This article is set in the context of debates concerning widening participation, academic writing and professional development for post-compulsory practitioners. It reports findings of a case study into the experiences and perceptions of mature post-compulsory practitioners who have undertaken a module on a part-time professional MA programme designed to facilitate academic writing. Semi-structured interviews explore participants' experiences and perceptions of their journey towards a personal understanding of the requirements of academic engagement. The interviews suggest that experiences on the module had both personal and professional outcomes. At a personal level, participants' developing confidence in understanding the requirements of academic engagement was apparent. At a professional level, the direct transfer of learning to the participants' professional context--particularly in relation to marking students' work and giving feedback--was significant and professionally empowering. The article concludes that there may be some potential in focusing on "knowledge of self" as learner as a key to practitioners' professional development. (Contains 1 table and 1 note.)