Book Chapter: Supporting the continuum of teacher education through policy and practice: The inter-relationships between initial, induction and continuing professional development

Research Impact: This chapter explores the extent to which the delivery of the teacher education continuum, i.e., initial, induction and in-service/continuing professional development (rather than the delivery of each pillar as a sole entity) is supported through policy and practice. By exploring the relationship between policy agencies, professional development agencies, and initial teacher education institutes in Ireland and England, respectively, this chapter considers the extent to which such relationships may/may not be central to the effective delivery of the teacher education continuum. Related discussion points include professional practice, school- and higher education-based teacher educators, leadership, and collaborative partnerships. Archer’s critical realist social theory of reflexivity is offered as a framework through which the competing agenda of those involved across the teacher education continuum can be explored. This allows the chapter to establish the extent to which such agenda aid or hinder teacher education (as a continuum) in preparing and supporting pre-service teachers, beginning teachers, and experienced teachers to engage with contemporary classroom contexts.

MacPhail, A., Seleznyov, S., O’Donnell, C. & Czerniawski, G. (2022) Supporting the continuum of teacher education through policy and practice: The inter-relationships between initial, induction and continuing professional development. In Bourke, T., Henderson, D., Spooner-Lane, R. & White, S. (Eds.) Reconstructing the work of teacher educators: Finding spaces in policy through agentic approaches – Insights from a research collective, pp. 135-154. Springer.