Learning to work vs working to learn: exploring the paradoxes of School placement experiences in a teacher supply and cost of living crises

Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in Ireland is increasingly shaped by the intersecting pressures of a teacher supply shortage and a cost-of-living crisis, with significant implications for School Placement (SP). This study examines the growing reliance on pre-service teachers (PSTs) to undertake Supervision and Substitution (S&S), signalling a shift from a protected ‘learning to work’ model towards a ‘working to learn’ orientation. Drawing on a mixed-methods survey (n = 202) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the study analyses how intensified S&S engagement influences PSTs’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Findings reveal a central paradox: while S&S provides valuable classroom experience, income, and professional visibility, excessive involvement produces controlled regulation, workload intensification, and functional isolation. This reconfiguration risks undermining the developmental purpose of SP. The study argues that without clear policy boundaries, ITE programmes may inadvertently normalise the integration of PSTs as labour resources, with implications for teacher wellbeing, motivation, and long-term retention across European contexts.