Making A Difference - that matters

My most recent thought of what Education is: a life-long, life-wide values-laden process of learning to live humanely a personally satisfying and socially productive and worthwhile life and helping others to do so too – and contributing to Humanity flourishing as a benign presence in the universe.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead.

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito” Attributed to the Dalai Lama (27 Jul 2022)

Huxtable, M. & Whitehead, J. (2025) Living Educational Theory Research in the Self-Study of Teacher-Education Professional Practices. Presented at the 2025 Conference of the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching at the University of Glasgow on the 2nd July 2025.

Huxtable, M. (2025) How teachers are contributing to the development of local, national and global equitable, inclusive education through their values-focussed professional development. Presented at the 2025 Conference of the International Study Association on Teachers and Teaching at the University of Glasgow on the 2nd July 2025.

Whitehead, J. & Huxtable, M. (2025) A Living Educational Theory Approach to Global Perspectives in Teacher Education: An Alternative to the Standard Education Model. Presented at BERA SIG 2025, Leeds Beckett University 26-27 June 2025 with the theme of Global Perspectives in Teacher Education: Challenging the Standard Education Model. 

Huxtable, M. & Whitehead, J. (2025) Transformative potential of Living Educational Theory Research as Continuing Professional Development for Building Bridges and Making Connections in Education with the Hope of Contributing to the Creation of a Better world. Presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference 2025, The Sheraton Hotel, Athlone, Republic of Ireland, 11th April 2025. Theme Building bridges and making connections: education for hope and transformation. Slides.

Huxtable, M. & Whitehead, J. (2025) Identifying and Meeting the Professional Needs of Teachers with Living Educational Theory Research. Presented to the International Scientific Conference on ‘Identifying And Satisfying Teachers' Professional Needs – Contemporary Discourses’, hosted by the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Jan Kochanowski University of Kielce, Poland, April 4-5, 2025. slides

BERA 2024 conference 

Huxtable, M. (2024) How am I contributing to the development of education, research and pedagogical practices with values of human flourishing? A contribution to the Symposium on ‘Generating an epistemology for educational research from the responsibility of educators and educational researchers to research their own professional development.’, presented to the 2024 Conference of the British Educational Research association 8-12 September 2024.

LATEST PUBLICATION

Jack Whitehead, Marie Huxtable (2024) Living Educational Theory Research as an Epistemology for Practice: The Role of Values in Practitioners’ Professional Development. Routledge.

This book explores a value-based research methodology, Living Educational Theory Research (LETR), which aligns a values-based approach with key tenets of professional development to inform and inspire future educators’ practice. Click here for flyer with chapter details and discount code.

Be really nice if you wanted to visit me on ResearchGate and LinkedIn. I will try to post papers there as well so if this sort of research interests you could 'follow me' and you will get notification when I post. I am sure I should be able to do that here but not yet learned how to.

This is a must watch - Jack Whitehead's TEDX talk on 24th October in Bolton University, UK

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf1kFHLdiPY

Here Joy Mounter is talking about Living Educational Theory research from a practitioner's point of view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KrweokCbZE&feature=youtu.be

And here Jack Whitehead is introducting Living Educational Theory research - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6hCtGy0W_o&feature=youtu.be

When I need reminding to keep things in perspective these two sites are helpful: The Scale of the Universe and the Galaxy Song by Eric Idle

If you would like to let me know what, if anything, you find useful, thought provoking, irritating... and ideas to make the site more useful, I would much appreciate it. Contact me.

This site needs a major overhaul but may never happen. In the meantime I just add to it as I find things I want to store. I have added to this site since 2006 when I began working on my doctoral thesis while employed as a senior educational psychologist leading on an authority wide project I was passionate about. I wanted somewhere to keep things so I could find them (I am seriously untidy as you will realise should you have a look through the site). I also wanted to walk my own talk and offer my learning journey as a gift to anyone who might be able to benefit from meeting some of the inspirational people and ideas I have met along the way. I thought someone may find something useful to them amongst my stumblings and fumblings in the forest of my ignorance and occassional moments in the glades of insight I have enjoyed.

Many things have changed in my life since then. I have a doctorate. The funding for my work ended and with it my job. I am still thinking about my purpose in life. What is it that makes my life feel worth living? I still can't put it into words but this picture still sums it up for me. 

There is Ubuntu explained as 'I am because we are', I am also very interested in exploring 'we are because I am' - why is that so much more difficult? I have also found the notion of Ikigai helpful too. I have realised that I am in an amazing position that rather than being 'retired' or 'unemployed' I am literally able to be self-employed - to employ myself to do what I believe to be productive, worthwhile and carry the hope of contributing to the flourishing of humanity. Where I am now? Bearing in mind it is always work in progress you can find my sites of practice when I get sorted to create an update to my living-poster.

If you are looking for a gateway to a community of values-driven practitioner researchers have a look at collection of living posters. Check them out, follow the links, contact people and contribute your own living poster.