Conference Agenda

We not only live in an age of uncertainty, but in obviously dangerous times. It is nearly a hundred years since Antonio Gramsci wrote ‘the old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum a great variety of morbid symptoms appear’ (Gramsci, 1971, p. 276), but these words seem as relevant as ever. It is not a time of crisis, but an age of many crises that often combine and collide in ways that amplify their impact.

Educators are at the sharp end of these developments: having to keep abreast of rapid change, manage increasingly complex environments and preparing learners with both the skills and dispositions that will help them navigate these turbulent times.

Supporting educators in this work is the task of professional learning and development (PLD), but as the task of the educator becomes more complex, so too must the purposes and forms of PLD adapt. Historically much professional learning has been focused on developing the technical skills required to ‘perform’ the task of teaching, and much PLD research has been concerned with establishing ‘what works’ - where and in what circumstances.

If such an approach was ever appropriate, it is clear that it is not appropriate now. Old models and traditional practices appear unable to cope with the world as it is and much professional learning, and professional learning research, appears no longer fit for purpose in an age of crises (Stevenson, 2023).

This symposium seeks to explore these issues, with a particular focus on the implications for professional learning research and those engaged in such research. The intention is to ‘look forward’, to reflect on the professional learning of the future and the research that will be required to support it.

The approach adopted is to examine critically three recent Special Issues of Professional Development in Education (PDiE). PDiE is now in its 50^th year, and for all that time it has provided a focus for research in this important sub-field within the wider Education discipline. As with other scholarly journals, PDiE publishes Special Issues and these publications can be significant for what they say about a field and its future trajectory. Special issues are intended to bring together a range of contributors with a specialised focus to construct new knowledge and deepen collective understanding. As such they perform an important ‘agenda setting’ role by identifying new issues and charting new directions.

This symposium will focus on three special issues Leading Professional Learning to Navigate Complexity (vol 49:6), Beyond Reproduction: the Transformative Potential of Professional Learning (vol 49:4) and The Place of Professional Growth and Professional Learning in Leading Socially Just Schools (vol 47:1).

Each individual contribution will be presented by a PDiE editorial board member closely involved with the curating of the relevant SI, and presentations will be framed around a set of common questions:

1. What are the key issues that emerged from the contributions to the SI? Where were the similarities and differences?
2. What questions were addressed by contributors? Are there questions that were not raised, but which need to be addressed?
3. What are the implications for future research in PLD – theoretically, methodologically and empirically?

The intention is to use the Special Issues to raise critical questions about current and future trends in professional learning research. The session will be constructed to maximise discussion. Presenters are located in Ireland, the USA and England. The discussant is from Scotland. Articles in the SIs are drawn from a wide range of European and non-European contexts.

The special issue of Professional Development in Education, guest edited by Deirdre Torrance and Christine Forde (2021) with a Foreword by Associate Editor PDiE Fiona King (2021) sought to explore the perspectives and practices of leaders who advocate for social justice. Against the backdrop of the global Covid-19 pandemic, the expansion of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the OECD's emphasis on Excellence and Equity, this special issue highlights the notable disparity between privileged and underprivileged communities. It underscores the urgent need to address issues of inequity. School leaders' professional learning and development (PLD) and how they support the PLD of others to build socially just schools was an important question underpinning this special issue. Torrance and Forde classified the submissions in this special issue into three overarching themes: Leadership development and leading socially just schools; Leading in socially just schools and; teacher development to build practice in socially just schools. The content primarily comprises empirical studies conducted in diverse contexts, complemented by a critical review of the literature and two conceptual papers. This presentation will explore the conceptualization of social justice in the featured articles. A prominent theme throughout the special issue revolves around the interchangeable use of terms (inclusion, equity, equality, diversity) in research, writing, and the practice of social justice. While acknowledging the absence of a universally agreed-upon definition for these terms, there is a concern about ensuring clarity in meanings to enhance understanding of the associated challenges. Whilst recognizing the significance of context in shaping these concepts and practices, this paper will make the case for explicitly defining what we mean by social justice within our professional learning environments. It will also contend that critically reflecting on the various factors that shape our beliefs and practices as educators—such as social, economic, political, and personal influences—is equally crucial. Professional learning that fosters such awareness represents only an initial phase, with calls for leaders and teachers to become more political and agentic in their roles. Social justice leadership calls for a reflective, activist and transformative stance, proposing that leadership learning should be integrated into all professional development. Additionally, we are compelled to unite in addressing the voices of those marginalised, aiming to enact positive changes and transform both schools and society.

Christine Forde & Deirdre Torrance (2021) The place of professional growth and professional learning in leading socially just schools, Professional Development in Education, 47:1, 3-6, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2020.1848491 Fiona King (2021) Foreword, Professional Development in Education, 47:1, 12, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2020.1848492

This special issue, published in December 2023 and edited by Phil Poekert and Fiona King (2023), emanates from a symposium sponsored by the journal and hosted at Dublin City University in June 2022, the latest in a series of biannual symposia. The issue comprises 17 papers and an afterword, and it showcases contributions from authors representing 12 countries across 4 continents, ranging from Italy and Qatar to China and New Zealand. These contributions include a conceptual meta-model developed by the editors (King et al, 2023), exploring the constructs of Context, Experience, and Outcomes (CEO) as a framework applicable at individual, school, and systems levels. The editors reflect that all research on professional learning and development, including contributions in the special issue, explores the interaction among contextual influences, experiences of teachers and leaders, and outcomes of professional learning on students, educators, schools, and systems. All papers in the special issue also acknowledge the increasing complexities within the implementation of professional learning. Drawing inspiration from Bogotch's (2021) call for shared awareness and actionable plans to achieve socially just schools in another special issue, the issue aims to advance the field from acknowledging complexity to offering actionable guidance on operationalizing complexity in both research and practice. Collectively, the papers make four key points about the nature of leadership for professional learning. Firstly, they emphasize leadership as a shared practice, transcending traditional roles and positions. Secondly, the leadership of professional learning goes beyond mere management. Thirdly, a deep understanding of complex networks of influence is crucial for effective translation of professional learning into teaching experiences. Finally, they research approaches aiming to optimize the impact of professional learning on student outcomes while ensuring equity in education. A selection of papers in the special issue focus on conceptual and practical tools for navigating complexity. Examples include a conceptual framework for understanding the role of agency in professional learning, insights into how accomplished teachers navigate challenges, and the importance of fostering a culture that values enquiry as a way of facilitating meaningful professional learning. The remaining papers showcase examples and illustrations of navigating complexity in professional learning practice and research. From headteachers navigating the pandemic to collaborative inquiry models supporting teacher professional learning, these real-world cases offer insights into advancing professional learning approaches and addressing complex challenges in education. Together, these papers contribute to ongoing dialogue on navigating uncertainty in education, fostering hope for the future.

Ira Bogotch (2021) Afterword: inserting social justice into professional development, Professional Development in Education, 47:1, 191-196, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2020.1848490 Philip Poekert & Fiona King (2023) Leading professional learning to navigate complexity, Professional Development in Education, 49:6, 953-957, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2023.2277572 Fiona King, Philip Poekert & Takeshia Pierre (2023) A pragmatic meta-model to navigate complexity in teachers’ professional Learning, Professional Development in Education, 49:6, 958-977, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2023.2248478

This special issue of Professional Development in Education, edited by Aileen Kennedy and Howard Stevenson (2023) explicitly sought to encourage a critique of much mainstream professional learning and development (PLD), while also offering a more optimistic vision of what genuinely transformative professional learning can, and should, look like. Several contributions explored the limitations of much current professional learning provision, but the main focus was on the development of the notion of ‘transformation’ at a theoretical level. An interesting feature of the SI is the broad range of conceptual frameworks that contributors drew on, often working with more than one approach and seeking interesting ways to meld different frameworks. Many of the contributors utilised Jack Mezirow’s work (1997), but a range of approaches rooted in critical pedagogy and radical adult education were also evident. The work often highlighted the importance, but also the limitations, of these valuable intellectual traditions. This presentation will offer an overview of how ‘transformation’ is conceived across all the articles in the Special Issue. While conceptual pluralism can be a value, it can also reflect an element of incoherence when considering what is being ‘transformed’, how and by whom. Such uncertainty can then contribute to the term being denuded of any real meaning, as happens frequently in those contexts where ‘transformation’ appears to denote little more than ‘substantial change’. This paper will make the case for a deeper theorising of the notion of transformative learning in a PLD context. It is an approach that sees personal transformation as nested within a wider collective transformation and, in turn, offering the prospect of a transformation of social relations (Stevenson 2024). Such an approach is necessary if those who position themselves as engaged in ‘critical professional learning’ (Parkhouse et al, 2023) are able to navigate the unavoidable tensions and contradictions that flow from working simultaneously ‘in and against’ work contexts that are exploitative and unjust (Mayo, 2005). This is a form of professional learning that goes beyond learning for work, or even learning about work, but takes seriously the notion of learning against work.

Aileen Kennedy & Howard Stevenson (2023) Beyond reproduction: the transformative potential of professional learning, Professional Development in Education, 49:4, 581-585, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2023.2226971 Peter Mayo (2005) ‘In and against’ the state: Gramsci, war of position and adult education. www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/1463/1/War_of_Position-Mayo-libre-1.pdf Jack Mezirow (1997). Transformative learning: Theory to practice. New directions for adult and continuing education, 1997(74), 5-12. Hillary Parkhouse, Jesse Senechal & Elizabeth Severson-Irby (2023) Laying a foundation for critical professional development through a research–practice partnership, Professional Development in Education, 49:4, 725-738, DOI: 10.1080/19415257.2023.2193198 Howard Stevenson (2024) Educational Leadership and Antonio Gramsci: The Organising of Ideas, Routledge.