The contribution of knowing practice to the theory–practice ‘divide’ in global learning

Abstract

This article draws on research exploring how practitioners in development education centres (DECs) in England conceptualise global learning and understand the relationship between theory and practice. It responds to ongoing critique that when it comes to practice, there is a lack of clarity and reflection on conceptual and theoretical issues, and their implications for what practitioners know and do. Informed by critical grounded theory, the research analysed data obtained through focus groups which were designed to engage practitioners in a process of reflecting on their work collaboratively and critically. While findings from an early analysis of responses appeared to support arguments about a weak theory–practice relationship, revisiting participants’ emphasis on what they do as practice prompted exploration of the literature on similar debates in wider professional contexts. This introduced insights centred on concepts of embodied and ‘knowing practice’. Applying these concepts back to the data supported evidence of a more complex and symbiotic relationship between theory and practice in some participants’ responses. This was significant in reframing the theory–practice divide assumed by the research aims, shifting the emphasis from knowledge to practice, and opening up questions about what knowledge and practice means in the context of DECs. It also empowered practitioners by alerting them to possibilities for engaging more actively with knowledge and transforming their practice collectively.