In this article we advance a new way of theorising professional learning and development through the concept of intellectual wellbeing, or noetic syntonia, which we define as the positive sense of self derived from an authentic engagement with the ethical, theoretical, and practical challenges of one’s professional domain. Drawing on concepts from philosophy and social theory, and particularly on the work of Simone de Beauvoir, we suggest that prioritising intellectual wellbeing is nothing short of a challenge for schools to reconnect with the essence of what an ethical approach to education should be, and to move away from outdated practices and policies that promote a simplistic idea of personal ‘growth’ measured through assessment, audit, and foregone educational outcomes. We begin by setting the scene for research into teacher professional identity before describing the concept of intellectual wellbeing in detail, including questions of ecology and value. We then offer an example of how intellectual wellbeing may be nurtured through simple, practical steps at the school level.
Alexander, Patrick Perche, Jacques-Olivier
School of Education, Humanities and Languages
Year of publication: 2024Date of RADAR deposit: 2024-09-11