Utilizing the Theory of Practice Architectures in research on mentoring and professional development

A self-study approach

Authors

  • Eli Lejonberg University of Oslo
  • Hilde Marie Madsø Jacobsen University of Oslo
  • Tove Seiness Hunskaar University of Oslo
  • Ingrid Elna Elden Nord University
  • Beverley Goldshaft University of Stavanger
  • Ela Sjølie Norwegian University of Science and Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15845/ntvp.v10i2.4402

Keywords:

Educational Research, Mentoring Research, Professional Development, Self-Study Research Design, Theory of Practice Architectures

Abstract

Researching mentoring and professional development is a complex practice. In the past decade, the Theory of Practice Architectures (TPA) (Kemmis, Wilkinson et al. 2014) has received increased attention from researchers, particularly within the field of education. Utilizing TPA can provide understandings of complex practices by focusing on the elements constituting a practice, interaction between practices and the structures that surround them. By using Self-Study Research Design, this paper aims to highlight challenges that researchers may experience when utilizing TPA in their studies of practice. More specifically, we examine the challenges related to the use of TPA in our own research practices.  Utilizing the application of TPA when scrutinizing practice in our investigation of challenges related to use of TPA (Kemmis et al., 2013; Variyan & Edwards-Groves, 2024), we intend to contribute to knowledge on mentoring and professional development research practices and consider implications for our future use of TPA.

Author Biographies

Eli Lejonberg, University of Oslo

Eli is professor in mentoring in education, and works with mentor education, tools for mentoring, video-based learning designs and teachers’ professional development.

Hilde Marie Madsø Jacobsen, University of Oslo

Hilde holds a PhD in mentoring in education, and works with mentor education, mentoring of newly qualified teachers and leadership and organization of mentoring.

Tove Seiness Hunskaar, University of Oslo

Tove holds a PhD in mentoring in education and works with mentor education and tools in school-based mentoring.

Ingrid Elna Elden, Nord University

Ingrid is associate professor in pedagogy, and works with mentoring, teachers’ professional development and teachers’ practices.

Beverley Goldshaft, University of Stavanger

Beverley is an associate professor in education and works with observation of teachers’ practices and mentoring schools’ professional development to improve learning environments

Ela Sjølie, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Ela is professor in education and works with student learning in higher education, organizational learning and practice theory.

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Published

2025-09-12

How to Cite

Lejonberg, E., Jacobsen, H. M. M., Hunskaar, T. S., Elden, I. E., Goldshaft, B., & Sjølie, E. (2025). Utilizing the Theory of Practice Architectures in research on mentoring and professional development: A self-study approach. The Nordic Journal of Pedagogical Supervision, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.15845/ntvp.v10i2.4402