How do we improve our contribution to the professional development of educational practitioners by enacting a self-study methodology?

In this chapter we explain our educational influence as we research our question, ‘How do we improve our contribution to the professional development of educational practitioners by enacting a self-study methodology?’ as Living Theory researchers. We: demonstrate the contribution Living Theory researchers make to the evolution of educational knowledge, as called for by Snow (2001) and Schön (1995); provide evidence of our developing understanding and practice of our own professional development; show and explain how we improve our contribution to the professional development of professional educational-practitioners. Our ontological values of loving recognition, respectful connection, educational responsibility, creativity and academic freedom, and social values of an inclusive, emancipating and egalitarian society comprise our explanatory principles and standards of judgement. Crompton (2010) describes such values as, “intrinsic, or self-transcendent” and are, “... concerned with bigger-than-self problems and with corresponding behaviours to help address these problems” (p.10). The practice that is the focus of this chapter is our joint tutoring of a University of Bath (UK) Masters programme between 2008-2012. Participants included professional educational-practitioners working in various fields, including teachers and head-teachers in schools.