The use of digital technology to support teaching and learning in schools has been rising for years, but in March 2020, it became the only option when the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the closure of almost all educational institutions worldwide. This article reports on a survey of secondary school leaders (n = 72) in Ireland, conducted three months after the closures. Leaders’ beliefs about technology, digital practices before the pandemic and responses to the emergency are considered. The findings suggest that leaders are positively disposed towards technology, and that, prior to the crisis, approaches to digital learning were aligned with some best practice recommendations. Although schools endeavoured to continue provision during the closures, challenges were reported, particularly in rural schools and those serving disadvantaged cohorts. Leaders perceived teachers’ ‘digital competence’ as an area in need of development, and noted that the pandemic may have provided an impetus for this.

The linguistic complexity of many text-based tests can be a source of construct-irrelevant variance, as test-takers’ performance may be affected by factors that are beyond the focus of the assessment itself, such as reading comprehension skills. This experimental study examined the extent to which the use of animated videos, as opposed to written text, could (i) reduce construct-irrelevant variance attributed to language and reading skills and (ii) impact test-takers’ reactions to a situational judgment test. The results indicated that the variance attributed to construct-irrelevant factors was lower by 9.5% in the animated version of the test. In addition, those who took the animated test perceived it to be more valid, fair, and enjoyable, than those who took the text-based test. They also rated the language used as less difficult to understand. The implications of these findings are discussed.

In accordance with contemporary educational policy, changes have been made to the requirements of initial teacher education (ITE) with the aim of promoting the development of digital competence among pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores what it means for a primary PST to develop digital competence and posits that programmes of ITE should develop the digital teaching competence of PSTs, alongside positive attitudes toward digital technology use. This is a complex and under-researched process involving multiple actors, including higher education institution tutors, school placement tutors, and cooperating teachers. This research gap is addressed within this paper by examining these actors and unpacking the key issues which may prevent PSTs from developing and enacting digital teaching competence. It appears there is a lack of alignment across these actors, which may negatively impact the digital competence of PSTs. Consequently, we propose that the conceptualization of digital competence across programmes of ITE needs to be brought into alignment. Actions including the establishment of a shared vision of pedagogical use of digital technology, formal induction, and ongoing transformative professional learning for all actors across a programme of ITE are proposed if PSTs are to be enabled to develop the digital competence required by policy.

In line with the widespread proliferation of digital technology in everyday life, many countries are now beginning to use computer-based exams (CBEs) in their post-primary education systems. To ensure that these CBEs are delivered in a manner that preserves their fairness, validity, utility and credibility, several factors pertaining to their design and development will need to be considered. This research study investigated the extent to which the design of different types of test items (e.g. inclusion of multimedia stimuli) in a CBE can affect test-takers’ engagement and behaviour. Qualitative data from a cued-Retrospective Think Aloud (c-RTA) protocol were gathered from 12 participants who had participated in a previous eye-tracking study. Participants watched a replay of their eye movements and were asked to state out loud what they were thinking at different points of the replay. Thematic analysis of the responses from these cognitive interviews captured the nature of students’ interactions with online testing environments under three main themes: Familiarisation, Sense-making and Making Decisions. Students also provided their opinions of and recommendations for the future of Irish online assessments. These findings can offer guidelines to all stakeholders considering the use of CBEs in post-primary contexts.

Effective teaching encompasses both a pedagogical and an interpersonal dimension. Despite this, the latter typically receives little attention in initial teacher education and professional development programmes because of its tacit, non-conscious, and context-specific nature. In this study, the interpersonal dimension of teaching was conceptualized in terms of an explicit set of problem-solving strategies. Using the Tacit Knowledge Inventory for High School Teachers (TKI-HS), the perceived effectiveness of these strategies amongst a sample of Irish post-primary teachers (n = 69) was explored, and the extent to which this varied across certain individual and contextual factors was also investigated. The findings suggest that, when faced with challenging social situations in the course of their professions, Irish post-primary teachers demonstrate preferences for strategies involving either rational discussions with the source of the problem, or appealing to a colleague for advice. These preferences were independent of the teachers’ gender, education level, degree of job satisfaction, and the climate of the school in which they worked. Some implications for teacher education programmes are outlined. Potential future directions, including links to broader issues concerning the assessment of non-cognitive skills and competencies more generally, are also discussed.