Skip to content | Change text size

 

SIE FRG Global Collaborations Conference: Preparing educators for globalising workplaces:

04 October 2011
Jason Brailey

Preparing educators for globalising workplaces:

Foundations, frames and future directions in research on work, learning and leadership

This research conference opened up a great discussion about:

§The contemporary transformations in education as a location for social action,

§The way education is used as an instrument for steering social change by governments, business, community groups and social movements,

§The implications of these developments for professionals' practice, professional education and questions of ethics, rights and responsibilities, and

§The effects of educators' social action through education which has implications for individual learning, life chances and social patterns of opportunity, equality and democracy.

What counts as 'education' is changing rapidly, which makes issues related to changing practices, patterns and 'inter-spatialities' of educational work, learning and leadership a hot issue today. It has effects on:

·Institutions (eg. schools, universities, workplaces, community, e-learning settings);

·Practices and what knowing in practice means today, especially for practicing educators and professionals who educate;

·Identities and their materialised effects in everyday life; and

·Mobilities, transitions, and patterns and processes of change.

The good company and conversations about these changing terms and conditions of educational work were stimulated by papers by Professors Tara Fenwick, Sue Webb and Terri Seddon. Their comments converged in very interesting ways around three focus questions:

1.What do changes in globalising workplaces mean for professional education and professional learning and leadership?

2.What are fruitful foundations and frames in research in the field of work, adult learning and leadership?

  1. What are probable and preferred future directions in professional and workplace education?

Our discussions were enriched by the mix of people who participated in this fascinating event - from Scotland (Tara), Deakin, La Trobe, Monash Medical Faculty, Monash Peninsula and Clayton as well as various TAFE Institutes and a business education consultancy.

As a result of this discussion, we have agreed to consolidate this research conversation through a research network that will be anchored in the SIE research group webpage. See: http://www.education.monash.edu.au/research/groups/socialinnovation/

If you want to know more about this event, check out the attached powerpoints.

Terri Seddon

4/10/11

Attachments:

[Back to top]