A moral madness between policy and practice in the caring role of the cooperating teacher in school placement in Ireland

• Published in: European journal of teacher education 2024-10, Vol.47 (5), p.988-1004
• Main Authors: Mitchell, Eamonn, Young, Ann Marie, Hayes, Michaela, de Paor, Derbhile
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: care ethics; Cooperating teachers; Education policy; Neoliberalism; Placement; policy; Professional development; School placement; Teacher education
• ISSN: 0261-9768; 1469-5928
• DOI: 10.1080/02619768.2023.2220072

Recent policy in Ireland enhanced the position of school placement in Initial Teacher Education programmes. This paper considers how care ethics has a vital role in sustaining the goodwill of the cooperation and guidance from professionals who mediate the school placement setting, noting values of reciprocal caring in placement mentor-mentee roles similar to studies from the international community. Using a qualitative approach, 38 Irish primary and post-primary cooperating teachers were interviewed during this cross-sectional study in order to ascertain insight into the lived experience of classroom teachers during school placement. Participants acknowledged the cooperating teacher role as professionally demanding, a rewarding experience, but also crucially linked to a duty and care premise. Participants show an emplacement of being within a moral dilemma symptomising a moral madness. Recommendations include enhanced collaborative policy development, an understanding of care in such policy, and a national approach to continuous professional development of cooperating teachers.