This article considers the issue of boys' perceived lack of achievement at 16 and the context within which this issue has developed. In addition to conducting a review of relevant literature concerned with boys' achievement, case study research was carried out in three comprehensive schools in the Midlands, taking the form of interviews with one senior member of staff from each school with a specific responsibility for boys' achievement. The purpose of the interviews was to consider how different schools perceived the issue of boys' underachievement and to examine the strategies employed by each to combat it. The discussion of the research indicates some significant factors affecting the ways in which boys identify themselves as being 'male' and which may influence their behaviour and attitudes towards school and towards their peers. The authors attempt to place the issue of boys' underachievement into a wider social context and consider other factors which may have a bearing on the issue. The authors then attempt to relate the experiences of these three schools, and their other research, to the national picture and suggest ways in which teachers nationally may take steps to address the issue of boys' underachievement within their own schools.

Subject marginalisation is an ongoing concern across the primary education sector, particularly for the arts and humanities. This poses issues for pre-service teacher partnerships and for higher education institutions (HEIs) evaluating the role of subjects within their teacher training courses as they reform their curricula to prepare students to teach across diverse educational contexts. Through the interpretation of student voice, we disseminate a case study with primary initial teacher education (ITE) students that investigates learner perceptions of their training in under-represented foundation subjects. Emerging themes include tensions between university and school-based practices, and between curriculum models, together with the need to develop student adaptability and self-direction. The authors propose that if ITE students explore and take on the dispositions of changemakers, they will become equipped with the self-efficacy and adaptability needed to develop secure bases for teaching foundation subjects as they begin their careers.

This article considers the issue of boys' perceived lack of achievement at 16 and the context within which this issue has developed. In addition to conducting a review of relevant literature concerned with boys' achievement, case study research was carried out in three comprehensive schools in the Midlands, taking the form of interviews with one senior member of staff from each school with a speci c responsibility for boys' achievement. The purpose of the interviews was to consider how different schools perceived the issue of boys' underachievement and to examine the strategies employed by each to combat it. The discussion of the research indicates some signi cant factors affecting the ways in which boys identify themselves as being 'male' and which may in uence their behaviour and attitudes towards school and towards their peers. The authors attempt to place the issue of boys' underachievement into a wider social context and consider other factors which may have a bearing on the issue. The authors then attempt to relate the experiences of these three schools, and their other research, to the national picture and suggest ways in which teachers nationally may take steps to address the issue of boys' underachievement within their own schools.

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This article uses case‐study research to explore pupil perceptions of Ireland and its impact on learning an aspect of Irish history. The topic is linked to multicultural perspectives within both history and citizenship. Survey data is used to provide an insight into pupil knowledge and perceptions of Ireland by comparing it with their perceptions of England, Scotland and Wales. This is related to diary and focus study responses given by the children when studying a unit of work. The research suggests that the historical knowledge of the pupils registered poorly against other forms of knowledge, and is often related to recent events reported in the media; also, that family influences are as important as school. This does not appear to have adversely affected the children's response to studying about Ireland's past with respect to this particular study, although it is possible that family links could have some impact on pupil discourses. The overall conclusion is that the study of Ireland's past has the potential to enhance the quality of history and citizenship education in the context of our multicultural society.