The Discourse of Partnership and the Reality of Reform: Interrogating the Recent Reform Agenda at Initial Teacher Education and Induction Levels in Ireland
Keywords:
teacher education reform, partnership, policy-making processes, initial teacher education, induction
Abstract
Over the last decade, teacher education in Ireland has experienced radical reconceptualization and restructuring at both initial teacher education [ITE] and induction levels, with reform of continuous professional development now in the planning phase. The establishment of the Teaching Council (2006) as a statutory, regulatory body, with a role in the review and accreditation of teacher education, increased the visibility of and policy focus on teacher education. Significant reform of initial teacher education was announced in 2011 that included both an extension of the duration of programmes and, most notably, the period the student teachers were to be engaged in school-based professional development. This increased period has been accompanied by a shift in the understanding of what is involved in practicum and implies a redefinition of the respective roles of the university and the school, and the development of a new form of partnership between both agencies. The period of induction and probation has also become an area of reform with an emphasis on school-based coaching and the evaluation of newly qualified teachers, which devolves decisions on teachers’ full recognition and membership of the profession, to principals and colleagues.
This shift, which changes the established approach to induction for primary level teachers, has resulted in the withdrawal of cooperation with this policy by the main teacher union and to the implementation process being stymied. Both policy developments bring the concept of partnership within Irish education into sharp focus: a partnership between schools and universities in ITE, but also partnership in policy development and implementation in the case of induction.
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References
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Boland, T. (2015). A Dialogue on the Future Funding of Higher Education in Ireland. Retrieved 16.08.2016 from http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/ria_tb_funding_speech_v2_002.pdf.
Brinkerhoff, J. M. (2002). Assessing and improving partnership relationships and outcomes: a proposed framework. Evaluation and Program Planning, 25(3), 215-231.
Bruton, R. (2016). Minister’s response to Parliamentary Question regarding School Placement, 21.06.2016. Retrieved 05.07.2016 from https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2016-06-21a.409.
Cochran Smith, M. (2011). Trends and Challenges in Teacher Education: National and International Perspectives. In F. Waldron et al. (Eds.), Re-imagining Initial Teacher Education: Perspective on Transformation (pp 29-53). Dublin: The Liffey Press.
Conway, P., Murphy, R., Rath, A., & Hall, K. (2009). Learning to Teach and its Implications for the Continuum of Teacher Education: A Nine Country Cross National Study. Report to the Teaching Council. Cork: University College. Retrieved 19.11.2009 from http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/_fileupload/Publications/LearningToTeach-ConwayMurphyRathHall-2009_10344263.pdf.
Coolahan, J. (Ed.) (1994). Report on the National Education Convention. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Coolahan, J. (2003). Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers: Country Background Report for Ireland. Dublin: Department of Education and Science.
Coolahan, J. (2011). Address by Professor John Coolahan at the Launch of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector. Retrieved 08.07.2016 from http://www.education.ie/en/Press-Events/Speeches/2011-Speeches/SP11-04-19A.html#sthash.VjkDqJbt.dpuf.
Coolahan, J., Hussey, C., & Kilfeather, F. (2012). The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector: Report of the Forum’s Advisory Group. Dublin: Stationery Office.
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id=3827&cf_id=24.
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Department of Education and Skills (2016). Key statistics. Retrieved 10.08.2016 from http://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Statistics/Key-Statistics/Key-Statistics-2015-2016.pdf.
Devine, D. (2005). Welcome to the Celtic Tiger? Teacher Responses to immigration and increasing ethnic diversity in Irish schools’. International Studies in Sociology of Education, 15(1), 49-70.
Fuller, K., & Harford, J. (Eds.) (2015). Gender and Educational Leadership: Women Achieving Against the Odds. Oxford: Peter Lang.
Furlong, J., Barton, L., Miles, S., Whiting, C., & Whitty, G. (2000). Teacher Education in Transition: re-forming teaching professionalism. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Gleeson, J. (2004). Concurrent Teacher Education (Post-primary) in the Republic of Ireland: Some Issues and Trends. In A. Burke (Ed.), Teacher Education in the Republic of Ireland: Retrospect and Prospect (pp. 43-53). Armagh: Centre for Cross-Border Studies.
Gleeson, J. (2000). Sectoral interest versus the common good? Legitimation, fragmentation and contestation in Irish postâ€primary curriculum policy and practice. Irish Educational Studies, 19(1), 16-34. doi: 10.1080/0332331000190105
Harford, J. (2010). Teacher education policy in Ireland and the challenges of the 21st century. European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(4), 349-360.
Halasz, Gabor (2016). School-university partnership for effective teacher learning. Issues Paper for the seminar co-hosted by ELTE Doctoral School of Education and Miskolc-Hejőkeresztúr KIP Regional Methodological Centre 13.05.2016.
Heinz, M (2008). The composition of applicants and entrants to teacher education programmes in Ireland: trends and patterns. Irish Educational Studies, 27(3), 223-240.
Heinz, M. (2013). Why choose teaching in the Republic of Ireland? - Student teachers’ motivations and perceptions of teaching as a career and their evaluations of Irish second-level education. European Journal of Educational Studies, 5(1), 1-17.
Hyland, A. (2012). A Review of the Structure of Initial Teacher Education Provision in Ireland: Background Paper for the International Review Team. Dublin: Department of Education and Skills.
INTO Directive on Droichead. (2016). Retrieved 29.07.2016 from http://www.into.ie/ROI/NewsEvents/LatestNews/Title,29379,en.php.
IPPN (2012). E-scéal 298 - CEPP – Update from IPPN Meeting with Teaching Council. Retrieved 30.07.2016 from http://www.ippn.ie/index.php/146-resources/e-sceals/6572-e-sceal-298-cepp-updatefrom-ippn-meeting-with-teaching-council.
Kellaghan, T. (2002). Preparing teachers for the 21st century: Report of the working group on primary preservice teacher education. Dublin: Stationery Office.
Looney, A. (2014). Curriculum Politics and practice: from ‘implementation’ to ‘agency. Irish Teachers’ Journal, 2(1), 7-14.
Menter, I., Brisard, E., & Smith, I. (2006). Convergence or Divergence? Initial Teacher Education in Scotland and England. Edinburgh: Dunedin.
Moran, A. (2008). Challenges surrounding widening participation and fair access to initial teacher education: can it be achieved? Journal of Education for Teaching International Research and Pedagogy, 34(1), 63-77.
Mulcahy, C., & McSharry, M. (2012). The Changing Face of Teacher Education in Ireland: A major overhaul or a cosmetic review? Educational Research Journal, 1(2), 91-103.
Mutton, T. (2015). Partnership in Teacher Education. In The Teacher Education Group (2015) Teacher Education in Times of Change (pp. 201-216). Bristol: Policy Press.
Nicholls, K. (2015). Mediating Policy: Greece, Ireland, and Portugal before the Eurozone Crisis. London and New York: Routledge.
O’Doherty, T., & Deegan, J. (2009). Mentors, Not Models: supporting teachers to be empowered in an Irish context. Research in Comparative and International Education, 4(1), 22-33.
O’ Doherty, T. (2014). Defining Moments in Policy Development, Direction, and Implementation in Irish Initial Teacher Education Policy. CEPS Journal, 4(4), 29-49.
O’Doherty, T. (2015). Teacher Education in the Republic of Ireland: A challenging and changing landscape’. In The TEG Group. Teacher Education in times of change (pp. 125-141). Bristol University: Policy Press.
O’ Doherty, T., & Harford, J. (2016). Building Partnerships in Initial Teacher Education in Ireland. In M. Peters, B. Cowie, & I. Menter (Eds.), A Companion to Research in Teacher Education. USA: Springer.
O’Donoghue, T., & Harford, J. (2010). Troubling some Generalisations on Teacher Education in the English-Speaking World: The Case of the Republic of Ireland’. South Africa Journal of Education, 30(1), 91-104.
O’Donoghue, T., & Harford, J. (2011). A Comparative History of Church-State Relations in Irish Education. Comparative Education Review, 53(3), 315-341.
Ó Neill. S. (2015). Unpublished data on School Placement, submitted to the Teaching Council.
O’Sullivan, D. (2005). Cultural Politics and Irish Education since the 1950s: Policy paradigms and power. Dublin: IPA.
OECD (1991). Review of National Policies for Education: Ireland. Paris: OECD.
OECD LEED (2006). Forum on Partnerships and Local Governance. Successful Partnerships: a guide. Paris and Vienna: OECD.
OECD (2015). Schooling Redesigned: Towards innovative learning systems. OECD Publishing. Paris.
Sahlberg, P., Munn, P., & Furlong, J. (2012). Report of the International Review Panel on the structure of initial teacher education provision in Ireland: Review conducted on behalf of the Department of Education and Skills. Dublin: Department of Education and Skills.
Schleicher, A. (Ed.) (2012). Preparing Teachers and Developing School Leaders for the 21st Century: Lessons from around the World: Paris: OECD Publishing.
Sugrue, C., & Solbrekke, T. D. (2015). Policy rhetorics and resource neutral reforms in higher education: their impact and implications?. Studies in Higher Education. Retrieved
29.07.2016 from http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2015.1036848. doi:10.1080/03075079.2015.1036848
Smyth, E., Darmody, M., McGinnity, F., & Byrne, D. (2009). Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students. Dublin: ESRI.
Smyth, E., Conway, P., Leavy, A., Darmody, M., Banks, J., & Watson, D. (2016). Review of the Droichead Teacher Induction Pilot Programme. Dublin: The Teaching Council and ESRI.
Teaching Council (2011a). Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education. Maynooth: Teaching Council.
Teaching Council. (2011b). Initial teacher education: Criteria and guidelines for programme providers. Maynooth: Teaching Council.
Teaching Council (2013). Guidelines on School Placement. Maynooth: Teaching Council. Teaching Council (2012). Annual Report 2011-2012. Maynooth: Teaching Council.
Teaching Council (2015). Droichead: A Guide for Schools. Maynooth: Teaching Council.
Walsh, J. (1999). A new partnership in Education; from consultation to legislation in the nineties. Dublin: Institute of Public Administration.
Wanni, N., Hinz, S., & Day, R. (2010). Good practices in educational partnerships guide: UK-Africa Higher and Further Education Partnerships. London: The Africa Unit, UK/Africa Partnerhsips in HE/FE.
Zeichner, K. (2008). The United States. In T. O’ Donoghue, & C. Whitehead (Eds.), Teacher Education in the English-Speaking World: Past, Present and Future (pp. 7-22). USA: Information Age Publishing.
Published
2016-09-30
How to Cite
Harford, J., & O’Doherty, T. (2016). The Discourse of Partnership and the Reality of Reform: Interrogating the Recent Reform Agenda at Initial Teacher Education and Induction Levels in Ireland. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 6(3), 37–58. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.64
Section
FOCUS
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