Abstract
This chapter considers the implications of the Macbeth case study with regard to the nature of the education system and its relationship with wider culture. Whereas contemporary society continues to embody the ambiguity and fluidity enabled by technology, education remains dominated by a culture of rigidity. Together with this a preoccupation with quantification and a dedication to perceived “fairness” have resulted in a high level of standardisation. This has led to a situation where skills such as memorisation and reproduction of information are valued above analytical and creative ability, ironic in a world where information can not only be accessed easily but instantly. In this way the everyday experience of students and teachers will be examined in a broader cultural context, giving full consideration to their theoretical significance as well as rooting such theory in lived experience.
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Notes
- 1.
Student Interviews, 25th February 2013.
- 2.
Teacher Interviews, 31st January 2014.
- 3.
Teacher Interviews, 31st January 2014.
- 4.
The Leaving Certificate Applied is a 2-year programme designed for those students who do not wish to proceed directly to higher education or for those whose needs, aptitudes and learning styles are not fully catered for by the other two Leaving Certificate programmes (Established and Vocational). Participants in the Leaving Certificate Applied are mainly engaged in work and study of an active, practical and learner-centred nature (NCCA).
- 5.
Second Age was founded in 1989 and is dedicated to producing classical texts in an accessible manner. Each year the company undertakes the production of one of Shakespeare’s tragedies. Notable among these was the critically acclaimed, 2012 production of Macbeth directed by David Horan. In addition to each production the company provided Post-Show discussions and Workshops for teachers and compiled resource notes for students of the text (“Second Age Theatre Company - Companies - Irish Theatre Online,” n.d.).
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McCabe, E. (2018). The Otherness of Education. In: Living the Stories We Create. SpringerBriefs in Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95798-2_4
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