'Quality education as worthwhile'. Practices as interconnected sites for and of transformation in a school setting

At the Finnish Educational Research Association (FERA) 2013 conference, Stephen Kemmis (see this volume) revived the argument of education as a practice; where schools in fulfilling their educational functions, exist in a reciprocal and dialectical relationship with the societies that they serve. Building upon this position, this paper employs a site ontological approach to explore particular educational practices as interconnected sites for and of school change and transformation. We interrogate: (a) the leading and mentoring practices of a principal and staff, in a small rural high school in Australia; and (b) the professional learning practices, which evolve. We examine this process as the school undertakes a new school-wide professional and student learning initiative intended to enhance literacy and numeracy outcomes. In this context, the school s stated understanding of quality education as worthwhile must be viewed as contested, multi-dimensional and site/school specific.