From Foundations to Frontiers: 50 Years of Educational Research in Ireland

This special issue marks a significant milestone in the history of Irish Educational Studies (IES), commemorating fifty years of scholarship, research, collaboration and dialogue within and beyond the educational landscape of Ireland. As such, it honours the vision and legacy of the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI), which has played a seminal role in leading and advancing educational research in Ireland and beyond. This issue presents a carefully curated selection of articles, drawn from across a half-century of publication, showcasing the intellectual vitality and diversity that has defined IES. Through these works, we trace the historical development of both the association and the journal, situating their evolution within the broader context of national educational policy and global scholarly trends. It was difficult to choose certain articles over others, such is the quality of the papers produced in the journal. In making our selection, we tried to capture a range of pivotal issues which shaped a particular period of Irish educational history and research, themes which reverberate to this day. Chronologically organised across four distinct periods, this temporal arrangement reflects not only the dynamic and evolving nature of the field of educational research, but also highlights areas of continuity and transformation.