Professional and Leadership Education

Leads: Romina Madrid and Aileen Ireland

The Professional and Leadership Education Research Group is committed to enhancing our understanding of the professional learning and development of individuals working in diverse public settings, with a particular focus on fostering leadership capabilities that respond to the evolving needs of contemporary society.

As professions undergo restructuring and expectations of professionals shift in response to these changes, we deal with critical questions about the purposes and forms of education that are most effective in supporting professional learning in our societies. We aim to generate insights that not only address these questions but also contribute to policy development and practical innovations. Our network aims to create a dynamic space for reconceptualising professionalism and professional learning. It's also a platform that fosters collaborations aimed at improving educational policy and practice.

Our areas of interest are broad but include key themes, such as approaches to professional learning and development (for example, coaching, mentoring, and critical collaborative professional enquiry) across various sectors and contexts, including health, education, business, and public services. We are also focused on the role of sustainable and system leadership in driving social transformation and justice within leadership at different career stages, such as middle and senior leadership, as well as youth and community leadership. Furthermore, the group is interested on newer conceptualisations of leadership in relation to specific concerns such as sustainability and the promotion of equity and social justice.

The group’s work supports synergistic research and innovation across all three of the university’s research missions: Places, Spaces, and Lives.