongly Agree 14 223
Agree 34 525
Neutral 8 243
Disagree 1 119
Strongly Disagree 1 23
Don’t Know 1 54
Total 59 1,187
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 113
Table 8
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators Encourage and Support
Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Prepare to Take the Leaving Certificate
Examination: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
The school leadership at my school encourages participation
in SciFest to support student success.
Strongly Agree 4 20
Agree 1 41
Neutral 0 11
Disagree 0 3
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 1 2
Total 6 80
Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on state examinations.
Strongly Agree 4 20
Agree 1 38
Neutral 1 12
Disagree 0 5
Strongly Disagree 0 2
Don’t Know 0 3
Total 6 80
the data gathered across all schools regarding the role that school leadership plays to encourage
participation in SciFest as a support for student success. Seventy-nine percent of all teachers and
administrators agreed or strongly agreed on the role that school leadership plays to encourage
participation in SciFest as a support for student success, and 73% of teachers and administrators
agreed or strongly agreed on the importance of teachers’ encouragement to participate in SciFest
as an activity that supports student success on the LCE (Table 8).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 114
There was a discrepancy among business leaders and educational policy makers regarding
the role that school leadership and teacher encouragement plays in relation to student success as
they prepare to take the LCE. Specifically, none of the business leaders or policy makers who
submitted surveys agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership or teacher encouragement
played a role in SciFest participation or success on the LCE for students (see Table 9).
Table 9
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Teachers and Administrators Encourage and Support
Students to Participate in SciFest as a Mechanism to Prepare to Take the Leaving Certificate
Examination: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
The school leadership encourages participation in SciFest
to support student success.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 0
Neutral 1
Disagree 3
Strongly Disagree 1
Don’t Know 1
Total 6
Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on state examinations.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 0
Neutral 1
Disagree 3
Strongly Disagree 1
Don’t Know 1
Total 6
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 115
Interview comments by students at CCSS identified school leadership and teacher encour-
agement as necessary actions required to support both students’ success in school and on the
LCE. Student 5 from CCSS stated, “The principal helped organize our first one, because the first
round of SciFest was in our school hall and organized in a way that made us feel comfortable”
(interview, April 17, 2018). Student 6 expressed the impact of school leadership upon students’
participation in SciFest when she noted that
teachers and our Deputy Principal do really kind of get SciFest into our brains. They’ll
really get us motivated and tell us, “You need to do this, you need to really focus on this
—it’ll be better for your future. They really do help us a lot, and if we’re falling down the
wrong path or we’re going the wrong way, they’ll kind of put us back in the right
direction so that we know what we’re doing and have the confidence to get it done.
(interview, April 17, 2018)
The educators and educational policy makers who were interviewed also believed that
school leadership and teacher encouragement were necessary actions required to support both
student success in school and on the LCE. Teacher 1 from CCSS stated, “Ann is our Deputy
Principal, so she’s been here 3 years, and she introduced us to SciFest—she asked us if we would
just try it for a year to see how it goes” (interview, April 17, 2018). Teacher 2 from CCSS also
acknowledged the leadership role of their Deputy Principal: “Teachers kind of came in skeptical,
sat through it, saying ‘That won’t really work here. We don’t have the kids for that. We won’t be
able to.’ But our Deputy Principal, Ann, pushed it and pushed it” (interview, April 17, 2018).
An educational policy maker expressed the important connection between student encour-
agement and the potential impact upon SciFest participation in the following statement:
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 116
The department of education and the inspectors—we, yes, where we see this leadership
happening, we praise it; where there’s some very good work going on, we encourage it.
But at the same time, it’s not part of the specification for schools to—that they would
engage with SciFest or a competition. (Educational Policy Maker 1, interview, April 20,
2018)
A business leader working for an MNC provided perspective in line with survey results regarding
the lack of leadership encouragement for students to participate in SciFest in this comment: “We
need to change the attitude of teachers to influence students’ SciFest participation, which is dif-
ficult because, if you’re used to teaching certain subjects at the school and your traditional things,
and changing, is, you know, is difficult” (Business Leader 2, interview, April 20, 2018).
Observations conducted at SciFest provided additional support to the survey and inter-
view data that identified school leadership and teacher encouragement as being necessary igniters
to promote student participation in SciFest and success on the LCE. One student participating on
a team at the SciFest competition being held at the Cork Institute of Technology noted, “I think if
teachers are genuinely interested in SciFest and provide class time, it will help in the students’
interest as well. That’s what it was like for us for SciFest and our Leaving Certificate Exam
preparation” (SciFest Student 1, interview, April 20, 2018). It is difficult to determine the
specific nature or identifiable characteristics of interest; but when it comes to an early interest in
science, research has shown that some variables may include self-intrinsic motivation and
educational experiences such as science competitions (Maltese & Tai, 2010).
Findings for Research Question 2
Research Question 2 asked, “How does school leadership influence participation in
SciFest?” This research question was intended to yield information on the impact that school
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 117
leadership has had on the use of resources to positively influence school-based SciFest competi-
tions and students’ participation therein. Two important themes emerged around this question.
First, principal and teacher leaders are influential in students’ decision to participate in SciFest
and, second, whether or not school leaders provide necessary resources for students to success-
fully participate in SciFest.
Theme 1: Principal and Teacher Leaders Are Influential in Students’ Decision to Partici-
pate in SciFest
Dynamic school leadership requires a principal who can successfully engage leadership
and/or manage behaviors when required to do so (Bolman & Deal, 2013). In fact, it is this dual
ownership of professional capital that will support leaders as they work collectively with teachers
to create a vision for a school’s non-negotiable operational coherence, leadership structures, and
resource allocation that will be necessary to inspire students to perform at high levels of aca-
demic acumen (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Successful pursuit of this organizational goal requires
inspiring and influential leadership actions that are courageous enough to actively empower
others and reflective enough to manage their own preexisting beliefs and actions so as to magnify
the collective thoughts and actions of students in a meaningful way (Bolman & Deal, 1991, 2013;
Coburn et al., 2009).
Student survey data from CCSS pertaining to this research question supported the concept
that school leadership is a positive influence on SciFest competitions at school. The students at
CCSS agreed or strongly agreed (80%) that the role of school leadership is a positive influence
on SciFest competitions at school; 80% agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership employs
strategies to positively influence students’ participation in SciFest; and an overwhelming 95% of
students at CCSS agreed or strongly agreed that teachers at their school employ strategies to
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 118
positively influence school participation in SciFest (see Table 10). The student data from CCSS
were aligned to the information collected from all schools participating in the study. Based on
the data presented in Table 10, although a majority of respondents agreed or strongly agreed with
statements regarding school leadership, several were neutral or disagreed with statements that
school leadership has a positive influence on SciFest competitions at school. For all schools,70%
agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership is a positive influence on SciFest competitions at
school, 60% agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership employs strategies to positively
influence students’ participation in SciFest, and 72% agreed or strongly agreed that teachers at
their respective schools employed strategies to positively influence school participation in
SciFest (Table 10).
Likewise, the teachers and administrators at CCSS also demonstrated a high level of
agreement regarding the influential nature of a positive correlation between school leadership and
SciFest participation in school. Specifically, 83% of the teachers and the administrators inter-
viewed agreed or strongly agreed that the role that school leadership plays is a positive influence
on SciFest competitions at school; 83% felt the same regarding school leadership and the effort
to employ strategies to positively influence students’ participation in SciFest; and an overwhelm-
ing 100% agreed or strongly agreed that teachers at their school employ strategies to positively
influence school participation in SciFest (see Table 11).
Business leaders and educational policy makers were in alignment with the students,
teachers, and administrators of Irish schools that participated in this study, albeit at a lower level.
The educational policy makers and business leaders agreed (67%) that school leadership is a
positive influence on SciFest (see Table 12). Business leaders and policy makers also believed
that school leadership employs strategies to positively influence students’ participation in SciFest
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 119
Table 10
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision to Participate in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest
competitions at my school.
Strongly Agree 19 232
Agree 26 510
Neutral 7 189
Disagree 3 58
Strongly Disagree 2 20
Don’t Know 1 114
Totals 58 1,123
School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest
activities with the state examinations.
Strongly Agree 13 190
Agree 32 523
Neutral 8 266
Disagree 4 80
Strongly Disagree 0 22
Don’t Know 1 100
Total 58 1,181
Teachers at my school employ strategies to positively
influence school participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 5 234
Agree 21 478
Neutral 2 154
Disagree 0 49
Strongly Disagree 0 18
Don’t Know 1 54
Total 58 997
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 120
Table 11
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision to Participate in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest
competitions at my school.
Strongly Agree 2 22
Agree 3 41
Neutral 1 8
Disagree 0 4
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 2
Total 6 77
School leadership employs strategies to positively
influence participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 2 20
Agree 3 43
Neutral 1 11
Disagree 0 4
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 0 2
Total 6 77
Teachers at my school employ strategies to positively
influence school participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 3 33
Agree 3 34
Neutral 0 2
Disagree 0 0
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 0 1
Total 6 71
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 121
Table 12
Participants’ Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision to Participate in
SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest in schools.
Strongly Agree 2
Agree 1
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 4
School leadership employs strategies to positively influence
participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 4
Neutral 1
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 6
Teachers in schools employ strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 2
Agree 1
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 4
(66%) and that teachers at their respective schools (75%) employ strategies to positively influ-
ence school participation in SciFest (Table 12).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 122
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported survey data that
were collected in relation to the theme that the principal and teacher leaders are influential in
students’ decision to participate in SciFest. Student 9 at CCSS noted:
I think all the leaders, the school leaders, were really motivating to us girls, and made sure
that we were all confident. We were really young when we came into the school. Our
science teacher really helped us because they worked by our side and made us feel confi-
dent that we knew what we were doing. (interview, April 17, 2018)
Student 9 at CCSS further commented that
our Deputy Principal would like to listen to our opinions, discuss ideas with us, and then
let us do it ourselves a bit; and then if we need help along the way, we could talk to her
about it and she would make sure we were on the right track. (interview, April 17, 2018)
The students recognized the importance of an educational experience that facilitates student
acquisition of 21st-century skills, including communication and collaboration skills, as being
vital because these skills can create students who possess the confidence necessary to seek out an
opportunity to participate in SciFest (Thornton, 2014).
Educational policy makers and business leaders who were interviewed also recognized
that principal and teacher leaders are influential in students’ decision to participate in SciFest.
Business Leader 3 described the role of school leadership as follows: “School leaders must be
engaged in STEM thinking and have a real interest in it. Because I think something like this, the
school principal should be promoting it to students” (interview, April 20, 2018).
The observations conducted at the SciFest competition that was held at Cork Institute of
Technology supported the survey and interview data around school leadership as a positive influ-
ence on student participation in SciFest at their schools. It was impossible to navigate the
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 123
competition arena without running into a teacher, principal, or deputy principal who was present
to support his or her school team. This collaboration and commitment between students and
school leaders was undeniable as they communicated and collaborated with one another during
strategy sessions aimed at preparing students to perform at their highest level (personal observa-
tion, April 20, 2018). In order to successfully participate in SciFest, students must think criti-
cally, use creativity, and communicate and collaborate with one another and with school leaders
who are there to provide support and inspiration (Larson & Miller, 2011).
Theme 2: Whether School Leaders Provide Necessary Resources for Students to Success-
fully Participate in SciFest
The review of literature showed that it is important for students to develop and embed
broad knowledge sets that they can not only access to facilitate knowledge work required by
high-stakes tests but also develop the cognitive capacity to be critical thinkers who confidently
navigate the strengths and limitations of their thinking (Capraro & Slough, 2013). Capraro and
Slough (2013) exhorted that STEM–PBL learning and occupational success are interdependent
and that acumen is constructively developed in an integrated manner across all subjects. As such,
an undeniable benefit of STEM and PBL is the integration of authentic real- world tasks that are
driven by learning goals as well as teacher-driven expectations for the task or product to be
constructed (Capraro & Slough, 2013). Slough and Milam (2013) recommended four fundamen-
tal criteria as a framework for facilitating STEM PBL: (a) making content accessible, (b) making
things visible, (c) helping students to learn from others, and (d) promoting autonomy and lifelong
learning.
The literature further indicated that dynamic school leadership requires a principal who
can successfully exhibit leadership and/or management behaviors when required to do so
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 124
(Bolman & Deal, 2013). Therefore, it is imperative that school principals create dynamic
cultures at their schools whereby stakeholders can communicate in both formal and informal
settings as they work together to create a dynamic organizational culture where student success
can flourish (Bolman & Deal, 2013).
Student survey results from CCSS pertaining to this research question demonstrated a
lack of a majority consensus regarding allocation of adequate resources to support students who
participate in SciFest (see Table 13). The students at CCSS showed only a 34% agree or strongly
agree response that school leadership allocates adequate financial resources to effectively imple-
ment school-based SciFest activities; however, 74% agreed or strongly agreed that school lead-
ership provides support, including time, materials, and training for school participation in SciFest
(Table 13). This discrepancy suggested that students may not have fully understood that
resources are commonly referred to as time, materials, and/or training.
The student data from CCSS were aligned to the information collected from all schools
participating in the study. For all schools, the findings suggested that there was a similar
perspective being held by all students. Specifically, 41% of all students agreed or strongly agreed
that school leadership allocates adequate financial resources to effectively implement school-
based SciFest activities, and 66% agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership provides
support through resources including time, materials, and training necessary for school participa-
tion in SciFest (Table 13).
Survey results compiled from the teachers’ and administrators’ responses at CCSS
demonstrated a majority level of confidence that school leadership provides adequate resources
to support SciFest participation at their school. Specifically, 58% of the teachers and the admin-
istrator interviewed agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership allocates adequate financial,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 125
Table 13
Responses Indicating How Leaders Provide the Necessary Resources for Students to Successfully
Participate in SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
School leadership allocates adequate financial resources
to effectively implement SciFest at my school.
Strongly Agree 2 119
Agree 18 339
Neutral 13 251
Disagree 8 115
Strongly Disagree 1 53
Don’t Know 16 236
Totals 58 1,113
School leadership provides support, including time,
materials, and training, for participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 14 264
Agree 28 452
Neutral 11 156
Disagree 4 91
Strongly Disagree 0 35
Don’t Know 0 111
Total 57 1,109
material, time, and training resources to effectively implement school-based SciFest activities,
and 55% of all teachers and the administrator agreed or strongly agreed that school leadership
allocates adequate financial, material, time, and training resources necessary for school-based
SciFest activities (see Table 14).
Table 15 summarizes survey data collected by business leaders and educational policy
makers regarding the impact of school leadership behaviors as they pertain to allocation of
necessary resources to support school-based SciFest activities. The results demonstrated a 50%
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 126
Table 14
Responses Indicating How Leaders Influence Students’ Decision to Participate in SciFest:
Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
School leadership allocates adequate financial resources
to effectively implement SciFest at my school.
Strongly Agree 1 16
Agree 3 23
Neutral 1 13
Disagree 0 7
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 1 17
Total 6 76
School leadership provides support, including time,
materials, and training, for participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 1 8
Agree 2 37
Neutral 2 17
Disagree 0 5
Strongly Disagree 0 2
Don’t Know 0 6
Total 6 75
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 127
Table 15
Responses Indicating How Leaders Provide the Necessary Resources for Students to Successfully
Participate in SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
School leadership allocates financial resources to effectively
implement SciFest in schools.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 3
Neutral 1
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
School leadership provides support, including time,
materials, and training, for participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 2
Neutral 1
Disagree 1
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
level of agreement by business leaders and educational policy makers that school leadership
allocates the adequate financial, material, time, and training resources required to effectively
implement school-based SciFest activities. This finding suggested that there was not over-
whelming confidence among business leaders and educational policy makers that school leader-
ship is effectively using school resources to support school-based SciFest activities for students.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 128
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported survey data that
were collected in relation to the theme that school leaders provide the necessary resources for
students to successfully participate in SciFest. Student 8 at CCSS noted:
We took a survey about school resources in third year, maybe, but we just could see,
especially the last few years, that there has been some progress in our school. Some of
the facilities we’ve gotten and money that’s gone into different programs we can take.
Like we had in transition year, a coding course for computers that some students used for
their SciFest projects. (interview, April 17, 2018)
When asked about participation in SciFest and the role that school leadership plays in
providing necessary resources to support school participation in SciFest, one student stated, “I
feel like a big issue was the fact that there was a lot of us doing SciFest, so the Principal was
trying to help everyone, give a bit of time to everyone so everyone could have a fun learning
experience” (CCSS Student 2, interview, April 17, 2018). This sentiment was shared by a CCSS
teacher who, when asked about the role that school leadership plays in providing necessary
resources to support school participation in SciFest, stated that “if we needed any extra equip-
ment or whatever for SciFest, there was never a problem. She would take it out of the budget,
whatever we needed. So, the Principal has been very, very supportive” (Teacher 1, interview,
April 17, 2018). Students and teachers recognized that Ireland’s commitment to investing in
state-funded education provides opportunities for students to participate in educational experi-
ences such as SciFest (Burnham, 2003). Not surprisingly, it is student perspectives such as those
referenced above that have motivated Ireland to place emphasis on science and technology edu-
cation as acknowledged by the creation of Science Foundation Ireland (Dorgan, 2006).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 129
Educational policy makers and business leaders who were interviewed made inferences in
their feedback that demonstrated a certain lack of confidence that school leadership is effectively
using school resources to support school-based SciFest activities among students. Educational
Policy Maker 1 described the role of school leadership and the responsibility to manage school
resources effectively to support student participation in SciFest:
I think the school leadership has a huge influence on determining budget allocations to
support schools that enter for SciFest and BT Young Scientist and science competitions,
and the Principal in the majority of instances has a background in science or a science—
some science-related area. (interview, April 20, 2018)
The observations conducted at the SciFest competition that was held at the Cork Institute
of Technology supported the survey and interview data around school leadership as a positive
influence on student participation in SciFest in schools. This reality was evidenced by the large
number of teachers and principals who were present at the competition. However, it was much
more than their mere presence; rather, it was the way that these school leaders supported student
teams as they worked to prepare themselves and their projects for the SciFest judges (personal
observation, April 20, 2018). Ultimately these collective actions facilitate development of 21st-
century skills and an education system that values problem-based STEM educational environ-
ments that will prepare Ireland’s students to become knowledge workers who can positively
contribute to the economic growth interests of the nation (Beers, 2011; Wickham & Boucher,
2004).
Observations conducted at CCSS and SciFest at the Cork Institute of Technology demon-
strated a visible commitment to school resources necessary to support both school-based and
college-based SciFest activities (personal observation, April 17 and April 20, 2018, respectively).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 130
Students participating in SciFest, regardless of setting, clearly had access to resources that
facilitated their efficacy and successful participation in the powerfully inspiring PBL–STEM
experience that was undeniably rooted in a foundation of exposure to the benefits of 21st-century
skills (Wagner, 2014).
Findings for Research Question 3
Research Question 3 asked, “How does participation in SciFest influence female stu-
dents’ interest in enrolling into senior-level and third-level STEM courses?” This research
question was intended to generate information describing how SciFest competitions influenced
female enrollment into third-level and senior-level courses. Survey and interview data collected
by this researcher and collectively by the research team indicated that SciFest participation is
encouraged by schools and that this encouragement increases female students’ participation in
school and college competitions (Theme 1). Further survey and interview data suggested that
SciFest participation positively influences female students’ participation in senior- and
third-level STEM courses (Theme 2).
Theme 1: Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in SciFest
The vast and positive impact that globalization efforts, government policy, FDI, and
MNCs have created in Ireland has been tremendous (Thornton, 2014). Deliberate decisions have
been made by Ireland’s leaders to create economic operating norms within the country that have
resulted in innovative career opportunities for Irish residents (Thornton, 2014). These new career
pathways are intricately embedded within the structural foundations that delineate the knowledge
workers who are necessary to support Ireland’s information, technology, and pharmaceutical
industries (Lane & Ruane, 2006; Turner & D’Art, 2008). However, amidst this economic
growth, an alarming trend has also become critically apparent, and that is the gross
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 131
underrepresentation of females who pursue and hold careers in these vital industries (Adya &
Kaiser, 2005; Turner & D’Art, 2008). Adya and Kaiser (2005) posited that there are both social
and structural forces that can influence an individual’s career choices positively or negatively.
Specifically, gender stereotyping by parents, teachers, peers, and counselors can influence the
self-efficacy that girls possess with regard to their skills, interests, and/or career option possibili-
ties (Adya & Kaiser, 2005). One indicator that brings clarity to a potential cause for this gap is
represented in girls who pursue science courses while attending Ireland’s secondary schools
where data indicate a higher percentage who take biology as opposed to chemistry and physics
(Childs, 2001).
Gender inequality and guides to action as a means of mitigating this existence are but-
tressed by feminist theories, whether they be liberal, socialist, or radical, which may provide a
framework for new thoughts and beliefs about social change (Acker, 1987). Liberal feminists are
deliberate with regard to their intentions to remove barriers such as sex stereotyping and discrim-
ination to secure equal educational opportunities for girls (Acker, 1987). Some of these educa-
tional opportunities include an analysis of a school’s organizational structure, curriculum
content, and self-efficacy of girls enrolled in science and technology courses to determine
whether stereotyping is inherent (Acker, 1987).
Student survey results collected from CCSS demonstrated support of school efforts to
actively encourage and recruit students to participate in SciFest (see Table 16). The students at
CCSS agreed or strongly agreed (76%) that CCSS actively encourages and recruits female
students to participate in SciFest, and 64% agreed or strongly agreed that CCSS actively employs
strategies to increase female participation in SciFest (Table 16). The student data from CCSS
were aligned to the information collected from all schools participating in the study. The
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 132
findings suggested that there was a similar perspective being held by all students regarding
school efforts to actively encourage and recruit female students to participate in SciFest (see
Table 16). Specifically, 63% of all students agreed or strongly agreed that schools actively
encourage and recruit female students to participate in SciFest. However only 33% agreed or
strongly agreed that schools actively employ strategies to increase female participation in SciFest
(Table 16). This discrepancy suggested that students may not have fully understood that often
schools are implementing the deliberate strategies necessary to encourage and recruit female
participants for SciFest competitions.
Survey results compiled from the teachers’ and administrators’ responses at CCSS
aligned with student responses at CCSS and demonstrated a majority level of confidence that
their school actively encourages and recruits female students to participate in SciFest (see Table
17). Specifically, 83% of the teachers and administrators interviewed agreed or strongly agreed
that CCSS actively encourages and recruits female students to participate in SciFest; 83% of all
teachers and administrators agreed or strongly agreed that CCSS actively employs strategies to
increase female participation in SciFest (Table 17).
Table 18 summarizes survey data collected by business leaders and educational policy
makers regarding schools’ utilization of deliberate strategies that actively encourage and recruit
higher numbers of female participants in SciFest. The results demonstrated a 60% level of
agreement by business leaders and educational policy makers that schools actively encourage and
recruit female students to participate in SciFest, but only a 50% level of agreement that schools
actively employ strategies to increase female student’s participation in SciFest. These data
suggested that there was not overwhelming confidence among business leaders and educational
policy makers that schools’ utilization of deliberate strategies to actively encourage and recruit
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 133
Table 16
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
My school actively encourages and recruits female
students to participate in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 19 370
Agree 25 322
Neutral 6 156
Disagree 4 37
Strongly Disagree 2 35
Don’t Know 2 178
Totals 58 1,098
My school actively employs strategies to increase female
students’ participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 12 181
Agree 25 280
Neutral 10 232
Disagree 2 107
Strongly Disagree 2 34
Don’t Know 7 260
Total 58 1,181
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 134
Table 17
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
My school actively encourages and recruits female
students to participate in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 2 22
Agree 3 12
Neutral 1 24
Disagree 0 6
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 0 9
Total 6 74
My school actively employs strategies to increase
female students’ participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 3 11
Agree 2 25
Neutral 1 28
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 9
Total 6 74
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 135
Table 18
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
Schools actively encourage and recruit female students to
participate in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 1
Agree 2
Neutral 1
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
Schools actively employ strategies to increase female
students’ participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 2
Neutral 2
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 0
Total 4
higher numbers of female participants to participate in SciFest is actually as effective as it could
be.
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported survey data that
were collected in relation to the theme that schools actively encourage female students’ participa-
tion in SciFest. Student 9 at CCSS noted:
In the beginning I was kind of scared of SciFest. I didn’t really know how to do it, what’s
it about, and I didn’t really want to do it, because we came into this new school and there
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 136
was this big science project we have to do. And there’s biology, chemistry, and physics
classes to consider. What do we do? How does that work? So, our teacher helped all us
girls, gave ideas and said, “You don’t have to do SciFest, but this is actually great.”
(interview, April 17, 2018)
When asked if CCSS actively employed strategies to increase females’ participation in
SciFest, one female student stated, “They told us that everyone should try to do it. SciFest is a
good thing to do, and then our teacher helped us decide on our project to see which one all of us
would be comfortable with” (Student 1, interview, April 17, 2018). This sentiment was also
shared by a CCSS administrator who, when asked about strategies that CCSS employed to
actively encourage female participation in SciFest, stated that “creativity, passion and determina-
tion rise above any negativity that might happen in a department, which I didn’t experience here,
teachers were just a bit nervous. Ultimately, they were passionate and believed they could inspire
students to do it” (Administrator 1, interview, April 17, 2018).
Students and teachers recognized that it is critical for educators and educational systems
to promote and encourage female students’ participation in science fair activities, as a
non-negotiable component of their science educational experience in order to develop interests,
processing skills, and literal content knowledge (Abernathy & Vineyard, 2001). Their immersion
in a STEM curriculum through navigation of PBL opportunities will influence development of
21st-century skills including creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and interdependent
communication, and problem solving (Beers, 2011).
Educational policy makers and business leaders who were interviewed also exhorted that
schools must take responsibility for employing schoolwide strategies that encourage and recruit
female students to participate in SciFest at higher numbers. Educational Policy Maker 2
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 137
described the role school that leadership plays to support female students’ participation in
SciFest: “I think the school leadership has a huge influence on females’ participation in science
fairs where I have seen all girls’ schools that enter SciFest and BT Young Scientist competitions”
(interview, April 20, 2018).
Observations conducted at CCSS and SciFest at the Cork Institute of Technology (per-
sonal observation, April 17 and April 20, 2018, respectively) suggested that schools do actually
encourage, recruit, and employ strategies to increase female students’ participation in SciFest
competitions. Female students’ participation in SciFest at CCSS and at the competition held at
the Cork Institute of Technology ran the gamut from female teams to individual females who
were participating in the competition. It is imperative that schools understand that the key to
helping students plan early for careers in science is to begin this effort with vigor when students
are still in elementary school (Tai et al., 2006). Science exposure at this stage in a student’s
education should focus on encouragement and creation of authentic interest that students will
develop as a result of being immersed in inquiry-based projects of their choosing; science fairs
are an inspiring way to accomplish this (McComas, 2011; Tai et al., 2006). Ultimately, it is
critical that educators and educational systems promote and encourage student participation in
science fair activities as a non-negotiable component of their science educational experience in
order to develop efficacy, interests, processing skills, and literal content knowledge (Abernathy
& Vineyard, 2001).
Theme 2: Participation in SciFest Positively Influences Female Students’ Interest in Taking
Senior-Level and Third-Level Courses
Thurow (2000) explained that there has been a shift of power for nations that participate
in global economic activity—from a base that is economically driven from within their borders to
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 138
a more dynamic structure that is attracted inextricably to increased global participation. This
underlying and necessary structure exhorts the importance of educating a dynamic and thriving
knowledge workforce that can successfully and confidently influence a nation’s ability to partici-
pate and succeed in a global economy (Thurow, 2000). If that is the path and Ireland wishes to
continue to travel down it successfully, it will be important to move forward by focusing on the
four basics of infrastructure, education, governance, and environment (Friedman, 2005). Ire-
land’s educational system must endeavor to empower girls to successfully navigate the nuances
of role model identification, peer group pressure, and gender stereotypes by providing engaging
and exciting real-world educational experiences that will influence and inspire them to pursue
careers in technology (Adya & Kaiser, 2005). Accomplishing this goal will require Ireland’s
educational system and schools to remain vigilant with their deliberate efforts to remove barriers
such as sex stereotyping and discrimination to secure equal educational opportunities for girls
(Acker, 1987). Some of these educational opportunities include an analysis of a school’s organi-
zational structure, curriculum content, and self-efficacy of girls enrolled in science and technol-
ogy courses to determine whether stereotyping is inherent (Acker, 1987).
Therefore, it is cogent that educators and the educational system in Ireland, at all levels,
partner with educational policy makers to align their collective interests and to reshape
instructional non-negotiables so that all students, including girls, are prepared to compete and
succeed in a world that requires citizens to possess 21st-century skills to thrive (Larson & Miller,
2011).
Student survey results collected from CCSS revealed a positive influence that SciFest has
on female students interests with respect to enrolling into senior-level STEM courses (see Table
19). The students at CCSS indicated a 57% agreement or strong agreement that SciFest
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 139
influences female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses (Table 19).
SciFest and its influence upon female students’ interest in enrolling into third-level STEM
courses was also acknowledged by students at CCSS but only by a slight majority of those who
submitted survey instruments. In total, 55% agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest influences
female students’ interest in enrolling into third-level courses (Table 19). The student data from
CCSS were aligned with data collected from all schools participating in the study. For all
schools, the findings suggested a markedly lower level of confidence that SciFest influences
female students’ STEM course selection at the senior level (Table 19). Specifically, 45% of all
students agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest influences female students’ interest in enrolling
into senior-level STEM courses; only 43% agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest influences the
development of female students’ interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses (Table 19).
These results suggested that most students were not convinced that SciFest influences the devel-
opment of female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-level or third-level STEM courses.
Survey results compiled from the teachers and administrators’ responses from CCSS
indicated a significant level of confidence about SciFest and the positive influence that it has
upon female students’ interests in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses (see Table 20).
Specifically, 83% of the teachers and administrators interviewed agreed or strongly agreed that
SciFest is a positive influence on female students’ interest in enrolling in senior-level STEM
coursework; 66% agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest influences development of female
students’ interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses (Table 20). However, this confi-
dence level was not evident in data retrieved from all teachers and administrators regarding the
influence of female students interests in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses (Table 20).
Specifically, only 60% of all teachers and administrators agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest is
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 140
Table 19
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses.
Strongly Agree 10 154
Agree 23 341
Neutral 13 195
Disagree 5 66
Strongly Disagree 1 20
Don’t Know 6 318
Totals 58 1,094
SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses.
Strongly Agree 6 140
Agree 26 328
Neutral 12 205
Disagree 2 55
Strongly Disagree 2 24
Don’t Know 10 341
Total 59 1,093
Note. STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 141
a positive influence on females’ interest in enrolling in senior-level STEM courses, and 62% of
all teachers and administrators agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest influences development of
female students’ interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses (see Table 20).
Table 20
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses.
Strongly Agree 2 13
Agree 3 32
Neutral 1 15
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 13
Total 6 74
SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses.
Strongly Agree 2 11
Agree 2 34
Neutral 2 14
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 13
Total 6 73
Note. STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Table 21 summarizes survey data collected by business leaders and educational policy
makers regarding female students’ participation in SciFest and its influence on their enrolling
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 142
into STEM courses at the senior level and third level of their education. Results demonstrated an
80% level of agreement by business leaders and educational policy makers that SciFest influ-
ences female students’ enrollment into senior-level STEM courses but only a 60% level of agree-
ment that SciFest influences female students’ enrollment into third-level STEM courses (Table
21). These data suggested that there was not overwhelming confidence among business leaders
and educational policy makers that schools’ utilization of deliberate strategies to actively encour-
age and recruit higher numbers of female participants to participate in SciFest as a means to
influence their STEM course enrollment selections at the third-level is actually not as effective as
they could be.
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported survey data that
was collected in relation to the theme that participation in SciFest positively influences females’
interest in taking senior and third-level STEM courses. Student 5 at CCSS noted:
SciFest helps you know that it’s not just men that would do all the science jobs and work
for Ireland. Females can do it as well. You learn how to work as a team, do research and
how to back up your research, and how to take on an experiment and everything that is
required in third-level science classes. (interview, April 17, 2018)
When asked if SciFest positively influences female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level STEM coursework, Student 6 at CCSS noted:
I think it kind of did because straight away you had a focus on the subject of science,
when you’re straight into school, because we didn’t really do any other projects our first
year. We were basically doing SciFest, and that was the main project. We all had an
interest going forward. (interview, April 17, 2018)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 143
Table 21
Responses Indicating How Schools Actively Encourage Female Students’ Participation in
SciFest: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
Schools actively encourage and recruit female students to
participate in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 1
Agree 2
Neutral 1
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
Schools actively employ strategies to increase female
students’ participation in SciFest.
Strongly Agree 0
Agree 2
Neutral 2
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 0
Total 4
This sentiment was also shared by a CCSS teacher who, when asked about SciFest and its
influence on female students’ enrollment into senior- and third-level STEM courses stated:
With SciFest, you had to be here on our primary visitation day to hear the girls and see
their excitement, to watch primary school students come over, who have that excitement
still in them for science was inspiring. And it’s like, oh my god, and the questioning and
the way our girls were able to explain their projects. We teachers need to look at what we
are doing wrong. How are we knocking the life out of these kids in terms of their love of
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 144
science, or their interest of science as they progress into senior level and third levels?
(interview, April 17, 2018)
Deliberate decisions have been made by Ireland’s leaders to created economic operating
norms within the country that have resulted in innovative career opportunities for Irish residents
(Thornton, 2014). These transformational leadership actions have inspired policy development
and approval processes that continue to support Ireland’s ongoing evolution as it works to
become a nation that generates students with refined skill sets that knowledge workers must
possess to pursue and secure specialized, high-income jobs (Dorgan, 2006; Rios-Morales &
Brennan, 2009). Mechanisms for this ongoing long-term coherence model for Ireland’s national
economic policy must be embedded in a strategic framework that remains responsive, ambitious
and meets the needs of FDI and MNCs (Dorgan, 2006; Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009).
Educational policy makers and business leaders who were interviewed were also in
majority agreement that SciFest participation has a positive influence on female students’ enroll-
ment into third- and senior-level STEM courses. Educational Policy Maker 5 described the role
that SciFest plays in influencing female students’ enrollment into senior and third-level STEM
coursework:
Yeah, I think it is part of a whole series of things that we need to be doing, so I don’t
think that one project like SciFest changes everything, although it helps, a lot, but I think
it’s an attitude thing. Again, that’s got to come from students, teachers, parents, and an
education system generally that doesn’t categorize people as male or female, and there-
fore they should be pursuing different academic interests—well, initially different aca-
demic courses. But ultimately, it’s about shaping them, in terms of what they should be
expecting out of life. (interview, April 20, 2018)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 145
Observations of the number of female students competing in the SciFest school event at
CCSS and the Cork Institute of Technology SciFest competition (personal observation, April 17
and April 20, 2018, respectively) appeared to illustrate that students who participate and perse-
vere in these types of PBL learning activities do develop an appreciation for STEM and 21st-
century learning exposure that may increase female participation in senior- and third-level STEM
coursework. This researcher spent a number of hours visiting CCSS and walking through the
SciFest competition at the Cork Institute of Technology, engaging in and listening to conversa-
tions with female participants; and it was abundantly apparent that there was an authentic enthu-
siasm not only for their topics and projects but also for topics and projects created and presented
by other groups who were also competing. It is difficult to determine the specific nature or
identifiable characteristics of interest; but when it comes to an early interest in science, research
has shown that some variables may include self-intrinsic motivation, educational experiences
such as science competitions, and influence or inspiration received from a family member or
teacher (Maltese & Tai, 2010). Maltese and Tai (2010) contended that women and men exhibit
equal levels of early interest as a motivating factor that foster a strong attraction for science.
Findings for Research Question 4
Research Question 4 asked, “What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students,
civic leaders, college/university professors, and MNCs have regarding the value of student
participation in SciFest?” This research question was intended to generate information describ-
ing stakeholders’ perceptions about the value of students’ participation in SciFest. Survey and
interview data collected by this researcher and collectively by the research team indicated that
SciFest participation does enhance STEM educational development in students. Further survey
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 146
and interview data suggested that SciFest participation does provide students with a variety of
opportunities to demonstrate the skills needed to obtain a STEM career.
Theme 1: Participation in SciFest Helps Students Develop 21st-Century Skills That Are
Required in a Global Economy
O’Hagan and Newman (2014) asserted that Ireland’s success, as it pertains to competi-
tiveness in a globalized world economy, hinges on the ultimate and formative successes of the
educational system. Specifically, Ireland’s educational system must play a proactive and pivotal
role in support of the nation’s interests as it relates to their integral participation with globaliza-
tion. Reflective of this demand are Ireland’s deliberate efforts with regard to developing educa-
tion policy that will generate students who possess the 21st-century skills necessary to function
as knowledge workers in innovation-driven, high-technology sectors of their nation’s economy
(O’Hagan & Newman, 2014).
Students’ survey results collected from CCSS indicated the opinion that a majority of
students felt that SciFest provided opportunities to develop the 21st-century skills needed in a
global economy (see Table 22). The survey data collected from all students were aligned to those
of CCSS, and the results demonstrated that the majority of students agreed or strongly agreed that
SciFest provides learning opportunities for students to develop 21st-century skills. It is interest-
ing to note, however, that only 52% of all students agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest
provides students with opportunities to develop skills needed in a global economy (Table 22).
These findings suggested that many students were not convinced or simply may not have com-
prehended that SciFest provides learning opportunities that promote 21st-century skills.
Survey results compiled from the teachers and administrators’ responses from CCSS
indicated a significant level of confidence about SciFest and the positive influence that it has
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 147
Table 22
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop the 21st-Century
Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop
21st-century skills.
Strongly Agree 9 248
Agree 27 498
Neutral 15 149
Disagree 6 57
Strongly Disagree 0 16
Don’t Know 1 122
Totals 58 1,090
SciFest provides opportunities to develop skills needed in
a global economy.
Strongly Agree 9 165
Agree 27 395
Neutral 12 243
Disagree 2 80
Strongly Disagree 3 28
Don’t Know 5 166
Total 58 1,079
upon students’ opportunities to develop the 21st-century skills needed in a global economy (see
Table 23). Specifically, 100% of the teachers and administrators interviewed agreed or strongly
agreed that SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop the 21st-century skills needed
in a global economy (Table 23).
Table 24 summarizes the survey data collected from business leaders and educational
policy makers regarding the SciFest competition and opportunities that it provides for students to
develop the 21st-century skills needed to support a global economy. The results demonstrated
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 148
Table 23
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop the 21st-Century
Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teach-
ers and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop
21st-century skills.
Strongly Agree 6 35
Agree 0 39
Neutral 0 0
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 0
Total 6 75
SciFest provides opportunities to develop the skills
needed in a global economy.
Strongly Agree 4 32
Agree 2 37
Neutral 0 4
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 1
Total 6 75
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 149
that 100% of business leaders and educational policy makers agreed or strongly agreed that
SciFest helps students to develop 21st-century skills, and there was an 80% level of agreement
that SciFest provides students with opportunities to develop the skills needed in a global
economy (Table 24). These data suggested that there was overwhelming confidence among the
business leaders and educational policy makers surveyed that SciFest does indeed provides
opportunities for students to develop the 21st-century skills needed to participate in a global
economy.
Table 24
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Helps Students to Develop the 21st-Century
Skills Needed in a Global Economy: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop
21st-century skills.
Strongly Agree 3
Agree 2
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 0
Total 5
SciFest provides opportunities to develop the skills
needed in a global economy.
Strongly Agree 3
Agree 1
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 1
Total 5
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 150
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported the survey data
that were collected in relation to the theme that participation in SciFest helps students to develop
the 21st-century skills needed to participate in a global economy. When asked if SciFest helps
students to develop the 21st-century skills needed in a global economy, one interviewed student
stated:
SciFest helps you have a better understanding of yourself because you’ve had to think and
sift through everything with your team to find a way of communicating it to people who
might have no idea about any kind of science subject at all. (CCSS Student 7, interview,
April 17, 2018)
This sentiment was also shared by a CCSS teacher who, when interviewed, stated, “Our
own students are using skills they learn in SciFest, including teamwork, critical, thinking, and
communication, in other subject areas, too. I feel that’s what will work well in the coming years
to help Ireland’s economy grow” (CCSS Teacher 1, interview, April 17, 2018).
Twenty-first-century skills encompass a portfolio of requisite competencies that students
need to successfully participate in the knowledge society, including strong communication,
collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, perseverance, and elevated problem-solving capabili-
ties (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller, 2011). Students who possess 21st-century
skills will benefit through improvement of their long-term ability to successfully engage in job
hunting efforts that will support their pursuit of the sustainable employment options that today’s
global economies demand (Campbell & Kresyman, 2015). Therefore, it is incumbent that edu-
cation systems create coherent knowledge delivery models capable of providing students with the
necessary information, knowledge, and efficacy that will facilitate their cognitive ability to use
information as both a source and product (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Larson & Miller, 2011).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 151
Educational policy makers and business leaders who were interviewed were also in
majority agreement that SciFest participation has a positive influence on students’ development
of 21st century skills needed in a global economy. When asked about SciFest and opportunities
the competition provides for students to develop 21st-century skills needed in a global economy,
an educational policy maker stated, “In my district we have an initiative called 21st-century
learning communities. And so, at each school, we have very deliberate, inquiry-based learning
school projects that teach students how to communicate, collaborate, critically think, and be
creative (Educational Policy Maker 3, interview, April 20, 2018). Educational Policy Maker 5
provided a more global rationale to describe Ireland’s students and their development of 21st-
century skills needed in a global economy when he stated, “Irish students are curious—they’re
thinkers, and there’s a reason why Irish students are good at technology and science. That’s
because they think broadly about the world, Ireland’s place in it, and more importantly, their
place in it” (interview, April 20, 2018).
Education Policy Maker 4 described the role that SciFest plays in influencing female
students’ enrollment into senior- and third-level STEM coursework:
Yeah, I think it is part of a whole series of things that we need to be doing, so I don’t
think that one project like SciFest changes everything, although it helps, a lot, but I think
it’s an attitude thing. Again, that’s got to come from students, teachers, parents, and an
education system generally that doesn’t categorize people as male or female, and there-
fore they should be pursuing different academic interests—well, initially different
academic courses. But ultimately, it’s about shaping them, in terms of what they should
be expecting out of life. (interview, April 20, 2018)
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 152
Observations of students competing in the SciFest school event at CCSS and the Cork
Institute of Technology SciFest competition (personal observation, April 17 and April 20, 2018,
respectively) appeared to demonstrate that all students and teams who were participating would
be required to utilize the 21st-century skills needed in a global economy to successfully complete
the necessary components of their project-based work. There is an inextricable responsibility
that Ireland’s educational system and policies must fulfill to ensure that students are provided
with PBL learning opportunities that facilitate acquisition of 21st-century skills that can ulti-
mately become an asset that supports the ongoing economic growth of the country (Thornton,
2014). Ultimately, Ireland must endeavor to produce a highly functioning 21st-century work-
force with the specialized skills required to better understand STEM subjects as a result of their
honed skills in the areas of teamwork, communication, problem solving, innovation, and collabo-
ration in order to develop the specialized literacy required by 21st-century citizens, knowledge
workers, and most importantly, MNCs (Ritz & Fan, 2015; Thornton, 2014).
Theme 2: Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’ Academic Development in STEM
Content and Coursework
Thurow (2000) asserted that globalization along with the extenuating impact that is
associated with it can produce economic models where countries need corporations more than
corporations need countries. As a result, it may be necessary to adhere to the notion that nations
must create education pathways for students to develop embedded STEM knowledge and the
efficacy to work within dynamic social models to engage the skills that will drive change and
innovation required by MNCs (Spooner, 2015). It is these interdependent collective efforts by an
educated citizenry that have driven all of the technological and societal innovations; as such,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 153
these efforts must be acknowledged and supported if nations want to prosper in a globalized
world (Spooner, 2015).
Therefore, Ireland’s policy makers must endeavor to enhance the business environment
within which MNCs and FDI must thrive in an effort to maintain a position of competitive
advantage as a trading nation with a global mindset for growth (Dorgan, 2006; Dweck, 2006;
Thornton, 2014). One powerful way that this task can be accomplished is for Ireland’s educa-
tional policy makers not to lose sight of what is most important, and that is their role in creating
policy and a guaranteed and viable curriculum that will inspire a highly educated, young work-
force who possess the knowledge skills required to thrive in 21st-century jobs in the science,
engineering, and technology sectors (Marzano, 2007; Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009; Thornton,
2014).
Student survey data collected from CCSS demonstrated that a majority of students felt
that SciFest participants demonstrate skills needed to obtain careers in STEM fields (see Table
25). The survey data collected from all students were aligned with those of CCSS, and the results
demonstrated that 55% of students agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest provides competitive
participants with learning opportunities to develop skills required to obtain careers in STEM
fields (Table 25). In addition, 52% of CCSS student survey results and 55% of all students
agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest participation enhances STEM educational development in
students (Table 25).
Survey results compiled from teachers’ and administrators’ responses at CCSS indicated
a significant level of confidence about SciFest and its ability to create enhanced STEM educa-
tional development opportunities where participants can demonstrate the requisite skills that they
must possess to obtain careers in STEM fields (see Table 26). Specifically, 100% of the teachers
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 154
Table 25
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’ Academic Development
in STEM Content and Coursework: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Students
Survey item and response categories CCSS students All students
SciFest participation enhances STEM educational
development in students.
Strongly Agree 11 162
Agree 23 438
Neutral 11 222
Disagree 0 49
Strongly Disagree 0 17
Don’t Know 11 122
Totals 58 1,083
Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed to
obtain careers in STEM fields.
Strongly Agree 6 180
Agree 29 413
Neutral 15 215
Disagree 1 54
Strongly Disagree 0 21
Don’t Know 7 198
Total 58 1,081
Note. STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
and administrators interviewed agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest participation provides
opportunities for students to enhance their STEM educational development by honing the
essential skills needed to obtain careers in STEM fields (Table 26).
The survey results for business leaders and educational policy makers summarized in
Table 27 indicated agreement with the students and educators. The results demonstrated that
100% of both groups agreed or strongly agreed that SciFest has the ability to create enhanced
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 155
Table 26
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’ Academic Development
in STEM Content and Coursework: Central Catholic Secondary School (CCSS) and All Teachers
and Administrators
CCSS teachers/ All teachers
Survey item and response categories administrators administrators
SciFest participants enhances STEM educational
development in students.
Strongly Agree 6 34
Agree 0 36
Neutral 0 2
Disagree 0 0
Strongly Disagree 0 1
Don’t Know 0 2
Total 6 75
Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed
to obtain careers in STEM fields.
Strongly Agree 5 34
Agree 1 38
Neutral 0 1
Disagree 0 1
Strongly Disagree 0 0
Don’t Know 0 1
Total 6 75
Note. STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 156
STEM educational development opportunities where participants can demonstrate the skills
required to pursue and obtain careers in STEM fields (Table 27). These data suggested that there
is overwhelming confidence among the business leaders and educational policy makers surveyed,
that SciFest participation does enhance STEM educational and skill development in students that
will facilitate their ability to eventually obtain careers in STEM fields.
Table 27
Responses Indicating How Participation in SciFest Enhances Students’ Academic Development
in STEM Content and Coursework: Business Leaders and Educational Policy Makers
Business leaders/educational
Survey item and response categories policy makers
SciFest participation enhances STEM educational development
in students.
Strongly Agree 3
Agree 2
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 0
Total 5
Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed to obtain
careers in STEM fields.
Strongly Agree 3
Agree 2
Neutral 0
Disagree 0
Strongly Disagree 0
Don’t Know 0
Total 5
Note. STEM = science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 157
Interview data collected from students and teachers at CCSS supported the survey data
that were collected in relation to the theme that participation in SciFest enhances students’
academic development in STEM content and coursework. When asked if SciFest participation
enhances STEM educational development, one student replied, “Yes it does. For example, next
year I’m interested to take a course in biology, but I don’t think I would’ve considered biology if
I hadn’t done SciFest first” (CCSS Student 10, interview, April 17, 2018). A belief that SciFest
participants demonstrate the skills required to obtain careers in STEM fields was also supported
by the student interviews conducted. One interviewed student stated, “I believe everyone should
be able to study what they want to study, so I want to become a pharmacist—that’s why I am
competing in SciFest” (CCSS Student 4, interview, April 17, 2018).
The teachers and administrators who were interviewed shared sentiments that affirmed
their belief that SciFest participants develop academically and demonstrate the skills required to
obtain careers in STEM fields. One teacher at CCSS noted that
students have to work as a team to look at the data that they collect from their SciFest
projects and analyze it and then they go back and make revisions or draw conclusions
about it. This is exactly what MNCs will expect of them.” (Teacher 1, interview,
April 17, 2018)
This sentiment was also shared by a CCSS administrator who, when interviewed, stated:
When I arrived at this school, I noticed that when I would suggest things to the girls like
SciFest, they’d talk about how they we’re not good enough to be able to do that. How-
ever, they quickly built the confidence necessary to be successful. (Administrator 1,
interview, April 17, 2018)
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Like educators and students, the business leaders and educational policy makers who
were interviewed agreed that SciFest competition provides participants with a multitude of
opportunities to develop academically and to demonstrate the essential skills required to obtain
careers in STEM occupations (Table 27). One business leader noted, “The question, is Ireland’s
education system trying to get more students interested in taking STEM courses? I would answer
yes, based on what I have observed at SciFest, and more importantly what I have heard from
students at SciFest” (Business Leader 4, interview, April 20, 2018). Another business leader
from a multibillion-dollar MNC, who was asked whether SciFest enables participants to demon-
strate the skills needed to obtain careers in STEM fields, replied: “Absolutely, flexibility, resil-
ience, being able to problem solve, and overall just being innovative and being able to create
value, I think are things that are highly sought after in our employees, and this is what these
students are doing” (Business Leader 2, interview, April 18, 2018).
Observations of students competing in the SciFest school event at CCSS and the Cork
Institute of Technology SciFest competition (personal observation, April 17 and April 20, 2018,
respectively) appeared to illustrate that all students and teams participating in SciFest were expe-
riencing an enhanced STEM learning opportunity that would not only enable but also empower
them to demonstrate the skills needed to obtain careers in STEM fields. Therefore, it is impera-
tive that school principals value and develop defined autonomy leadership structures will make it
clear that schools are not entangled by a top-down governing body of a single individual with all
the answers who is working to make things happen (Bolman & Deal, 2013). Instead, the leader
partners with internal and external stakeholders as they work together to create a dynamic
organizational culture that values high standards and inspires people around a shared vision that
will provide engaging learning opportunities for all students (Bolman & Deal, 2013; Marzano,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 159
2007). This organizational culture should support the defined shared beliefs and professional
behaviors, ultimately creating high-quality relationships within the school walls that support
collective core values (Northouse, 2015). Accomplishing this goal with fidelity will require
school leaders to possess the personal capital necessary to inspire their teams to develop the
internal self-efficacy and professional capital required to set the right goals and engage in the
right work with an intent to benefit all students (DuFour & DuFour, 2013; Hargreaves & Fullan,
2013).
Chapter Summary
The data analysis included a review of the literature, survey responses, interview
responses, and personal observations. Data were analyzed and aligned with the research ques-
tions and the six frameworks driving this study. The framework of Friedman (2007) was used to
understand globalization; the framework of Spring (2015), to discern the impact of globalization
on education; the framework of Wagner (2014), to understand the qualities and impacts of 21st-
century skills, the four frames approach of Bolman and Deal (2013), to understand leadership
behaviors; the feminist framework of Acker (1987), to understand feminist theory and the study
of gender and education; and the framework of Slough and Milam (2013), to understand the
defining characteristics of PBL. Inquiry-based instructional strategies were used to ground each
theme. Triangulation of the various data formats collected and the triangulation of the various
stakeholder groups were connected to and with the literature review and ultimately yielded the
eight themes outlined in this chapter.
In response to Research Question 1, the first theme posited that student participation in
SciFest helps students feel better prepared to successfully take the LCE. Education policy
makers and educators have collectively taken deliberate actions to ensure that students are
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 160
immersed in STEM content and coursework opportunities that will prepare them to take the LCE.
Their collective efforts have endeavored to accomplish what is known—namely, that students
who are immersed in meaningful project-based work requiring intellect capital in the core
subjects of STEM will be considered best prepared to meet the professional demands that are
required within Ireland’s knowledge economy (Beers, 2011; Duffy, 2016). The second theme
posited that teachers and administration encourage and support students to participate in SciFest
as a mechanism to prepare to take the LCE. An analysis of the data suggested that students,
teachers, business leaders, and educational policy makers supported the notion that school
leadership and teachers do encourage participation in SciFest to support student success, includ-
ing success on state examinations (see Tables 5–7).
Analysis of the data related to Research Question 2 produced two themes. The first
theme indicated that principal and teacher leaders are influential in students’ decision to partici-
pate in SciFest. This result was supported by all stakeholder participants, who were nearly
unanimous in surveys and interviews that school leadership is a positive influence and employs
strategies to positively influence student participation in SciFest (see Tables 10–12). However,
the second them indicated that students did not feel as strongly about the role that teachers play to
employ strategies that positively influence school participation in SciFest (see Table 10). In
contrast to the positive benefits seen in the first theme, the second theme indicated mixed results.
Specifically, survey and interview data collected from educators, business leaders, and educa-
tional policy makers demonstrated majority support acknowledging that school leadership
allocates adequate resources to implement SciFest school competitions. However, student survey
data did not indicate the same level of confidence shown in student interviews, as represented by
the minority percentage of all students surveyed who agreed or strongly agreed that school
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 161
leadership allocates adequate financial resources to effectively implement SciFest school compe-
titions (see Table 13).
Analysis of the data related to Research Question 3 produced two themes. The first theme
demonstrated that the majority of stakeholders who were surveyed and interviewed felt that
schools employ targeted strategies to actively encourage and recruit female students’ participa-
tion in SciFest. However, there was some survey discrepancy in the responses by all teachers and
administrators, whose survey results did not demonstrate majority agreement as it pertained to
school efforts to employ strategies that actively encourage and recruit female students’ participa-
tion in SciFest (see Table 17). The majority of stakeholders recognized that participation in
science fairs such as SciFest can be positively impacted by schools that encourage participation.
This is particularly encouraging when one considers research conducted by Sahin (2013), who
contended that “students who attended STEM courses and after school science clubs had a higher
percentage of post-secondary matriculation into STEM majors than the national average” (p. 8).
The second theme and data collected in surveys and interviews indicated that SciFest
does influence the development of female students’ interests to enroll into senior-level and
third-level STEM courses (see Tables 19–21). In contrast to the positive data results, all stu-
dents’ survey responses demonstrated that a minority percentage felt that SciFest influences
development of female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-level and third-level STEM
courses. It is possible that the survey findings on SciFest participation and its influence on
female students’ interests in enrolling into senior- and third-level STEM courses at least hinted
that not all female and male students may have had the same opinion.
Analysis of the data related to Research Question 4 produced two themes. The first
theme demonstrated that participation in SciFest helps students to develop the 21st-century skills
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 162
needed to participate successfully in a global economy (see Tables 22–24). This is an important
finding in the understanding of how crucial it is that Ireland does not forget the importance of
creating a highly educated young workforce, who possess the knowledge skills required to thrive
in jobs within the science, engineering, and technology sectors (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009;
Thornton, 2014). This belief was prevalent among multiple stakeholder groups, as demonstrated
through survey, interview, and observation data.
The second theme indicated that participation in SciFest enhances students’ academic
development in STEM content and coursework. An analysis of the data showed that students,
educators, business leaders, and educational policy makers supported the notion that SciFest
participation provides students with enhanced educational experiences that develop the skills
needed to ultimately obtain careers in STEM fields. This notion indicates that SciFest immerses
students in learning opportunities that enhance their embedded STEM skills in a manner that will
facilitate their participation in STEM-related occupations. Therefore, evidence suggests that
SciFest can be a support to Ireland’s educational system and ongoing economic interests to
attract FDI, as the nation strives to develop and provide its students with strong skills-based
educational opportunities and efficacy through the pathway of a high-quality education (Dorgan,
2006; Thornton, 2014).
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Chapter Five: Summary, Implications, Recommendations, and Conclusions
Globalization has thrust the world population into a new understanding of what is hap-
pening due to the improved channels of communication that are now available across borders and
continents, thereby creating a flattening effect (Friedman, 2005; Spooner, 2015). The powerful
byproducts of this flattening effect are how it empowers individuals or interconnected groups of
people to share ideas, to produce collectively developed complex work products with less
organizational impediments to get in the way, and to accomplish these tasks at a expedited and
fiscally responsible pace (Friedman, 2005). Ireland began to make deliberate policy shifts begin-
ning in the early 1960s. The country’s commitment to economic prosperity that is driven by
reformist governance continues to this day, including policy that has revised tax-based structures
and lowered tariffs, thereby creating a more competitive economic framework necessary to
attract FDI and MNCs (Bradley, 2001; Dorgan, 2006; FitzGerald, 2000; Rios-Morales &
Brennan, 2009). It is important to note that these revised policy structures were embedded in a
macroeconomic plan driven by a long-term objective that manifested economic prosperity in
Ireland that continues to be necessary for the nation’s growth (Rios-Morales & Brennan, 2009).
However, revised governance structures were not the panacea to ensure Ireland’s eco-
nomic prosperity on their own. Ultimately, Ireland had to determine how to ensure that the
nation could produce a highly skilled, knowledge worker force necessary to promote FDI, MNC
acquisitions, and a sustained pattern of employment (Burnham, 2003; Donnelly, 2011). The
impetus for this deliberate effort has been manifested in Ireland’s deliberate decisions with
regard to the education system, whose intent is to provide equal opportunities for access and
success to all of the nation’s students (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 164
Ireland made a national decision to place emphasis on science and technology education
during the 1990s and backed this national interest with the creation of Science Foundation
Ireland, which was modeled on the National Science Foundation in the United States (Dorgan,
2006). It was during the 1990s that Ireland began to see a decrease in emigration, and the nation
also realized a net increase in population due to increased migration patterns into the country as
the economy and job opportunities improved (Burnham, 2003). The development of strong
skills-based educational opportunities that provide students with the 21st-century skills and
competencies necessary to become competitive knowledge workers has generated a confidence
about the high quality of education that Irish students receive. This, in turn, enhances Ireland’s
ability to attract important FDI (Ananiadou & Claro, 2009; Dorgan, 2006; Thornton, 2014).
This study was designed to compile data from a variety of deliberately identified stake-
holders from both within and outside of the Irish educational setting, including teachers, princi-
pals, parents, students, college/university professors, educational policy makers, and business
leaders. A summary of the structure of this dissertation is germane to providing an understanding
of the various sources of information contained within this study. Chapter One provided a
general overview of the background and problem of the study. This chapter also presented the
four research questions that guided this study:
1. How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students for the LCE?
2. How does school leadership influence participation in SciFest?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses?
4. What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/
university professors, and MNCs have regarding the value of student participation in SciFest?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 165
Key terms essential for understanding the salient content of the study were defined. Also defined
were the limitations and delimitations associated with the study and the assumptions made
around the study. Chapter One created a foundation for the reader to more clearly understand the
content, purpose, and significance of the study.
Chapter Two provided a comprehensive summary of literature that served as a foundation
for this study. This review included defining and understanding the impact of globalization and
its flattening effect on the world (Friedman, 2007). Another section detailed the history of
Ireland and the deep and interwoven connections among religion, national politics, economic
history, and their impact on education policy. Chapter Two included a description of the impact
that globalization has had on education through the development of 21st-century skills, inquiry-
based and project-based instructional strategies, STEM content, and access opportunities through
the lens of gender. This review included a succinct overview of science fairs and their develop-
ment. The chapter concluded with an outline of applicable theoretical frameworks that were
identified and employed to ground the study. The works of Acker (1987), Bolman and Deal
(2013), Friedman (2007), Slough and Milam (2013), Spring (2015), and Wagner (2014) were
described and connected to the research included in this study.
Chapter Three illustrated the process for conducting this research study. This chapter
included a description of the mixed-methods approach to the study, the purposeful sampling
method, and a description of the participants in the study. The various protocols used for
surveys, interviews, and observations were outlined as well as the processes used to collect and
analyze the data that were ultimately compiled. Finally, this chapter addressed adherence of the
individual researcher and research cohort team to all applicable guidelines and expectations as
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 166
required by the USC IRB process (Approval #UP-16-00179). This process included a discussion
of the validity and reliability of the study and also addressed the ethical considerations.
Chapter Four revisited each of the four individual research questions and outlined data
collected in the study in terms of identified emerging themes related to each of the questions.
This analysis of data consisted of a coded frequency analysis of specific survey items, samples of
interview transcriptions, a summary of thematic findings from participants in the interview
setting, and a discussion of findings from observation protocols completed in classrooms and at
the SciFest science and technology fair competition held at the Cork Institute of Technology.
Following the discussion of each theme, conclusions were drawn for each of the study’s four
research questions.
Chapter Five is a requisite summary of Chapters One to Four. This chapter provides an
analysis of findings for each research question and recommendations for potential areas to
continue or expand this study. The chapter commences with a synopsis of the overall structure of
the chapters contained within the dissertation and then outlines a summary of the findings. Next,
Chapter Five continues with an exploration of practical implications connected to the study and
explores corollary pathways where the study could be further expanded in the future.
Summary of Findings
The thorough analysis of data that was thoughtfully collected through surveys, interviews,
and observations yielded eight unique themes connected to the four research questions embedded
in this study. A summary of the themes associated with and linked to each individual research
question is included. The summary of themes is organized as findings for each research question.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 167
Findings for Research Question 1
Research Question 1 asked, “How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students
for the LCE?” The aim of this question was to understand how schools identify and develop
classroom learning environments and school cultures that support SciFest participation and
success on the LCE. Ireland’s educational policy and school system efforts must be connected
with the endeavor to identify, recruit, and empower innovative school leaders and teachers who
possess the professional capital necessary to set the right goals and engage in the right work that
will create dynamic learning opportunities for all students (DuFour & DuFour, 2013; Hargreaves
& Fullan, 2013). If accomplished with fidelity and coherence, these preferred states will provide
Ireland with confidence that the nation is indeed creating leaders and schools that will engage
students in learning that is differentiated, academically rigorous, and driven by specific success
criteria such as those that are defined in the LCE (Childress et al., 2006; Hattie, 2012). Two
themes emerged from the data collected from the literature, surveys, interviews, and surveys.
The first theme yielded for Research Question 1 demonstrated a belief that student
participation in SciFest helps students to feel better prepared to successfully take the LCE. Most
stakeholders who participated in this study strongly supported this theme. Whether it was
students, administrators, educational policy makers, or the business leaders, all felt that SciFest
participation helps students to prepare for success on the LCE. However, there was some dis-
crepancy regarding this theme when data gathered across all schools for teachers and administra-
tors were analyzed. The opinion of the majority of stakeholders was supported by the works of
Slough and Milam (2013) and Wagner (2014). Wagner posited that an effective education
system must immerse students in classroom environments that require them to utilize 21st-
century skills, including but not limited to communication, collaboration, critical thinking,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 168
creativity, agility, and adaptability in order to become the knowledge workers needed for the 21st
century (Wagner, 2014). Slough and Milam suggested that four fundamental criteria could serve
as a framework for creating learning environments that facilitate students’ acquisition of these
21st-century skill sets: (a) making content accessible, (b) making things visible, (c) helping
students to learn from others, and (d) promoting autonomy and lifelong learning.
The second theme developed through data analysis in relation to Research Question 1
was that teachers/administration encourage and support students to participate in SciFest as a
mechanism to prepare them to take the LCE. Stakeholder cohort data collected for this theme
indicated mixed results. Specifically, survey and interview data collected from students, teach-
ers, and administrators indicated a strong level of confidence acknowledging that SciFest pre-
pares students to take the LCE. Like in the work from Spring (2008), these stakeholders under-
stand that SciFest can be a mechanism that supports their effort as students prepare to take the
LCE and that this opportunity will enhance students’ academic outcomes that are in the best
interest of Ireland and its educational system. However, business leaders and educational policy
makers’ survey data did not demonstrate the same level of confidence in comparison to the other
stakeholder groups and, as such, there may be a disconnect with respect to understanding deliber-
ate efforts being engaged at the school level to inspire students to participate in science fairs.
Feedback during interviews with educational policy makers and MNC leaders demonstrated
different results, as noted in their comments regarding positive connections between SciFest
participation and student performance on the LCE. This feedback may be attributed to the
SciFest competition at the Cork Institute of Technology, where many of these interviews with
MNC leaders occurred.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 169
Findings for Research Question 2
How school leadership influences student participation in SciFest was the focus for
Research Question 2. CCSS requires all first-year students to participate in SciFest at the school
competition. Students work in collaborative teams to co-develop a project and then display and
share their results with their peers as well as visiting first-level students. This practice is in line
with the concepts and ideas posited by Wagner (2014) as it pertains to the importance of 21st-
century skills development. Wagner suggested that students must possess the internal efficacy
required to communicate and strategically collaborate with others on a topic, to think critically
about a problem, and then to effectively communicate their thinking so as to innovate or be
creative. Wagner also suggested that students’ ability to innovate was paramount to their even-
tual success to participate as a contributing knowledge worker. Participation in SciFest at school
and college activities was also in line with the work of Slough and Milam (2013), who have been
advocates for creating learning environments that require students to co-construct their learning
through inquiry-based, problem-solving activities. The frameworks detailed by Wagner and by
Slough and Milam, analyzed with the data collected for Research Question 2, yielded two
emerging themes for this study.
The first theme that emerged for Research Question 2 was that principal and teacher
leaders are influential in students’ decision to participate in SciFest. Through both the survey
and interview data, it was established that all stakeholder groups felt that students’ participation
in events such as SciFest was invariably influenced in a positive manner as a direct result of
school leaders who promote the experience as one that is positive. There was a consistent con-
nection between all stakeholder data that were collected through surveys and interviews—
namely, that students were required to hone the 21st-century skills of communication,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 170
collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity (Wagner, 2014) as they engaged in the strategic and
rigorous work required to successfully complete a SciFest project (students, teachers, administra-
tors, educational policy makers, and business leaders, interviews, April 20, 2018). The stake-
holder data were supported by the frameworks of Slough and Milam (2013) and Wagner (2014),
as well as by the research related to the authentic engagement of children in the investigation and
exploration of curriculum through participation in science fairs (McComas, 2011; Tai et al.,
2006). Observational data gathered at CCSS and SciFest at the Cork Institute of Technology also
supported that teacher leaders influence students’ decision to participate in SciFest, as evidenced
by teachers’ direct interaction with student teams at both events.
The second theme that emerged from the data collected around Research Question 2
posited whether school leaders provide necessary resources for students to successfully partici-
pate in science fairs and competitions, such as SciFest. The data collected indicated mixed
results. Specifically, survey and interview data collected from educators, business leaders, and
educational policy makers demonstrated majority support acknowledging that school leadership
allocates adequate resources to implement SciFest school competitions.
However, there was a gap between survey and interview data collected from students
regarding the deliberate allocation of adequate financial resources for school leaders to effec-
tively implement SciFest school competitions. Specifically, feedback gathered during student
interviews demonstrated a high level of confidence that school leaders allocated adequate finan-
cial resources for SciFest, although survey results did not demonstrate the same level of confi-
dence. This result was concerning, particularly when compared to research conducted by
Maltese and Tai (2010) that posited that students must be immersed in educational experiences
that inspire intrinsic motivation that they already possess for science.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 171
Findings for Research Question 3
Larson and Miller (2011) contended that it is cogent that educators and the educational
system in Ireland at all levels align their collective interests and reshape instructional non-
negotiables so that all students, including girls, are prepared to compete and succeed in a global-
ized world. Today’s globalized world situation requires its citizenry to possess 21st-century
skills that are necessary to compete and thrive.
The first emerging theme from data collected around Research Question 3 was that the
majority of stakeholders who were surveyed and interviewed believed that schools employ
targeted strategies to actively encourage and recruit female participation in SciFest. The data
collected showed some survey discrepancy with respect to all teachers and administrators, whose
survey results did not demonstrate majority agreement as it pertained to school efforts to employ
strategies that actively encourage and recruit female participation in SciFest. It was encouraging
that the majority opinion reinforced research conducted by McComas (2011), who posited that a
student’s educational experiences should focus on encouragement and creation of authentic
interest that students develop as a result of building self-efficacy and due to their immersion in
inquiry-based science fair projects of their choosing.
The second theme that emerged from the data collected around Research Question 3 was
that SciFest does influence the development of female students’ interests to enroll into senior-
level and third-level STEM courses. However, this level of confidence was not reinforced when
survey and interview data gathered for all students were analyzed. It is possible that the revised
expectation that all first-year students at CCSS be required to participate in SciFest could be
responsible for higher confidence levels that SciFest has influenced female students’ decisions to
enroll into senior- and third-level STEM courses.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 172
Findings for Research Question 4
According to O’Hagan and Newman (2014), Ireland’s deliberate interests, as they pertain
to developing education policy that generates students who are prepared to become knowledge
workers, are essential if the nation’s goal is to develop students who possess the 21st-century
skills required to successfully advance Ireland’s ability to successfully compete in a globalized
STEM economy (Slough & Milam, 2013). Research Question 4 of this study focused on gather-
ing information on the perceptions that teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, col-
lege/university professors, and MNCs had regarding the value of student participation in SciFest.
The data gathered for this research question yielded two emerging themes for this study.
The first theme that emerged for Research Question 4 indicated that participation in
SciFest helps students develop the 21st-century skills needed to participate successfully in a
global economy. Through both the survey data and the interview data, it was established that all
students felt strongly about SciFest participation providing students with an opportunity to
develop 21st-century skills. Survey and interview data collected from teachers, administrators,
business leaders, and educational policy makers demonstrated the same belief but at even higher
percentages of confidence. These findings elucidated the acute and inextricable importance of
Ireland’s capability to create a highly educated, young workforce, who possess the knowledge
skills required to thrive in jobs within the science, engineering, and technology sectors (Rios-
Morales & Brennan, 2009; Thornton, 2014).
The second theme that emerged for Research Question 4 was that participation in SciFest
enhances students’ academic development in STEM content and course work. The data collected
showed that all stakeholder groups felt that participation in science fair competitions such as
SciFest provided the impetus necessary to enhance students’ acquisition of 21st-century skills
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 173
and academic development in STEM content (see Tables 25, 26, and 27). This feeling was
supported by the research of Beers (2011), who posited that there is a symbiotic connection
between 21st-century skills and STEM education. Beers exhorted further that students must be
immersed in a STEM curriculum through navigation of real-life problems that offer PBL oppor-
tunities that require and encourage creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and interdependent
communication, and strategic problem solving.
Practical Implications
This research study delved into the history of Ireland’s economy and educational system
and policy history to find out the prevailing conditions of these national entities. Ireland’s
economy has transitioned from an agrarian society buttressed by simple export mechanisms to an
economy that not only supports high-technology MNCs but also deliberately seeks them out to
entice them to place headquarters within the country. Ireland’s schools were formed on a founda-
tion that was presided over by the Catholic Church, but that operating structure has also evolved
over time into one that is more decentralized and independent from the church (Cronin, 2001).
The examination of literature and subsequent data collection for this study led to four implica-
tions regarding the practice of education in Ireland.
The first implication for practice by educators, policy makers, and MNC leaders responds
to the notion that SciFest school and college competitions are a support mechanism to buttress
student achievement outcomes on the LCE. As recommended by Abernathy and Vineyard
(2001), it is critical that educators and educational systems promote and encourage participation
in science fair activities as a non-negotiable facet of students’ educational experience. The
majority of participants in this study expressed an opinion that SciFest is a supportive mechanism
to prepare students to take the LCE; however, these opinions may not match current classroom
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 174
realities. A recent analysis of science fair participation indicates that both support and participa-
tion may be waning (McComas, 2011). This situation is alarming because international statistics
on student proficiency in math and science (e.g., TIMMS and PISA) have indicated that the next
generation of students may not be sufficiently prepared to navigate a complex knowledge econ-
omy (Sahin, 2013). Therefore, Ireland’s policy makers and education leaders may need to
consider the creation of a standardized IBL structure that facilitates student participation in
science fair activities. Consequently, students would be engaged in learning environments that
support the 21st-century skills desired by MNCs.
The second implication for practice for teachers and principals highlights the integral role
that school leadership plays in influencing student participation in SciFest. Overwhelmingly,
students emphasized the important connection that existed between their interest and ultimate
participation in SciFest and their connection to school leaders who inspired and influenced that
participation. Similarly, teachers, business leaders and policy makers were adamant about the
role that leaders play to positively influence student and school participation in SciFest. As
Ireland’s globalized economy continues to expand, it is important that the educational system,
policy makers, and business leaders deliberately endeavor to create interdependent expectations
regarding the role that stakeholder leaders must play in influencing student participation in
STEM activities such as SciFest. Currently, the nation has adopted a vision that fosters the
importance of providing students in Ireland with STEM educational experiences that provide
them with high levels of engagement, enjoyment, and exposure to 21st-century skills (IOP,
2016). As Ireland’s globalized economy continues to grow, it is imperative that stakeholder
leaders also continue to grow so that students may benefit from being immersed in a real-world,
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 175
inquiry-based curriculum and lesson design that facilitates students’ 21st-century skills develop-
ment (Wagner, 2014).
The third implication for practice was evident from the majority of teachers and adminis-
trators who were surveyed and indicated that participation in SciFest influences female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level and third-level stem courses (see Table 20). However, there
was also a large cohort of these stakeholder groups who were neutral about SciFest and its ability
to influence female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-level and third-level STEM courses.
This cohort of survey participants is of particular interest to this implication because their
mindset and the ability to help it grow in a positive manner would be the tipping point necessary
to create an overwhelming majority belief that SciFest can influence female students’ interest in
enrolling into senior-level and third-level courses (see Table 20; Dweck, 2006).
The fourth implication for practice was overwhelmingly evident in the majority of
participants who indicated that SciFest participation provides opportunities for students to
develop the 21st-century skills needed in a global economy (see Tables 22-24). Thurow (2000)
posited that there has been a shift of power for nations from a base that is economically driven
from within the country’s borders toward a more inclusive and dynamic structure that is entwined
with global participation. It is this necessary structure that exhorts the importance of educating
students in dynamic and thriving learning systems that will develop confident knowledge work-
ers who are necessary to not only participate but also to succeed in a global economy (Thurow,
2000). Consequently, it might behoove both the educational system and economic realities for
Ireland as a nation if it were to embrace an interdependent model of course development whereby
educational leaders and business leaders identify learning opportunities that create knowledge
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 176
acquisition through pathways that will embed the skills necessary to thrive in a globalized
economy and in MNCs themselves.
Recommendations for Future Research
This study’s review of literature emphasized the gap that exists in Ireland surrounding the
underrepresentation of females who hold STEM careers and who choose STEM fields of aca-
demic study (Adya & Kaiser, 2005). In addition to these gaps in the existing body of research,
there are also deficiencies in research linking the benefits of female participation in science fairs
to their decisions regarding enrolling into second- and third-level STEM coursework that will
provide potential career opportunities within the nation’s technological sector. In addition, this
study focused on schools in and around Dublin and Cork that were participating or had partici-
pated in SciFest. While access to schools immersed in SciFest at some level was beneficial to
this researcher, it would be prudent to also spend time with students who attend schools within
and outside these geographic regions and are not voluntarily participating in SciFest or any other
science competition. This effort would provide data that could further define the role that school
leadership may have in influencing student and staff participation in SciFest and/or STEM
inquiry-based learning experiences (see Table 11).
The first recommendation for future research is to continue to examine female students’
access to and engagement in classroom learning activities and environments that may inspire
their enrollment into second- and third-level STEM coursework. This study focused on schools
with all-female student bodies, all-male student bodies, and co-ed secondary school structures. It
was noted by the student participants that there was a deliberate effort to encourage female
participation in SciFest, but that same confidence was not present when asked if specific strate-
gies were engaged in to encourage female students’ participation in SciFest (see Table 16).
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 177
Additional research is recommended to expand and target exclusively female participant samples
at the second level and third level as well as females who are currently working for MNCs in
STEM fields to determine the indicators that influenced their academic development, experi-
ences, and efficacy. It is research efforts such as this that may inform Ireland’s educational
system in a way that can empower more girls to successfully navigate the nuances of role model
identification, peer group pressure, and gender stereotypes by providing engaging and exciting
real-world educational experiences that will influence and inspire females to pursue academic
interests and careers in STEM fields (Adya & Kaiser, 2005).
The second recommendation for further research is to visit and explore other globalized
nations where females play pivotal roles in their nation’s economic prosperity as a result of their
work in MNCs with STEM interests. This research, along with the existing body of research
based in Ireland, will allow for additional conclusions to be drawn about the best practices for
inspiring females to pursue STEM academic and career interests that promote and value acquisi-
tion of 21st-century skills that can serve both personal and national economic interests.
Conclusions
Ireland has successfully demonstrated a consistent and deliberate growth pattern with
regard to educational and economic policy aimed at enhancing the nation’s capability to become
a competitive player in our globalized economy (O’Hagan & Newman, 2014). In response to this
globalized economy, Ireland’s educational system and schools have developed and embraced
transformational policies and instructional commitments that place emphasis on the development
of 21st-century skills and STEM curriculum enhancements that include an emphasis on student
participation in science competitions such as SciFest (see Tables 25, 26, & 27). However, there
is also still conflicting educational policy with regard to the weight that Ireland places upon
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 178
students’ academic competency and opportunities, as measured by their standardized LCE scores.
It could be argued that this standardized constraint limits educational leaders and students as it
relates to development and participation in learning environments and activities that provide
them with opportunities to develop and hone skills that meet the demands of a globalized world
in the 21st century. That is why it is critical that educators and educational leaders continue to
provide their students with engaging in 21st-century learning tasks such as SciFest that will
inspire them to explore STEM content that is germane for building their personal efficacy. The
data collected through this study supported the direction that the Irish educational system is
headed to improve both its students’ and the nation’s future in matters such as those previously
noted.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 179
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Appendix A: Recruitment Letter to Principal
Dear [CONTACT NAME],
My name is [USC STUDENT’S NAME] and I am currently [USC STUDENT’S TITLE/POSITION],
located in the United States. I am also a doctoral student at the University of Southern California (USC)
and in April, 2018, I will travel with 12 other doctoral students from USC to Ireland as part of a research
team led by Dr. Michael Escalante.
Your name was provided to me as an innovative leader running an exemplary program. Recently, Sheila
Porter, CEO of SciFest, contacted you or a representative at your school to request your participation in a
1-day study. From April 16 to 19, 2018, another doctoral student and I hope to visit [NAME OF
SCHOOL/INSTITUTION] to talk with, observe, and survey willing students, teachers, and you.
This study’s ultimate goal is to understand how schools and SciFest are helping students to develop 21st-
century skills, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). We are
interested in STEM education as a means of producing knowledge-ready workers and citizens prepared
for the 21st-century. Expanding on prior studies, we hope to understand how leadership and increased
female participation influence broader acquisition of 21st-century skills and/or pursuit of STEM in
college-career. Furthermore, we aim to understand the influence of globalization and multinational
corporations on schools throughout Ireland.
The following questions will guide our research:
1. How do schools engage in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations?
2. How does school leadership influence participation in SciFest?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-
level and third-level STEM courses?
4. What perceptions do teachers, principals, parents, students, civic leaders, college/university
professors, and multinational corporations (MNCs) have regarding the value of student participa-
tion in SciFest?
Please know that participation during our visit will be entirely voluntary, confidential, and nonevaluative.
If you would like, at the completion of the overall study, I would be more than happy to provide a copy of
the final dissertation results and conclusions report.
Thank you for considering my request and taking your valuable time to read this correspondence; without
your help, this experience would not be possible. May I request that you reply at your convenience via
email to [USC STUDENT’S EMAIL] to provide a contact number and preferred time for me to call you
to discuss details about my visit to [NAME OF SCHOOL/INSTITUTION].
Sincerely,
[USC STUDENT’S NAME]
Doctoral Candidate
Rossier School of Education
University of Southern California
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 190
Appendix B: Political Leader/Educational Policy Maker Interview Protocol
Interviewer: Date:
Interviewee: Location:
Job Title: Contact Information:
Length of Time in Your Position:
Start Time: End Time:
Introduction:
[Introduce yourself and your affiliation.]
During this conversation, we hope to learn more about [insert affiliation] and your experiences
with regard to SciFest participation in Ireland. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand the
influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills
through implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in
the SciFest science competition. The study examines how school leadership influences student
participation in SciFest while preparing for the state examinations. Additionally, this study
investigates how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses and stakeholders’
perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st-century workforce.
For clarification, we are particularly interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
and maths (STEM). Students need 21st-century skills to compete in a global workforce and
economy; these 21st-century skills include critical thinking, collaboration, effective oral and
written communication skills, and creativity.
Your comments will remain confidential. We would like to record this interview to ensure the
accuracy of our conversation. The recording will be used only by our research team to review
responses and to provide an opportunity to code themes among the various respondents. The
information recorded will never be made public by any means. Do we have your consent to
record?
This interview will last approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions before we begin?
I. Schools’ engagement in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations
1. What is the ideal way to prepare students for the state examinations while participating in
SciFest at the same time?
2. What strategies should schools employ to prepare students for SciFest while preparing
students for the state examinations?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence preparation for the state examinations?
4. Some principals say that SciFest takes away from the core instruction and preparation for
the state examinations. How would you respond to that?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 191
II. The influence of school leadership on SciFest participation
1. If possible, talk to me about instances that you are aware of when school leadership influ-
enced students to participate in SciFest.
2. What leadership qualities are important in getting schools to participate in SciFest?
3. What challenges do you think school leaders face in supporting their school’s participation
in SciFest?
4. Suppose I am a new principal and I am considering implementing SciFest at my school.
What would you say?
III. Influence of SciFest participation on female students’ interest in enrolling into senior-
level and third-level STEM courses
1. How has SciFest affected female students’ interest in continuing their study in STEM
courses in the senior level and/or third level, if at all?
2. Why do you believe that female students participate in SciFest?
3. What do you see as some of the advantages of female students’ participation in SciFest?
4. What, if any, barriers exist for female students’ participation in senior-level and third-level
STEM courses?
IV. The value of student participation in SciFest
1. How does student participation in SciFest benefit students, if at all?
2. What is the role of SciFest in the development of 21st-century skills, if any?
3. How does SciFest influence students’ college and career choices?
4. How does SciFest contribute to Ireland’s economic prosperity, if at all?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 192
Appendix C: Business and Industry (MNCs) Interview Protocol
Interviewer: Date:
Interviewee: Location:
Job Title: Contact Information:
Length of Time in Your Position:
Start Time: End Time:
Introduction:
[Introduce yourself and your affiliation.]
During this conversation, we hope to learn more about [insert affiliation] and your experiences
with regard to SciFest participation in Ireland. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand the
influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills
through implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in
the SciFest science competition. The study examines how school leadership influences student
participation in SciFest while preparing for the state examinations. Additionally, this study
investigates how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses and stakeholders’
perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st-century workforce.
For clarification, we are particularly interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
and maths (STEM). Students need 21st-century skills to compete in a global workforce and
economy; these 21st-century skills include critical thinking, collaboration, effective oral and
written communication skills, and creativity.
Your comments will remain confidential. We would like to record this interview to ensure the
accuracy of our conversation. The recording will be used only by our research team to review
responses and to provide an opportunity to code themes between the various respondents. The
information recorded will never be made public by any means. Do we have your consent to
record?
This interview will last approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions before we begin?
I. Schools’ engagement in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations
1. What is your opinion of the ideal way to prepare students for the state examinations while
participating in SciFest at the same time?
2. What strategies should schools employ to prepare students for SciFest while preparing
students for the state examinations?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence preparation for the state examinations?
4. Some principals say that SciFest takes away from the core instruction and preparation for the
state examinations. How would you respond to that?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 193
II. The influence of school leadership on SciFest participation
1. If possible, talk to me about instances you are aware of when school leadership influenced
students to participate in SciFest.
2. What leadership qualities are important in getting schools to participate in SciFest?
3. What challenges do you think school leaders face in supporting their school’s participation
in SciFest?
III. The influence of SciFest participation on female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses
1. How has SciFest affected female students’ interest in continuing their study in STEM fields
in the senior level and/or third level, if at all?
2. Why do you believe that female students participate in SciFest?
3. What do you see as some of the advantages of female student participation in SciFest?
4. What, if any, barriers exist for female students’ participation in senior-level and third-level
STEM courses?
IV. The value of student participation in SciFest
1. How does student participation in SciFest benefit your organization, if at all?
2. What is the role of SciFest in the development of 21st-century skills, if any?
3. How does SciFest influence students’ college and career choices?
4. How does SciFest contribute to Ireland’s economic prosperity, if at all?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 194
Appendix D: School Leader Interview Protocol
Interviewer: Date:
Interviewee: Location:
Job Title: Contact Information:
Length of Time in Your Position:
Start Time: End Time:
Introduction:
[Introduce yourself and your affiliation.]
During this conversation, we hope to learn more about [insert affiliation] and your experiences
with regard to SciFest participation in Ireland. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand
the influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills
through implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in
the SciFest science competition. The study examines how school leadership influences student
participation in SciFest while preparing for the state examinations. Additionally, this study
investigates how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses and stakeholders’
perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st-century workforce.
For clarification, we are particularly interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
and maths (STEM). Students need 21st-century skills to compete in a global workforce and
economy; these 21st century skills include critical thinking, collaboration, effective oral and
written communication skills, and creativity.
Your comments will remain confidential. We would like to record this interview to ensure the
accuracy of our conversation. The recording will be used only by our research team to review
responses and to provide an opportunity to code themes between the various respondents. The
information recorded will never be made public by any means. Do we have your consent to
record?
This interview will last approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions before we begin?
I. Schools’ engagement in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations
1. What is the ideal way to prepare students for the state examinations while participating in
SciFest at the same time?
2. What strategies are employed to prepare students for SciFest at your school while preparing
students for the state examinations?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence preparation for the state examinations?
4. Some principals say that SciFest takes away from the core instruction and preparation for
the state examinations. How would you respond to that?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 195
II. The influence of school leadership on SciFest participation
1. Talk to me about instances, if any, when your leadership has influenced participation in
SciFest.
2. What leadership qualities are important in getting your school to participate in SciFest?
3. What challenges do school leaders face in supporting their school’s participation in SciFest?
4. Suppose I am a new principal and I am considering implementing SciFest at my school.
What would you say?
III. The influence of SciFest participation on female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses
1. How has SciFest affected female students’ interest in continuing their study in STEM fields
in the senior level and/or third level, if at all?
2. Why do you believe that female students participate in SciFest?
3. What do you see as some of the advantages of female students’ participation in SciFest?
4. What, if any, barriers exist for female students’ participation in senior-level and third-level
STEM courses?
IV. The value of student participation in SciFest
1. How does student participation in SciFest benefit students, if at all?
2. What is the role of SciFest in the development of 21st-century skills, if any?
3. How does SciFest influence students’ college and career choices?
4. How does SciFest contribute to Ireland’s economic prosperity, if at all?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 196
Appendix E: Teacher Interview Protocol
Interviewer: Date:
Interviewee: Location:
Job Title: Contact Information:
Length of Time in Your Position:
Start Time: End Time:
Introduction:
[Introduce yourself and your affiliation.]
During this conversation, we hope to learn more about [insert affiliation] and your experiences
with regard to SciFest participation in Ireland. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand the
influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills
through implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in
the SciFest science competition. The study examines how school leadership influences student
participation in SciFest while preparing for the state examinations. Additionally, this study
investigates how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses and stakeholders’
perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st-century workforce.
For clarification, we are particularly interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
and maths (STEM). Students need 21st-century skills to compete in a global workforce and
economy; these 21st-century skills include critical thinking, collaboration, effective oral and
written communication skills, and creativity.
Your comments will remain confidential. We would like to record this interview to ensure the
accuracy of our conversation. The recording will be used only by our research team to review
responses and to provide an opportunity to code themes between the various respondents. The
information recorded will never be made public by any means. Do we have your consent to
record?
This interview will last approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions before we begin?
I. School’s engagement in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations
1. What is the ideal way to prepare students for the state examinations while participating in
SciFest at the same time?
2. What strategies are employed to prepare students for SciFest at your school while preparing
students for the state examinations?
3. Are you finding that participation in SciFest influences preparation for the state examina-
tions? Please describe this influence.
4. Some teachers might say that SciFest takes away from the core instruction and preparation
for the state examinations. How would you respond to that?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 197
II. The influence of school leadership on SciFest participation
1. Talk to me about instances, if any, where your school principal or other school leaders have
influenced participation in SciFest.
2. What leadership qualities does your principal demonstrate in getting your school to par-
ticipate in SciFest?
3. What challenges do your school principal or other school leaders face in supporting the
school’s participation in SciFest?
4. If you worked at a school where the principal was considering implementing SciFest, what
advice would you give them?
III. The influence of SciFest participation on female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses
1. In your opinion, how has SciFest affected female students’ interest in continuing their study
in STEM fields in the senior level and/or third level, if at all?
2. Why do you believe that female students participate in SciFest?
3. What are examples of the advantages that female students get when they participate in
SciFest?
4. What, if any, barriers exist for female students’ participation in senior-level and third-level
STEM courses?
IV. The value of student participation in SciFest
1. What is your perception of the benefit that students may get from participation in SciFest?
2. What is the role of SciFest in the development of 21st-century skills, if any?
3. If I were a student at this school and I were trying to decide on a college major (third-level
course of study), how would SciFest influence my decision?
4. What is your opinion of SciFest’s contribution to Ireland’s economic prosperity?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 198
Appendix F: Student/Parent Interview Protocol
Interviewer: Date:
Interviewee: Location:
Select One: Student ____ Parent ___ Contact Information:
(Child’s) Gender: _____________________________ (Child’s Grade): ___________
(Child’s) School:
Start Time: End Time:
Introduction:
[Introduce yourself and your affiliation.]
During this conversation, we hope to learn more about [insert affiliation] and your experiences
with regard to SciFest participation in Ireland. The ultimate goal of this study is to understand the
influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills
through implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in
the SciFest science competition. The study examines how school leadership influences student
participation in SciFest while preparing for the state examinations. Additionally, this study
investigates how SciFest influences female students’ interest in STEM courses and stakeholders’
perceptions of SciFest’s value in preparing students to compete in the 21st-century workforce.
For clarification, we are particularly interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering,
and maths (STEM). Students need 21st-century skills to compete in a global workforce and
economy; these 21st-century skills include critical thinking, collaboration, effective oral and
written communication skills, and creativity.
Your comments will remain confidential. We would like to record this interview to ensure the
accuracy of our conversation. The recording will be used only by our research team to review
responses and to provide an opportunity to code themes between the various respondents. The
information recorded will never be made public by any means. Do we have your consent to
record?
This interview will last approximately 45 minutes. Do you have any questions before we begin?
I. School’s engagement in SciFest while preparing students for the state examinations
1. What is the ideal way to prepare students for the state examinations while participating in
SciFest at the same time?
2. What strategies are utilized to prepare students for SciFest at your (child’s) school while
preparing students for the state examinations?
3. How does participation in SciFest influence students’ preparation for the state examinations,
if at all?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 199
4. Some say that SciFest takes away from the core instruction and preparation for the state
examinations. How would you respond to that statement?
II. The influence of school leadership on SciFest participation
1. Talk to me about instances, if any, when school leadership has influenced your (child’s)
participation in SciFest.
2. What leadership qualities are important in getting your (child’s) school to participate in
SciFest?
3. What challenges do school leaders face in supporting their school’s participation in SciFest?
4. Suppose I am a new principal and I am considering implementing SciFest at my school.
What would you say?
III. The influence of SciFest participation on female students’ interest in enrolling into
senior-level and third-level STEM courses
1. How has SciFest affected female students’ interest in continuing their study in STEM
courses in the senior level and/or third level, if at all?
2. Why do you believe that female students participate in SciFest?
3. What do you see as some of the advantages of female students’ participation in SciFest?
4. What, if any, barriers exist for female students’ participation in senior-level and third-level
STEM courses?
IV. The value of student participation in SciFest
1. How does student participation in SciFest benefit students, if at all?
2. What is the role of SciFest in the development of 21st-century skills, if any?
3. How does SciFest influence students’ college and career choices?
4. Why do you (does your child) participate in SciFest?
5. (Parent Only) How does SciFest contribute to Ireland’s economic prosperity, if at all?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 200
Appendix G: Classroom Observation Protocol
Date: Location of Observation:
Teacher Observed: Time of Observation:
Class Size (total students): Males Females
Class Title and Grade Level:
DESCRIPTION/DIAGRAM OF
CLASSROOM
! Position of student desks
! Position of teacher’s desk
! Whiteboard
! Grouping of students
! Technology
! Tables, computers, shelves
! Wall displays, decorations
* Reflection on how physical
space promotes 21st-century
skills
FRONT OF CLASSROOM
Overview of Lesson (Learning Objective for the Day):
Instructional Materials Used:
Additional Classroom Information:
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 201
21st-Century Skills
(Wagner, 2008)
STEM/Inquiry-
Based (Slough &
Milam (2013)
Actions and Comments
Observed Observer Comments
Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
Making Content
Accessible
Collaborating Across
Networks
Making Thinking
Visible
Agility and Adapt-
ability
Helping Students
Learn From Oth-
ers
Initiative and Entre-
preneurialism
Promoting Au-
tonomy and Life-
long Learning
Effective Oral and
Written Communica-
tion
Accessing and Ana-
lyzing Information
Curiosity and Imagi-
nation
Other Observations
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 202
Reflection Questions:
1. RQ1: What evidence exists of STEM education and 21st-century skill development?
2. RQ1: What evidence exists of inquiry-based learning strategies?
3. RQ1: What evidence is there in preparing students for the state examinations?
4. RQ1: How does the teacher integrate elements of SciFest during the lesson?
5. RQ3: How are female students engaged in STEM activities in the classroom?
6. RQ1: What is the nature of student interactions in class?
7. RQ1: How is the teacher engaging students in STEM education?
8. Are there additional questions for the teacher?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 203
Appendix H: SciFest Observation Protocol
Date: Location of Fair: Cork Institute of Technology
Time of Observation:
Number of Students Participating: Males Females
Grade Level of Students Participating:
DESCRIPTION/DIAGRAM OF
FAIR
! Position of student projects
! Grouping of students/themes
! Technology
! Tables, computers
! Wall displays, decorations
* Reflection on how physical
space promotes 21st-century
skills
FRONT OF FAIR
Overview of Events/Themes:
Additional SciFest Information:
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 204
21st-Century Skills
(Wagner, 2008)
STEM/Inquiry-
Based (Slough &
Milam (2013)
Actions and Comments
Observed Observer Comments
Critical Thinking and
Problem Solving
Making Content
Accessible
Collaborating Across
Networks
Making Thinking
Visible
Agility and Adapt-
ability
Helping Students
Learn From Oth-
ers
Initiative and Entre-
preneurialism
Promoting Au-
tonomy and Life-
long Learning
Effective Oral and
Written Communica-
tion
Accessing and Ana-
lyzing Information
Curiosity and Imagi-
nation
Other Observations
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 205
Reflection Questions:
1. RQ1: What evidence exists of STEM education and 21st-century skill development?
2. RQ1: What evidence exists of inquiry-based learning strategies?
3. RQ1: What evidence is there in preparing students for the state examinations?
4. RQ1: How does the teacher integrate elements of SciFest during the lesson?
5. RQ3: How are female students engaged in STEM activities in the classroom?
6. RQ1: What is the nature of student interactions in class?
7. RQ1: How is the teacher engaging students in STEM education?
8. Are there additional questions for the teacher?
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 206
Appendix I: Survey Protocol for School Administrator or Teacher
Date: Location of Survey:
Select One: School Administrator Teacher
Directions: Please read the terms and definitions below prior to proceeding to the questions. Once you
have read the terms and definitions, proceed to survey items 1–26 and rate your opinion next to each
statement.
STEM: Science, technology, engineering, and maths.
21st-Century Skills: Skills that students need to compete in a global workforce and economy, including
critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, effective oral and written communication skills,
ability to access and analyze information, and curiosity and imagination.
Inquiry-Based Learning: A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working
for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem,
or challenge.
MNC: Multinational corporation.
Globalization: The increased interaction and integration of multinational companies from other coun-
tries and their influence on education and policy in Ireland (e.g., Intel).
School Leadership: Principal, other school administrator, or SciFest lead teacher.
SA = Strongly Agree; A = Agree; N = Neutral; D = Disagree; SD = Strongly Disagree; DK = Don’t Know
1. Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on
the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
2. School leadership encourages participation in SciFest to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
3. Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
4. School leadership employs strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 207
4a. Check all strategies that school leadership employs at your school: Yes No
Common planning time
Department meetings
Professional development
Student incentives
Teacher incentives
Instructional materials
Instructional coaches
Hold informational meetings
Promotes SciFest on social media
Family Science Nights
Alignment of curriculum to exit exam
Actionable feedback to teachers to improve science instruction
Recruitment of partners/spouses
School-wide student recognitions
School-wide teacher recognitions
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
5. Teachers at my school employ strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
5a. Check all strategies that teachers employ: Yes No
Inquiry-based learning
Before- or after-school clubs
Science competitions
Independent study
Science Olympiads (series of events)
Interdisciplinary teaching
Family Science Nights
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 208
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
6. School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest activities
with the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
7. School leadership develops a shared vision for implementing
SciFest at the school. SA A N D SD DK
8. School leadership effectively communicates a shared vision
to all stakeholders for implementing SciFest competitions at
the school. SA A N D SD DK
9. School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest competi-
tions at my school. SA A N D SD DK
10. School leadership allocates adequate financial resources to
effectively implement SciFest at my school. SA A N D SD DK
11. School leadership provides support, including time, materi-
als, and training, for participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
12. Female students who participate in SciFest tend not to select
maths-based or technology-based projects. SA A N D SD DK
13. I actively encourage and recruit female students to participate
in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
14. Female students are encouraged by their parents to participate
in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
15. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
16. My school actively employs strategies to increase female
participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
17. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
18. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment in senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
19. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 209
20. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
21. SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop 21st-
century skills. SA A N D SD DK
22. Participants in SciFest demonstrate skills needed to obtain
careers in STEM fields. SA A N D SD DK
23. SciFest participation enhances STEM educational develop-
ment in students. SA A N D SD DK
24. SciFest provides opportunities to develop skills needed in a
global economy. SA A N D SD DK
25. Students benefit from participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
26. MNCs are an important partner in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 210
Appendix J: Survey Protocol for Political Leader, Business Leader, or Policy Maker
Date: Location of Survey:
Select One: Political Leader _____ Business Leader _____ Policy Maker _____
Directions: Please read the terms and definitions below prior to proceeding to the questions. Once you
have read the terms and definitions, proceed to survey items 1–26 and rate your opinion next to each
statement.
STEM: Science, technology, engineering, and maths.
21st-Century Skills: Skills that students need to compete in a global workforce and economy, including
critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, effective oral and written communication skills,
ability to access and analyze information, and curiosity and imagination.
Inquiry-Based Learning: A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working
for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem,
or challenge.
MNC: Multinational corporation.
Globalization: The increased interaction and integration of multinational companies from other coun-
tries and their influence on education and policy in Ireland (e.g., Intel).
School Leadership: Principal, other school administrator, or SciFest lead teacher.
SA = Strongly Agree; A = Agree; N = Neutral; D = Disagree; SD = Strongly Disagree; DK = Don’t Know
1. Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on the
state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
2. School leadership encourages participation in SciFest to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
3. Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
4. School leadership employs strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 211
4a. Check all strategies that school leadership employs: Yes No
Common planning time
Department meetings
Professional development
Student incentives
Teacher incentives
Instructional materials
Instructional coaches
Family Science Nights
Alignment of curriculum to exit exam
Actionable feedback to teachers to improve science instruction
Recruitment of partners/spouses
School-wide student recognitions
School-wide teacher recognitions
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
5. Teachers in schools employ strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
5a. Check all strategies that teachers employ: Yes No
Inquiry-based learning
Before- or after-school clubs
Science competitions
Independent study
Science Olympiads (series of events)
Interdisciplinary teaching
Family Science Nights
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 212
Other:
6. School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest activities
with the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
7. School leadership develops a shared vision for implementing
SciFest at the school. SA A N D SD DK
8. School leadership effectively communicates a shared vision
to all stakeholders for implementing SciFest competitions at the
school. SA A N D SD DK
9. School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest competi-
tions in schools. SA A N D SD DK
10. School leadership allocates adequate financial resources to
effectively implement SciFest in schools. SA A N D SD DK
11. School leadership provides support, including time, materi-
als, and training, for participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
12. Female students who participate in SciFest tend not to select
maths-based or technology-based projects. SA A N D SD DK
13. School leadership encourages and recruits female students to
participate in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
14. Female students are encouraged by their parents to participate
in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
15. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
16. Schools actively employ strategies to increase female
students’ participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
17. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
18. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment in senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
19. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
20. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 213
21. SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop
21st-century skills. SA A N D SD DK
22. Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed to
obtain careers in STEM fields. SA A N D SD DK
23. SciFest participation enhances STEM educational
development in students. SA A N D SD DK
24. SciFest provides opportunities to develop skills needed
in a global economy. SA A N D SD DK
25. Students benefit from participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
26. MNCs are an important partner in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 214
Appendix K: Survey Protocol for Parent of Second-Level Student
Date: Location of Survey:
Your child’s gender: Female ____ Male ____
Directions: Please read the terms and definitions below prior to proceeding to the questions. Once you
have read the terms and definitions, proceed to survey items 1–26 and rate your opinion next to each
statement.
STEM: Science, technology, engineering, and maths.
21st-Century Skills: Skills that students need to compete in a global workforce and economy, including
critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, effective oral and written communication skills,
ability to access and analyze information, and curiosity and imagination.
Inquiry-Based Learning: A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working
for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem,
or challenge.
MNC: Multinational corporation.
Globalization: The increased interaction and integration of multinational companies from other coun-
tries and their influence on education and policy in Ireland (e.g., Intel).
School Leadership: Principal, other school administrator, or SciFest lead teacher.
SA = Strongly Agree; A = Agree; N = Neutral; D = Disagree; SD = Strongly Disagree; DK = Don’t Know
1. Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on
the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
2. The school leadership at my child’s school encourages partici-
pation in SciFest to support student success on the state
examinations. SA A N D SD DK
3. Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
4. School leadership at my child’s school employs strategies to
positively influence school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
4a. Check all strategies that school leadership employs at your child’s school: Yes No
Student incentives
Teacher incentives
Instructional materials
Instructional coaches
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 215
Hold informational meetings
Promotes SciFest on social media
Family Science Nights
Alignment of curriculum to exit exam
Actionable feedback to teachers to improve science instruction
Recruitment of partners/spouses
School-wide student recognitions
School-wide teacher recognitions
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
5. Teachers at my child’s school employ strategies to positively
influence school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
5a. Check all strategies that teachers employ: Yes No
Inquiry-based learning
Before- or after-school clubs
Science competitions
Independent study
Science Olympiads (series of events)
Interdisciplinary teaching
Family Science Nights
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
6. School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest activities
with the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
7. School leadership develops a shared vision for implementing
SciFest at the school. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 216
8. School leadership effectively communicates a shared vision
to all stakeholders for implementing SciFest competitions at
the school. SA A N D SD DK
9. School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest competi-
tions at my child’s school. SA A N D SD DK
10. School leadership allocates adequate financial resources to
effectively implement SciFest at my child’s school. SA A N D SD DK
11. School leadership provides support, including time, materi-
als, and training, for participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
12. Female students who participate in SciFest tend not to select
maths-based or technology-based projects. SA A N D SD DK
13. My child’s school actively encourage and recruit female students
to participate in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
14. Female students are encouraged by their parents to participate
in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
15. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment in senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
16. My child’s school actively employs strategies to increase
female students’ participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
17. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
18. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment in senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
19. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
20. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
21. SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop 21st-
century skills. SA A N D SD DK
22. Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed to
obtain careers in STEM fields. SA A N D SD DK
23. SciFest participation enhances STEM educational develop-
ment in students. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 217
24. SciFest provides opportunities to develop the skills needed in
a global economy. SA A N D SD DK
25. Students benefit from participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
26. MNCs are an important partner in promoting SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 218
Appendix L: Survey Protocol for Student Participant in SciFest
Date: School:
Directions: Please read the terms and definitions below prior to proceeding to the questions. Once you
have read the terms and definitions, proceed to survey items 1–26 and rate your opinion next to each
statement.
STEM: Science, technology, engineering, and maths.
21st-Century Skills: Skills that students need to compete in a global workforce and economy, including
critical thinking, collaboration, adaptability, initiative, effective oral and written communication skills,
ability to access and analyze information, and curiosity and imagination.
Inquiry-Based Learning: A teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working
for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an engaging and complex question, problem,
or challenge.
MNC: Multinational corporation.
Globalization: The increased interaction and integration of multinational companies from other coun-
tries and their influence on education and policy in Ireland (e.g., Intel).
Background Information
Have you taken part in a SciFest@School science fair: Yes No
Have you taken part in a @College science fair: Yes No
You are: Male ____ Female _____ Decline to State _____
SA = Strongly Agree; A = Agree; N = Neutral; D = Disagree; SD = Strongly Disagree; DK = Don’t Know
1. Participation in SciFest prepares students to be successful on
the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
2. The school leadership at my school encourages participation
in SciFest to support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
3. Teachers encourage participation in SciFest activities to
support student success on the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
4. School leadership at my school employs strategies to positively
influence school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 219
4a. Check all strategies that school leadership employs at your school: Yes No
Student incentives
Teacher incentives
Instructional materials
Instructional coaches
Hold informational meetings
Promotes SciFest on social media
Family Science Nights
Alignment of curriculum to exit exam
Recruitment of partners/spouses
School-wide student recognitions
School-wide teacher recognitions
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
5. Teachers at my school employ strategies to positively influence
school participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
5a. Check all strategies that teachers employ: Yes No
Inquiry-based learning
Before- or after-school clubs
Science competitions
Independent study
Science Olympiads (series of events)
Interdisciplinary teaching
Family Science Nights
Real-world applications
Use of technology to promote science learning
Other:
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 220
6. School leadership works with teachers to align SciFest activities
with the state examinations. SA A N D SD DK
7. School leadership develops a shared vision for implement-
ing SciFest at the school. SA A N D SD DK
8. School leadership effectively communicates a shared
vision to all stakeholders (students, parents, teachers,
etc.) for implementing competitions at the school.. SA A N D SD DK
9. School leadership is a positive influence on SciFest
competitions at my school. SA A N D SD DK
10. School leadership allocates adequate financial resources to
effectively implement SciFest at my school. SA A N D SD DK
11. School leadership provides support, including time, materi-
als, and training, for participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
12. Female students who participate in SciFest tend not to select
maths-based or technology-based projects. SA A N D SD DK
13. My school actively encourages and recruits female students
to participate in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
14. Female students are encouraged by their parents to participate
in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
15. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
16. My school actively employs strategies to increase female
students’ participation in SciFest.. SA A N D SD DK
17. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
18. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment in senior-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
19. SciFest influences the development of female students’
interest in enrolling into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
20. Female students have access to female role models who
influence their enrollment into third-level STEM courses. SA A N D SD DK
21. SciFest provides opportunities for students to develop 21st-
century skills. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 221
22. Participants in SciFest demonstrate the skills needed to
obtain careers in STEM fields. SA A N D SD DK
23. SciFest participation enhances STEM educational devel-
opment in students. SA A N D SD DK
24. SciFest provides opportunities to develop the skills needed
in a global economy. SA A N D SD DK
25. Students benefit from participation in SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
26. MNCs are an important partner in promoting SciFest. SA A N D SD DK
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 222
Appendix M: Information/Fact Sheet for Exempt Research
University of Southern California
Rossier School of Education
Waite Phillips Hall
3470 Trousdale Parkway
Los Angeles, CA 90089
THE INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION, LEADERSHIP, AND SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY FAIRS ON STUDENTS’ ACQUISITION OF 21ST-CENTURY
SKILLS AND THEIR COLLEGE-CAREER PURSUIT OF SCIENCE,
TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS
MAJORS-CAREERS IN SCHOOLS IN IRELAND
You are invited to participate in a research study conducted by Dr. Michael Escalante, Professor
of Clinical Education, principal investigator and faculty advisor, from the University of Southern
California. This study is entirely student funded; the data collected will be used to produce
individual doctoral dissertations for the co-investigators listed below at the University of South-
ern California. Please read through this form and ask any questions you might have before
deciding whether or not you want to participate.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
Influence of globalization, leadership, and science fairs on female students’ acquisition of 21st-
century skills and their college career pursuit of STEM majors-careers in schools in Ireland.
PARTICIPANT INVOLVEMENT
If you agree to take part in this study, you could be asked to participate in any combination of the
following activities: a 15-minute online survey; a 45-minute, audiotaped, face-to-face interview,
a 45-minute classroom observation (teachers and students only), and/or a 10-minute observation
at SciFest in Cork, Ireland (students/parents/teachers/principals only). You are not obligated to
answer any questions that cause you discomfort.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
There are no potential risks to your participation; however, you may feel uncomfortable answer-
ing some of the questions. You do not have to answer any question you do not want to.
ALTERNATIVES TO PARTICIPATION
You may elect to participate in the interview process and not be audio recorded. In addition, you
may elect not to participate. Your relationship with your school/employer will not be affected
whether or not you participate in this study.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
There are no anticipated benefits to your participation. We hope that this study will help
researchers and policy makers to better understand the drivers that increase the likelihood of
students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) while acquiring
21st-century skills necessary for all citizens.
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 223
PAYMENT/COMPENSATION FOR PARTICIPATION
There is no payment for your involvement in the study. However, the co-investigator at your site
might provide tchotchkes (swag) from the University of Southern California or create a lottery
for your participation in the study.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Survey and observation data will be anonymous for all groups. Interview protocols for teachers,
principals, and students collect identifiers; however, any identifiable information obtained in
connection with this study will remain confidential. Responses will be coded with a false name
(pseudonym) and maintained separately. The audiotapes of interviews will be destroyed once
they have been transcribed.
Interview protocols for business leaders, government officials, and educational policy makers
collect identifiers (participant names/job titles/time in position and contact information). Only
names and titles will be identifiable in the study. The audiotapes of interviews will be destroyed
once they have been transcribed.
The members of the research team and the University of Southern California’s Human Subjects
Protection Program (HSPP) may access the data. The HSPP reviews and monitors research
studies to protect the rights and welfare of research subjects.
INVESTIGATOR CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal Investigator:
Dr. Michael Escalante, Clinical Professor, University of Southern California, mescalan@usc.edu
Co-investigators:
Jonathan Blackmore, Director, Covina-Valley Unified School District, jblackmo@c-vusd.org
Roger Brossmer, Assistant Superintendent, Downey Unified School District, brossmer@usc.edu
Elizabeth Eminhizer, Assistant Superintendent, Covina-Valley Unified School District,
eminhize@usc.edu
Raquel Gasporra, Assistant Superintendent, Whittier City School District, gasporra@usc.edu
Jennifer Graziano, Director, Compton Unified School District, jgrazian@usc.edu
Jason Hasty, Director, Los Angeles County Office of Education, jhasty@usc.edu
Chris Hollister, Assistant Superintendent, Chaffey Joint Union High School District, chollist@usc.edu
Veronica Lizardi, Director, Downey Unified School District, vlizardi@usc.edu
Robert McEntire, Assistant Superintendent/CBO, Covina-Valley Unified School District,
rmcentir@usc.edu
Josh Randall, Assistant Superintendent, Sulphur Springs Union School District, jirandal@usc.edu
Wayne Shannon, Assistant Superintendent, Downey Unified School District, twshanno@usc.edu
Marc Trovatore, Director, West Covina Unified School District, trovator@usc.edu
Diana Velasquez, Director, Los Angeles County Office of Education, vela983@usc.edu
ROLE AND INFLUENCE OF GLOBALIZATION 224
IRB CONTACT INFORMATION
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about your rights as a research participant or the research
in general and are unable to contact the research team, or if you want to talk to someone independent of
the research team, please contact the University Park Institutional Review Board (UPIRB), 3720 South
Flower Street #301, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0702, (213) 821-5272 or upirb@usc.edu
Abstract (if available)
Abstract
Today, countries must deliberately develop educational systems and economic policies that can prepare themselves to be competitive around the globe. As such, Ireland has evolved into a nation that endeavors to create internal structures necessary to influence multinational corporations (MNCs) to place headquarters in the country. These efforts are anchored in proactive economic policies aimed at creating favorable business environments for MNCs to conduct business and educational policies that place emphasis on creating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning environments necessary to develop the requisite knowledge-based workforce that Ireland and their MNC partners need. ❧ However, students in Ireland are currently in a paradox regarding academic expectations being placed upon them. While the nation understands the critical importance of developing an innovative knowledge-based workforce with STEM skillsets, it also immerses students in a mandated structural environment that requires them to take a high stakes summative assessment called the Leaving Certificate Exam (LCE), which is central to a student's academic experiences from the perspective of determining which students are placed in universities and colleges. Stress that students and teachers feel as a result of preparing for this test may reduce their willingness to explore subject matter and content for growth experiences because they cannot risk the chance of not sufficiently preparing themselves for core subjects that are measured on the LCE. ❧ This study examined the influence of globalization and educational policy on the development of 21st-century skills in Irish students through the implementation of STEM education, instructional practices, and student participation in the SciFest science competition. The principal findings of this predominantly qualitative study indicated that STEM-related content, 21st-century skills, and school leadership are important in Irish schools to ensure that students have access to real-world, inquiry based learning experiences necessary to prepare them to compete in a globalized economy. The findings indicated that female students' participation in science fair competitions such as SciFest was beneficial to their self-efficacy in relation to their confidence and authentic interest in enrolling into STEM-related coursework.
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Shannon, Terry Wayne
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Role and influence of globalization, multinational corporations, and foreign direct investment on educational policy and science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and inquiry-based instructi...
School
Rossier School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education (Leadership)
Publication Date
04/25/2019
Defense Date
03/11/2019
Publisher
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21st-century skills,foreign direct investment,Globalization,Ireland,Leaving Certificate Exam,multinational corporations,OAI-PMH Harvest,SciFest,Secondary School,STEM
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Tags
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