The purpose of this article is critically to evaluate the notion of professionalism in the contemporary context and to suggest a way forward which will enhance the ‘learning capability’ of institutions in whicheducational professionals work. The characteristics of what are shown to be‘new times’ will be briefly summarized and a case made for a particular reinterpretation of professionalism in the light of these new circumstances. Crucial to the practice of a new professionalism will be an emphasis in institutions on democratic collaborationas a basis for rational communication in the context of uncertainty which characterizes ‘new times’. The discussion focuses on bureaucraticconstraints on such a collaborative model and on the operation of disciplinary power(Foucault) in institutions. Reformswhich aim to foster collaborative cultures, such as the National Curriculumand the school effectiveness/school improvement movement, often conceal theextent to which disciplinary power remains dominant. Professionals need to be more sensitive towards the role of power in the construction of selves and in their understanding of their own expertise in this regard.

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This is an exploratory study of a metacognitive approach to teaching low achieving pupils in a first year (Year 8) class in a secondary school. In working with a small group both inside and outside the classroom the research team hoped to illuminate the process whereby the social framework for a genuine dialogue about learning processes was established. The method involved the development and evaluation of an aide-memoire of learning strategies which was used as a starting point for building a vocabulary of learning and highlighting elements of a learning discourse. All the pupils showed that they were able to focus on learning as a topic of conversation and to participate in a 'good quality' reflective discussion about their own and their peers' learning. recap for us what we were talking about? Start with 'soluble'. That word 'soluble'. Can you tell us what soluble means? Martin: It means that it can't dissolve. Kevin: No ... other way round. Researcher. Other way round, yeh. Yeh. Kevin: And insoluble means it doesn't dissolve. Researcher. ... it doesn't dissolve. Right. So. Brian. Brian: Scientists' words. Researcher. That's right, Brian, scientists' words.He puts this language to further use later in the discussion, Brian: When salt and water comes out into the bowl, you've got salt solution.The researcher attempts to summarise the words which had been used during the discussion about dissolving:Researcher. Soluble, insoluble, rock salt, hot water, cold water, stirring. These are all the things we need to know about.

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