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

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