Abstract:

The discourse surrounding teacher knowledge and its impact on student learning, along with the definition of sufficient and appropriate knowledge, has a lengthy history. Despite various perspectives, there is a general consensus that a shared body of specialized and systematized knowledge exists, which should guide teaching practices and be integral to teacher education and professional development. In the context of immersion education, a bilingual approach where students learn academic content through an additional language, research in this field is still in its early stages. This study, drawing on sociocultural theory and Shulman’s domains of teacher knowledge (1987), aims to identify the ideal knowledge base for immersion i.e. the distinctive professional competences considered essential for teachers in Irish-medium education (IME) in Ireland. Using a comprehensive online questionnaire, a student teacher symposium, as well as interviews and focus group discussions, data were collected from key stakeholders (n = 78) involved in IME across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This includes student teachers, practising teachers, principals, and initial teacher education providers. This paper begins with a critical review of relevant literature, synthesizing existing studies to determine the current understanding of the topic. Subsequently, the study's methodology and key findings related to domains of immersion-specific knowledge essential for programme advocacy, language teaching, pedagogical integration, and inclusion will be presented. The paper concludes with a discussion on the critical factors facilitating the acquisition and development of immersion-specific teacher knowledge.

Keywords:

Immersion, teacher knowledge, bilingual education, pedagogical integration.