Researching the Contested Place of Reflective Practice in the Emerging Culture of Performativity in Schools: Views from the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

This article examines the role of reflective practice in a growing culture of new managerialism and performativity which has emerged in schools in the Republic of Ireland over recent years. Ten student teachers participating in a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and 24 experienced teachers participating in a Master's in Education programme participated in the study. Through a series of open-ended questionnaires and focus group discussions, these teachers' experiences of the evaluative framework which now typifies schooling in Ireland, and their capacity within this paradigm to engage in critical reflection, were examined. The study comments on the extent to which meaningful reflection can be part of a performance-driven agenda, and examines the implications of performativity cultures for initial teacher education and teacher professional development.