The recent emergence of primary school generalist teachers with physical education (PE) expertise has addressed calls for some form of specialisation in primary PE provision in Ireland (Marron et al., 2018). It was hoped that these teachers could advance the quality of PE taught within schools, through their own teaching and by supporting…

Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) are often required to place a high priority on the value of respect within their first year as a beginning teacher. The practice of respect is a central issue within the educational discourse (Mills 2020) and mentor teachers of NQTs have a vital role in cultivating and problematising their understanding of respect.…

Mentoring is widely believed to be beneficial to mentors and mentees in the teacher education context. However, mentoring as a tool for strengthening professional knowledge is not without barriers hindering its effectiveness. This paper explores common barriers in mentoring, drawing on studies conducted in Croatia, Ireland, and Scotland which have…

Expectations of teacher leadership for school improvement have gained increasing currency in recent years. While extensive research on teacher leadership and practicing teachers exists, comparatively little research exists at pre-service level and there is little empirical data regarding leadership experiences and practices of novice teachers…