However, it needs to be said that educators and teachers face major challenges in their
endeavour to aim for good practice. These challenges, according to recent studies, include
those associated with the structure of the national curriculum and assessment models;
teacher education, confidence levels and attitudes; the lack of support and appropriate
resources available to teachers: and the fact that the action component of DE is too often
linked to fundraising because fundraising is frequently seen as the only appropriate response
to global poverty (Fiedler et al., 2011; Bryan & Bracken 2011, p. 263). Some of these
barriers may relate to even reaching the ‘starting out’ level – as set out in indicators below –
others are identified as inhibiting factors for teachers moving from the ‘starting out’ phase
to ‘good practice’. However, it is important to recognise progress, no matter where the
starting point.
The indicators in this document primarily focus on pupil/student learning with some tracking
of the teacher’s role as it develops from a ‘starting out’ to a ‘good practice’ level. It is however
important to highlight that these are interlinked and teacher engagement with DE training
or other types of professional development activities will obviously have an impact on the
learning opportunities available to the children and young people in their classrooms (see
Case Study N o. 8, p. 46). The indicators do not differentiate between primary or post primary