This paper introduces trends in the literature in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland looking for historical, theoretical and empirical studies across all subject areas in both jurisdictions to answer the question of how teachers learn to teach (effectively) in each setting. First, focusing on both settings the historical evolution of different conceptions to prepare teachers will be presented with a particular focus on how this informs the recent major reviews of teacher education in both settings. Both reviews have led to very significant shifts in direction with tangible consequences in terms of the structural arrangements we well as the design of teacher preparation programmes. Detail on the explicit or implicit theory behind such changes will be documented. The paper will also present a review of the empirical research evidence (qualitative/quantitative or other approaches) to explore how research has served to inform policy and practice. A number of questions will be raised in terms of how policy supports or hinders what and how teachers learn and how they are expected to teach. Preliminary work suggests there are a number of common features: continued significance of denominational teacher education at primary level, a consolidation of university-based teacher education, significant move toward system rationalization in order to build research capacity and the impact of stronger accountability and its impact on teacher education and the organization of experiences that support learning to teach, the significant role of major international reports in shaping discourse with the two relatively small ‘open’ jurisdictions and, finally, the emergence over the last fifteen years of a cross-border focus on teacher education which has led to the proliferation of focused small-scale comparative studies of teacher education. Keywords: teacher-education, policy, practice, Ireland

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