We are delighted to share Christopher Bezzina’s blog, ‘The BELMAS Conference: Creating Spaces for Reflection and Dialogue’ which invites us to explore with him the importance of Derrida’s conceptualisation of encounters in his exploration of the value of the BELMAS conference. Through Christopher’s encounters, he explores the value of personal reflection about leadership and collective dialogue through meaningful engagement. With a final call for time for debate as we encounter each other, we hope to see it answered at the BELMAS Conference 2026 in Cardiff.
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Introduction: The Power of Mentorship and Leadership Growth
We are living in an uncertain, turbulent world, a world where issues of corruption, injustice, migration, poverty, and acts of terrorism affect many communities. As we witness such events they may make us feel helpless, vulnerable, or else we remain detached, oblivious of the realities that surround us (Bezzina, 2018). Lawrence-Lightfoot (1983), as cited in Swaffield (2017), argues that too many of the conversations we engage in about such events are reductionist or rhetorical in nature and encourages educators to challenge the dynamics and the language used of such discourse. She urges us to question what we take for granted, to question the unquestionable; to take a stand; to deliberate and engage with issues that affect us and future generations. This year’s BELMAS Conference did just that!
Encounters
The conference provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the philosophy of Derrida and the need to create ‘encounters’ as people engage with one another. These are the opportunities we need as Derrida’s (1985) ‘deconstruction’ challenges the idea of fixed meanings and stable identities (Lodge et al., in van Kessel, 2021, pp.31-32). The reference to ‘encounters’, implies that the meaning of an interaction, or the identity of the people involved, is not predetermined but rather constantly being negotiated and redefined through engagement.
Together we engaged as presenters and attendees with the conference theme of ‘turbulence, reform and development’ examining the importance of leadership approaches based on specific values and attributes in our encounters. These values need to challenge all educators (and society at large), and whilst acknowledging that we come from different contexts and backgrounds, we need to engage with our current mind-set and be open, receptive to the beliefs and ideas that others bring to the discourse. This is how critical discourse is created, where genuine encounters take place.
Finding Purpose
It is such encounters that help us nurture a sense of purpose. This is especially challenging if one hails from societies that are hierarchical, centralised and bureaucratic. Studies have shown that to counter a culture of dependency requires a review of existing governance structures, one that will lead schools having the latitude to determine their future based on identified contextual needs (Nehez & Blossing, 2020). I have argued (Bezzina, 2025) that we need to address this on two levels – the personal and the collective. At the personal level, we need to revisit the reasons why we, as Sinek (2011) argues, elected to take on leadership roles. This will help us to ignite or reignite our reason for being, our purpose (Pink, 2018). This takes us to the second level – the need to engage in meaningful ways with others. This is where community is created.
Community
Dhiman (2017) emphasises the importance of engagement, of dialogue. We need leaders who take the opportunity to pause, to reflect deeply and critically upon the particular issues they are facing and to think about the leadership they are enacting (Glaze, 2018). It is a time to identify those strategies that can make a difference, that focus on investing in people; in their development through initiatives that demonstrate commitment to growth and wellbeing (Schein & Schein, 2018). I believe that this can be achieved through the nurturing of professional learning communities and networked learning (Hargreaves & O’Connor, 2018). When leadership is focused on enhancing the professional capital of teachers, engagement becomes central to teacher identity and growth. This helps us to define or redefine leadership.
Leadership for Learning
Leadership is about personal, professional and collective transformation. The learning that needs to be encouraged is one that moves us away from transmissive models that fail to question the fundamentally reproductive nature of much professional development (Kennedy, 2014). We have got used to what Kennedy and Stevenson (2023) describe as models that are “managerially imposed, embedded within performative structures and are central to encouraging cultures that value conformity and compliance” (p. 581). We need to engage with the human dimensions to bring out the best in people. Hence the emphasis on the importance behind values and attributes such as identity, passion, engagement, care, connection and formation (Crawford, 2009).
Throughout the conference there was a collective voice calling for the leader of today and tomorrow to provide the space for personal and collective dialogue and reflection which will lead to action (Mahfouz et al., 2025; Moreno & Sahlin, 2025). The intricate thread that weaved together the theme of turbulence, reform and development went a long way to show the conference participants the challenges that we face if we take our noble profession seriously.
Encounters at the BELMAS Conference were extremely enriching. So much vicarious learning took place as we debated through both formal and informal sessions. Truly, we needed more time to be able to attend more and debate more!
Bezzina, C. (2025) The Leadership Challenge: Improving Professional Learning in Maltese Schools. Paper presented at the BELMAS conference Turbulence, Reform and Development in Educational Leadership, Management and Administration, Leonardo Royal Waterfront Hotel, Brighton, UK, 4-6 July.
Bezzina, C. (2018) The multicultural school in Malta: the leadership challenge. Leading and Managing, 24(1), 17-30.
Crawford, M. (2009) Getting to the Heart of Leadership. London: Sage Publications Ltd.
Dhiman, S. (2017) Holistic Leadership: A New Paradigm for Today’s Leaders. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Glaze, A. (2018) Reaching the Heart of Leadership. Thousand Oaks Corwin.
Hargreaves A., O’Connor M.T. (2018). Collaborative professionalism: When teaching together means learning for all. Thousand Oaks: Corwin.
Kennedy, A. (2014) Understanding continuing professional development: the need for theory to impact on policy and practice. Professional Development in Education, 40(5),688-697. Doi:10.1080/19415257.2014.955122
Kennedy, A., & Stevenson, H. (2023) Beyond reproduction: the transformative potential of professional learning. Professional Development in Education, 49(4), 581–585. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2023.2226971
Lawrence-Lightfoot, S. (1983) The good high school: portraits of character and culture. New York: Basic Books.
Lodge, D., Nitu, S., & Olsvik, A. (2021). Jacques Derrida and His Influence, Chapter 5, pp. 31-36. In C. van Kessel, (Ed), Intellectual Influences in Contemporary Curriculum Study. University of Alberta. Retrieved from: https://pressbooks.openeducationalberta.ca/curriculuminfluences/
Mahfouz, J., Panayiotou, G., King, K., Yahya, D.D., & Kotok, S. (2025) Cultivating social and emotional competence for school leaders: An effectiveness Study. Paper presented at the BELMAS conference Turbulence, Reform and Development in Educational Leadership, Management and Administration, Leonardo Royal Waterfront Hotel, Brighton, UK, 4-6 July.
Moreno, B., & Sahlin, S. (2025) Cultivating Connection: Professional Networks as Anchors for New and Experienced Principals. Paper presented at the BELMAS conference Turbulence, Reform and Development in Educational Leadership, Management and Administration, Leonardo Royal Waterfront Hotel, Brighton, UK, 4-6 July.
Nehez, J., & Blossing, U. (2020) Practices in different school cultures and principals’ improvement work. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 25(2), 310–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2020.1759828
Pink, D. H. (2018) Drive: the surprising truth of what motivates us. New York: Riverhead Books.
Schein, E.H., & Schein, P.A. (2018) Humble Leadership: The Power of Relationships, Openness, and Trust. Oakland: Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
Sinek, S. (2011) Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio.
Swaffield, S. (2017) Editorial. Reframing views, lifting up voices and ensuring everyone is visible? Professional Development in Education, 43(4), pp. 493-496.
