ABSTRACT
This chapter describes a sample of documentary research to encourage research-active teachers and to enhance teacher union research: a first tranche of documents homes in on the more contentious policy ideas amenable to critical policy analyses. It includes Hislop's lecture on Quality Assurance of Irish Schools; Department of Education and Skills Minister's Briefing;document on Ireland's system of education; and Bruton's Action Plan for Education. Hislop's focus was to be on developments regarding the quality assurance of Irish schools and centres for education. The Inspectorate is charged under Bruton's Action Plan for Education with adopting a 'Smart Regulation' approach by setting standards of teaching and learning through the promulgation of school self-evaluation procedures and by the introduction of appropriate external inspection models. The chapter discusses the work done in Ireland by Stevenson and Gilliland in regard to their vision of a new democratic professionalism in Ireland with teacher unions at its heart.
