This blog

grassProPEL Matters is the blog for ProPEL (Professional Practice, Education and Learning), a cross-disciplinary network of people interested in researching matters of interest across a wide range of occupational groups that call themselves ‘professions’. Many of this blog’s contributors are based at the University of Stirling in the UK, although we are also happy to feature contributions from ProPEL’s international network.

This blog has four main purposes:

  •  expand and extend critical debate about current matters of professional practice, education and learning
  • promote dialogue about research in professional matters
  • increase trans-disciplinary exchanges across professions and professional educators
  • share knowledge and research among experts in academia, community and policy settings.

We use the notion of ‘matters’ intentionally, because what matters most in professional affairs seems to slide a fair bit depending on who is speaking. Within ProPEL we are most interested in the perspectives of professionals in the thick of practice – their strategies and struggles, their commitments and conflicts, their changing knowledge and responsibilities – and what all this means for professional learning and education.

‘Matter’ for us also points to all the materials of bodies, paperwork, tools, technologies and settings that play important roles in professionals’ everyday work. Yet these ‘matters’ are often ignored or invisible despite the critical ethical and political issues they raise, perhaps particularly in matters of professional learning and education.

Our main aim, however, is to communicate research and promote dialogue to enhance understanding and impact.  The blog posts represent the views of the author(s), which are not necessarily the position of ProPEL, the ProPEL Matters blog, or the University of Stirling.

The blog is run by the University of Stirling’s ProPEL group.

ProPEL Matters Editor: Dr. Terrie Lynn Thompson

Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, UK

For information or details on how to submit a blog, send an email to the Editor at terrielynn.thompson@stir.ac.uk