Increasing but insufficient polyphony: are there voices that could further enrich the discussion of LD professional identities?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi40.1752

Keywords:

professional identities, professional practices, practitioner research, LD in Scotland

Abstract

The development of Learning Development (LD) in the United Kingdom (UK), and its sister disciplines in other countries, has been accompanied by intense conversations and reflection on the professional identities of those involved in it. This paper contributes to these debates by focussing on aspects of LD identities and practice that remain stubbornly uncertain. It argues that the growing consensus in the literature should not distract from questions about how well the literature represents the full community of Learning Developers (LDers). To this end, it reviews current literature on LD identities and practice, focussing on potential limitations to the emerging body of knowledge these publications represent. In response, it develops the rationale for a study among Scottish LDers that addresses some of the aspects currently underrepresented in the literature by including a wider scope of voices and focussing more strongly on practice.

Author Biographies

Alexander J. Cuthbert, University of Strathclyde

Alexander J. Cuthbert has worked in inclusive learning contexts since 1994, initially in primary and secondary schools, before entering higher education in 2008 working with neurodivergent and disabled learners at the University of Glasgow. In 2012, he was involved with creation of a study skills (now Learner Development) service at the University of Strathclyde. Alex’s research interests focus predominantly on Learning Development practice while our collective and individual experiences of time are a recurrent preoccupation.

Ursula Canton, Glasgow Caledonian University

Ursula Canton works as a senior lecturer in the Learning Development Centre at the School of Science and Engineering at Glasgow Caledonian University and as a learning developer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her teaching and research approach the embedding of literacies into HE through a range of collaborative projects, including work on the impact of teaching communication.

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Published

25-06-2026

How to Cite

Cuthbert, A. J., & Canton, U. (2026). Increasing but insufficient polyphony: are there voices that could further enrich the discussion of LD professional identities?. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, (40). https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi40.1752

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