Towards a Public, Relational Notion of Educational Professionalism

• In Event: Beyond Lortie: New sociological perspectives on professions and their application to teaching

Abstract

Objectives: Most conceptions of professionalization rely heavily on the cognitive elements of their fields. Professions also often assume a shared set of goals towards which members should be striving. In this paper, we reconceive educational professionalism in a way that is as relational as it is cognitive, as well as in a way that recognizes that teaching is a public profession where values are disputed. We sketch the elements of a public, relational professionalism, which would offer both a more accurate account of teaching and potentially could be a model for other professions in a modern, diverse, and pluralistic world.
Theoretical Framework: Our work builds on sociological theories of professions, expertise, and diverse ways of knowing. We draw on Abbott’s (1988) foundational framework on professionalization and extend it by incorporating more recent scholarship on relational work and relational knowledge (Pugh, 2024; Bandelj, 2020; Hochschild, 1983), decolonizing epistemologies (Kimmerer, 2013), and broadened understandings of concepts like respect (Lawrence-Lightfoot, 1999). Together, these literatures highlight the limitations of traditional models of educational professionalism that prioritize cognitive expertise while neglecting its relational, emotional, social, and political dimensions. We argue for a more expansive vision of educational professionalism that fully integrates these often-overlooked forms of expertise.
Methods: This theoretical contribution offers a conceptual analysis of evolving constructs of teacher professionalism. Drawing on existing literature from sociology and education, it synthesizes key theoretical frameworks that shape ideals of teacher professionalism. The analysis critically interrogates dominant conceptions of professionalism as too narrow (both in terms of skillset and demographics) and explores alternative perspectives informed by democratic, relational and justice-oriented paradigms. No empirical data is collected; rather, the paper offers a new theoretical synthesis and proposes directions for future scholarly and policy discourse.

Results: In this paper, we examine the traditional model of professionalism—rooted in elite professions like medicine and law—and highlight its strengths, including advancing knowledge, ensuring political independence, and stabilizing society. However, we critique this model for being exclusionary, hierarchical, overly focused on cognitive expertise, and insufficiently relational. In response to societal shifts like racial and gender movements, political instability, and digital information access, we propose an updated vision of “public professionalism” that emphasizes inclusion and relational expertise. This new model calls for professionals to engage ethically, collaboratively, and empathetically with clients and communities, blending deep knowledge with humility and respect.

Scholarly significance: Our conception of professionalism seeks to preserve the quality practice that is characteristic of professionalism, but seeks to do so in a way that is less exclusionary and more relational. Particularly in a world in which skepticism of expertise and professions is at an all time high, this kind of reconceptualization is key for the future viability of the professions.

Authors

• Jal David Mehta, Harvard University

• Krista Galleberg, Harvard University