Research as Professional Development in Distance Education

This paper’ examines some crucial issues on ‘research as professional development’ in distance education (viz. systemic versus discipline research, identity and learning, scaffolding and mentoring in researching at a distance, role of.incentives in distance education research, and research training) for further critical reflection and for setting up an agenda for implementation and follow-up of institutional and collaborative research at a distarice. It raises research as well as professional-managerial questions on research policy, research mentoring, and promotion of research through institutional support including incentive, which are crucial to sustaining research in general, and research in adult and distance education in particular. This has been examined in a context where exchange, support and collaboration are possible through information and communication technologies (ICTs). As a conclusion, the paper highlights some of the training issues relating to research as professional development in distance education.