Professional recognition of self and others: the experiences of student teachers, cooperating teachers and placement tutors during school placement

This study investigated the experiences of student teachers, cooperating teachers and placement tutors (the triad) during school placement in Ireland, focusing on the recognition of each triad member’s contribution to learning and professional practice. Drawing on Honneth’s (1995) recognition theory, this paper examines how professional roles are differentially recognised and negotiated during school-university partnerships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with student teachers, cooperating teachers and placement tutors from one Initial Teacher Education programme. Homogeneous groupings (i.e. participants occupying the same role) took part in focus groups after their interviews. The findings revealed that professional recognition across the triad was uneven and influenced by differing levels of institutional support, role clarity and assessment responsibility. Cooperating teachers’ contributions were consistently acknowledged by placement tutors and student teachers, yet they remain the least formally supported member of the triad. Student teachers demonstrated constrained self-recognition despite placement tutors and cooperating teachers acknowledging their contribution to practice, while placement tutors felt the need to emphasise their broader contribution beyond assessment. The findings illuminate the relational and reciprocal nature of recognition and professional learning within school-university partnerships and highlight the need for clearer role communication, more explicit and reciprocal recognition, and professional learning support across the triad.