A moral madness between policy and practice in the caring role of the cooperating teacher in school placement in Ireland

Recent policy in Ireland enhanced the position of school placement Initial Teacher Education programmes. This paper considers how care ethics has a vital role sustaining goodwill cooperation and guidance from professionals who mediate setting, noting values reciprocal caring mentor-mentee roles similar to studies international community. Using qualitative approach, 38 Irish primary post-primary cooperating teachers were interviewed during this cross-sectional study order ascertain insight into lived experience classroom placement. Participants acknowledged teacher as professionally demanding, rewarding experience, but also crucially linked duty premise. show an emplacement being within moral dilemma symptomising madness. Recommendations include collaborative development, understanding such policy, national approach continuous professional development teachers.