A landmark research project examining the early career journeys of teachers in Ireland has been officially launched today (3 December 2025) by the Department of Education and Youth and the Teaching Council. Teachers’ Professional Journeys: The First Decade is the first study of its kind in the State, designed to follow teachers from their initial training into the first ten years of their professional lives.
The €2.8 million study, running until 2030, is being conducted by a research consortium led by Professor Paul Conway (University of Limerick), Professor Emer Smyth (ESRI) and Professor Aisling Leavy (Mary Immaculate College). It will track graduates across primary, post-primary and further education from the classes of 2019, 2022 and 2026, gathering evidence on the realities of teaching in a system undergoing rapid policy, curriculum and training reform.
Data collection begins this month for the 2026 cohort, with online surveys for the 2019 and 2022 graduates to follow in January. Surveys will remain open until the end of February, and subsequent phases will include one-to-one interviews and focus groups extending into spring 2026. As a longitudinal study, all cohorts will take part in follow-up waves through to 2029.
Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton said the findings would be “vital” in shaping future policy on teacher education and early-career supports, urging all eligible participants to engage. Teaching Council Chair Eamon Dennehy described the project as a “landmark” moment for the profession, while Acting Director Phil Fox said the data would offer “invaluable insights” into teachers’ real-world experiences during their formative years.
The research team emphasised that teachers’ voices will be central to the study’s impact, noting that the project offers a rare opportunity for educators to help influence the evolution of initial teacher education, induction processes and ongoing professional development.
The study arrives at a time of significant transition for the sector, with reformed teacher education programmes, new induction models, an evolving national framework for professional learning, and sweeping curriculum and policy changes across primary and post-primary levels. By mapping teachers’ early career realities against these reforms, the project aims to inform future decision-making and support high-quality teaching across Ireland’s education system.
Further information, along with initial reports from the study, is available at tpjstudy.ie.
Hildegarde Naughton T.D Minister for Education and Youth and President Connolly picture from president.ie
