Fitzsimons, Sabrina ORCID: 0000-0002-8388-5937 and Smith, David S.
(2025)
‘Don’t do anything special for us coming’: the mental health impact of Ofsted inspections on teacher educators in England.
Cambridge Journal of Education
.
pp. 1-19.
ISSN 0305-764X
Ofsted inspections of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers aim
to enhance training quality for pre-service teachers in England.
However, research rarely examines the impact of these inspections
on the wellbeing of Teacher Educators (TEs) based in Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs). This study, part of a broader investigation into burnout among HEI-based TEs in Ireland and the UK,
focuses on the English context, where the inspection practices of
Ofsted have been identified as significant stressors. Drawing on
data from the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), open-ended
survey questions and interviews, this study provides preliminary
insights into the mental health effects of Ofsted inspections on TEs.
It reveals that inspection processes contribute to anticipatory stress,
increased workload, and performative pressures, negatively impacting TEs’ professional morale and wellbeing. The paper recommends
reforms such as predictable inspection schedules, streamlined documentation, and dedicated mental health support for TEs during
the inspection period.
Item Type: | Article (Published) |
---|---|
Refereed: | Yes |
Uncontrolled Keywords: | Copenhagen Burnout; Inventory; Ofsted; burnout; teacher educators; initial teacher education |
Subjects: | Social Sciences > Education Social Sciences > Teaching |
DCU Faculties and Centres: | DCU Faculties and Schools > Institute of Education Research Institutes and Centres > Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education (CREATE) |
Publisher: | Routledge |
Official URL: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057... |
Copyright Information: | Authors |
ID Code: | 30730 |
Deposited On: | 11 Feb 2025 11:06 by Vidatum Academic . Last Modified 11 Feb 2025 11:06 |
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