Professional learning and development and the professionalization of academic advising: a multiple case study of Ontario colleges

Professional learning and development (PLD) play an important role in shaping how educational professionals develop expertise, exercise professional judgement, and engage within institutional contexts. Within academic advising, however, institutional approaches to professional learning remain uneven and under-examined, particularly within the Canadian college context. This multiple case study explored how four Ontario colleges structured and supported PLD for academic advisors. Findings revealed substantial variation in institutional learning infrastructures, widespread reliance on self-directed and peer-based learning, and a predominance of transmissive and transitional approaches to PLD. Although some institutions incorporated collaborative learning structures such as communities of practice, mentoring, and advisor-led initiatives, PLD largely emphasised procedural competence, institutional consistency, and implementation of existing practices. The findings demonstrate that the professional significance of PLD depends not simply on its format or degree of institutional coordination, but on the purposes it serves and the opportunities it provides for professional autonomy. The study contributes to broader conversations about professional learning by illustrating how an ecology of transmissive, transitional, and potentially transformative learning can support both institutional competence and professional agency within the continuing professionalisation of academic advising.