School-Based Work in Initial Teacher Education: Responding to Policy in Practice

Overview & Synopsis

Various constellations of school-university partnerships (SUPs) have long been part of the initial teacher education (ITE) landscape in Ireland. This situation is especially true in the context of ITE school-based work. While SUPs have been largely informal and unsystematic, recent policy changes have introduced structured roles and responsibilities for schools and for universities. This chapter explores schools' and universities' responses to these policy changes. Research from the field provides case studies, which explore some of the complex contestations around SUPs in addition to the structures, processes and relationships that facilitate and sustain effective collaborations for the institutions, the students and the teaching profession. [For the complete volume, "Innovation and Accountability in Teacher Education: Setting Directions for New Cultures in Teacher Education. Teacher Education, Learning Innovation and Accountability," see ED595068.]