‘A brave professional space’: the shifting identities of educators pursuing Master’s studies in leading professional learning

Abstract

The ‘brave professional space’ was described by a participant of a small-scale study investigating the experiences of five Master’s students of a Scottish university course on leading professional learning. These students, who are also full-time teachers, school leaders and local authority officers, were interviewed on their views of professional learning and their experiences of putting course learning into practice in their work contexts. What emerged were individual stories of personal conflict and some resolution when trying to navigate system demands, one’s own pedagogical ideals, and social relationships with school staff. The concurrent evolution of these leaders’ own professional identities in different spaces adds another dimension. We present this in an original emerging model that may be useful to other teacher educators and researchers navigating the professional learning landscape. Stemming from the belief that schools, regions, and national systems can benefit from embracing professional learning as necessary activism and intellectualism, we propose that university-based Master’s courses can play an effective role in creating liminal, professional spaces for educator-leaders to engage in deep critical reflection and prepare to navigate inevitable challenges in the workplace.