The role of Living Educational Theory Research in

The role of Living Educational Theory Research in imagining… Post-professional identities, ethics & responseability beyond professional standards. Researching creatively across disciplines & settings. Symposium by Jayne Coleman, Joy Mounter, Jack Whitehead, Marie Huxtable IPDA conference 2020

‘How can I contribute to improving opportunities for practitionerresearchers to contribute to and benefit from a global educational knowledgebase whatever their location, discipline or field of practice from a Living Educational Theory research perspective? ’ Marie Huxtable, University of Cumbria, UK

Living Educational Theory research A form of professional educational practitioner self-study research • • • A living-educational-theory is the term coined by Whitehead (1985) for the valid explanations of a researcher for their explanation of the educational influence they have in their own learning, the learning of others and the learning of the social formations, which forms the complex ecology of the practice. A living-educational-theory is generated through the process of Living Educational Theory research. A practitioner engages in Living Educational Theory research when they take a professional responsibility for their educational practice. They take professional responsibility for their educational practice by researching into it to understand, improve and explain it and generate a valid values-based explanation of their educational influence in their own learning, the learning of others and the learning of the social formation within which they practice.

Symposium Threads • Professionalism • Educational Responsibility • Educational Communities & Conversation.

Professionalism A professional: • Practices with regard to ethical principles and codes of conduct of the field and culture within which practice is situated • Holds them self to account for their practice with respect to the life -enhancing values they embody in their practice and which form their explanatory principles and evaluative standards of their practice • Develops proficient practice by engaging in a programme of study and training to continually extend their knowledge, understanding and skills related to their field of practice • Inquires and researches into their practice to improve it, test the validity of their claims to be improving their practice and contribute in the process to the growth of associated knowledge-bases.

Professionalism of educational practitioners: Professional educational practitioners: • • Practice ‘ethically’ and ‘morally’ – ‘ethically’: practicing with respect to the values of the field of practice and culture, - ‘morally’: practicing with respect to ontological and social values the practitioner holds them self to account for in their practice Accept their educational responsibility to create and test the validity of knowledge of enhancing educational influences in learning, which contributes to a global educational knowledgebase Engage in a programme of study and training to continually extend their cognitive range and concern and their ability to engage in academic, intellectual and scholarly discourse Research to both create and contribute valid knowledge to progress knowledge of the field of practice and of educational knowledge, whether in ‘real time’ communication, for example in tutoring apprentices or students, giving lectures etc or in the form of artefacts that comprise valid knowledge, which contributes to a knowledgebase that can be accessed across time and space for example, in the form of journal papers.

Educational Responsibility • The responsibility each person has to learn, lifelong, to live a satisfying, productive and worthwhile life for themselves and others, which contributes to the flourishing of their own humanity, the humanity of others and the flourishing of (Humanity) our species.

Developing professional educational practice in communities of practice through conversations • Practitioners share ideas and thoughts in communities of like minded practitioners in conversation • Educational practitioners clarify their best intent and help others do the same as they inquire into their educational practice in communities of educational practitioners in educational conversations. • Professional educational practitioners create and test the validity of knowledge of enhancing educational influences in learning, which contributes to a global educational knowledgebase, as they research into their educational practice in communities of professional educational practitioners through educational research conversations. • The language of all these conversations is that of rational, intellectual discourse.