Taking a stance: promoting deliberate action through online postgraduate professional development

Abstract

This article provides six case studies situated in an online community of practice relating to a module in a university Master of Arts in Education programme. During the module the online community allowed students to immerse themselves in problems brought to the community by their tutor. Students continued to participate in the online community of practice following the module, bringing their own professional issues to the forum to be discussed, with some interactions facilitated by the tutor.

Six participants' experiences in the community are explored, contrasted, and related to those of the rest of the cohort, and the success of the community in challenging and changing the stances teachers take towards professional issues in their day‐to‐day practice is considered. Although the findings are encouraging, the link from particular example of positional exploration and change to long‐term professional identity change is complex, unclear and subject to many influences.

Notes

1. This is a derogatory term which Pam uses to indicate that she feels she makes superficial contributions to discussions.

2. SATs are the national tests which all children in England take at age 11, and level 5 is an above average achievement.