An international online session on self-study in teacher education drew more than 70 participants from a range of institutional and national contexts. The event took place on 28 May 2026 and formed part of the Beijing Normal University–Centre for Teacher Education Research (BNU-CTER) Teacher Education Self-Study Professional Development Program, which supports university-based teacher educators across China in developing their research and teaching practices.
The programme brings together teacher educators working in universities across China and provides a structured space for professional learning. Its focus is on self-study as a way of examining and developing practice in teacher education.
Professor Kathleen Pithouse-Morgan (海角黑料 and honorary professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal), Dr Nosipho Bele, and Dr Ntokozo Mkhize-Mthembu (both from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s School of Education) presented a session titled Starting With Ourselves: Self-Study, Critical Friendship, and Arts-Based Inquiry in Teacher Education.
The event was hosted within the BNU-CTER programme, with Professor Yuan Rui (University of Macau) and Professor Liao Wei (Beijing Normal University) contributing as the discussant and host. Their responses and questions extended the discussion and connected it to participants’ work in Chinese higher education contexts.
The presenters focused on how self-study can support early-career teacher educators. They explained how self-study is carried out, what can be learned through the process, and how it can support ongoing professional learning.
Drawing on collaborative research conducted in South Africa, the session explored three related aspects of self-study: careful attention to one’s own practice, working with critical friends, and the use of arts-based approaches. These were discussed as ways of linking teaching, research, and professional learning.
Dr Bele spoke about self-study as part of becoming an academic, with attention to identity, emotion, and context. She highlighted the value of collaboration and critical friendship in supporting reflective work and making professional learning visible.
Dr Mkhize-Mthembu focused on teaching in changing and uncertain contexts, including the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. She showed how self-study can support thoughtful responses to these conditions and create space to rethink practice. Her examples included arts-based methods such as collage, concept mapping, and poetry.
Professor Pithouse-Morgan facilitated a dialogue that brought these contributions together. The discussion focused on linking teaching and research through self-study, and on the role of critical friendship in offering both support and constructive challenge. Participants were invited to connect these ideas to their own work as teacher educators.
The session included an extended discussion with active participation from attendees. The strong turnout and sustained engagement reflect growing interest in self-study as an approach to professional learning and research in teacher education.
Posted on Friday 29th May 2026