Pastoral Care, Action Research, and Teaching as a Profession: Can ‘Joining the Dots’ Facilitate Teacher Reflection on Practice and Identity?

Abstract

<p>Educators have increasingly demonstrated</p> <p>commitment to, and invested much effort in</p> <p>advancing the cause of pastoral care, action</p> <p>research, and the status of teaching as a</p> <p>profession, over the last two decades. What</p> <p>is largely unrecognised is how these areas</p> <p>of education are linked. A shared focus of</p> <p>attention—evident in educational literature and</p> <p>professional practice—however, constitutes</p> <p>only a minor nexus between and among these</p> <p>three emerging areas of education.</p> <p>Noteworthy and central to all three areas</p> <p>appears to be the idea of <em>making a difference in</em></p> <p><em>the lives of others</em>. This article explores some</p> <p>of the challenges and complexities inherent in</p> <p>existing and potential linkages, including some</p> <p>disjunctions, and their implication for teachers.</p>