Students’ perspectives on the characteristics of a ‘good teacher’ in an age of educational performativity

As education systems worldwide continue to be shaped and reshaped by global reform efforts, conceptions of good teaching are also being recast and moulded. While considerable attention has been afforded to the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘effective’ teaching within contemporary systems, dominant narratives have prioritised metrics of performance and often failed to reflect stakeholder values. Addressing this gap, this study examines students’ perceptions of good teaching in Ireland. Drawing on creative drawings and semi-structured interviews with 90 post-primary students, this study, conducted by pre-service teachers and their tutors, provides an innovative systematic examination of stakeholders’ perceptions of good teaching within the Irish context. The findings of this research offer new insights into how students interpret teacher quality within a high stakes education system. Students’ perceptions of teacher quality were found to be deeply rooted in meaningful student–teacher relationships, strong relational skills, interactive pedagogy, professionalism, and teaching for understanding. The findings challenge performance-driven definitions of teacher effectiveness and highlight the need for more democratic debate on the values shaping contemporary education systems.