Making a difference, impacting, and inspiring: Learning from three decades of poetic self-study at the Castle Conference

Building on our experiences with collaborative poetic self-study, we explored the use of poetry in self-study research, focusing on its application at the Self-Study of Teacher Education Practices (S-STEP) Castle Conference from 1996 to 2023. Our central question was, “How can poetic self-study make a difference, impact, and inspire the future of education?” Drawing on 14 peer-reviewed Castle Conference proceedings, we identified 25 poetic self-studies in which researchers used self-created poetry to analyze, develop, represent, and generate new knowledge. Through close reading, we examined recurring ideas and connections, emphasizing the motivations and impacts of poetic self-study. Using a multilayered analysis approach, including creating and interpreting two pantoum poems, we distilled vital insights into poetry’s distinctive contributions to self-study. Our discoveries highlight several central understandings. Poetry has been part of the self-study movement since its inception, with its diverse treatment and influence increasing in recent years. Poetic self-studies promote collaborative creativity and learning and significantly advance educational aims in various contexts. These studies bridge personal reflection with broader educational impact by enhancing learning opportunities for researchers and those affected by their professional practices. Poetry enables self-study researchers to express and reimagine deeply felt emotions and insights, providing a powerful medium for self-exploration, critical conversations, and imaginative expression. Additionally, poetic self-study cultivates diverse understandings of educational experiences and knowledge that may evade conventional academic methods and texts. Finally, through poetry, self-study researchers envision ethical and optimistic possibilities for professional practice, contributing to a more equitable and just future.