Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?

In Ireland, English-language schools have historically constituted a lucrative sector for their owners and the Irish exchequer. However, teachers of English as a foreign language have not reaped financial rewards on an equitable scale. Two online surveys were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to ascertain...

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Main Authors: Deborah Tobin, Cathryn Bennett
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Technological University Dublin 2023-06-01
Series:Irish Journal of Academic Practice
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol11/iss1/1
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author Deborah Tobin
Cathryn Bennett
author_facet Deborah Tobin
Cathryn Bennett
author_sort Deborah Tobin
collection DOAJ
description In Ireland, English-language schools have historically constituted a lucrative sector for their owners and the Irish exchequer. However, teachers of English as a foreign language have not reaped financial rewards on an equitable scale. Two online surveys were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to ascertain teachers’ attitudes to continuous professional development and to their workplace conditions in privately-run schools. Findings from both surveys reflect a highly skilled, highly qualified and highly motivated cohort with a strong commitment to engaging in continuous professional development and a keen sense of their own professionalism. However, this was not found to be reflected in their work conditions. The results raise integral questions on stakeholder status.
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spelling doaj-art-4f0f89e283694c4db2c38ce32071e5f52025-08-20T02:36:22ZengTechnological University DublinIrish Journal of Academic Practice2009-73872023-06-0111110.21427/ZD9F-BB24Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?Deborah Tobin0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5906-0356Cathryn Bennett1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0074-9594Mary Immaculate CollegeTrinity College DublinIn Ireland, English-language schools have historically constituted a lucrative sector for their owners and the Irish exchequer. However, teachers of English as a foreign language have not reaped financial rewards on an equitable scale. Two online surveys were conducted in 2020 and 2021 to ascertain teachers’ attitudes to continuous professional development and to their workplace conditions in privately-run schools. Findings from both surveys reflect a highly skilled, highly qualified and highly motivated cohort with a strong commitment to engaging in continuous professional development and a keen sense of their own professionalism. However, this was not found to be reflected in their work conditions. The results raise integral questions on stakeholder status.https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol11/iss1/1irish english-language teaching (elt) practitionerscontinuous professional development (cpd)motivationwork conditions
spellingShingle Deborah Tobin
Cathryn Bennett
Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
Irish Journal of Academic Practice
irish english-language teaching (elt) practitioners
continuous professional development (cpd)
motivation
work conditions
title Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
title_full Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
title_fullStr Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
title_full_unstemmed Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
title_short Continuous Professional Development and Work Conditions for English-Language Teaching Practitioners in Ireland: Where do we go from here?
title_sort continuous professional development and work conditions for english language teaching practitioners in ireland where do we go from here
topic irish english-language teaching (elt) practitioners
continuous professional development (cpd)
motivation
work conditions
url https://arrow.tudublin.ie/ijap/vol11/iss1/1
work_keys_str_mv AT deborahtobin continuousprofessionaldevelopmentandworkconditionsforenglishlanguageteachingpractitionersinirelandwheredowegofromhere
AT cathrynbennett continuousprofessionaldevelopmentandworkconditionsforenglishlanguageteachingpractitionersinirelandwheredowegofromhere