Foundational academic development: building collegiality across divides?

Abstract

There is limited research into the effectiveness of non-accredited foundational courses for new academic staff. An ongoing issue is that of attention and anxiety overload in the critical first period of employment when the challenges of establishing oneself in a new collegial environment are most acute. Approaches to addressing this issue may be experienced as imposition by academic departments and new academics, while academic development staff may feel that they barely have time to 'parachute in' with survival strategies that are often at best highly generalised and at worst counter to best practice. In the present study, new academics were interviewed to gain insight into their experiences. A foundational academic programme is proposed that helps new academics cope with the challenges they face in the early stages of their employment. With this research, another question for further investigation arises: how can foundation programmes work across 'structural divides' of university departmentalism?

Understanding (in)formal learning in an academic development programme: A social network perspective

“…This is commonly recognised by PD participants, and is often exploited deliberately by course organisers to encourage participants to share their professional experiences with peers within their Community of Practice. In other words, PD programmes may facilitate social interaction with peers from other (academic) departments with whom they may otherwise never have any direct contact, and so work across 'structural divides' of university departmentalism (Clarke & Reid, 2012). This is often with the intention of promoting the development of greater insight to the generic issues of learning and teaching (Author B, 2008;De Laat et al, 2007;De Laat et al, 2006;McCormick et al, 2010).…”

“…In other words, most studies using SNA in education (e.g., Author A, 2012c;Curşeu et al, 2012;de Lima, 2007;Hommes et al, 2012) have used a so-called closed (ego-centric) network analysis, using a predescribed list of participants (e.g., a class list). In contrast to student-focussed studies, in teacher-focussed research it is well-documented that teachers primarily identify their own identity based upon their grade-level , departmental structure (Daly & Finnigan, 2010;de Lima, 2007;Moolenaar et al, 2012), and particularly in higher education based upon their academic discipline (Author B, 2008;Clarke & Reid, 2012). For example, after a typical small-group activity in a professional development programme, a participant will return to his/her daily practice and will again work and interact with (the same) departmental colleagues, who may have different beliefs and values towards teaching and learning than those discussed during the professional development programme (Author A, 2013b;Author B, 2008).…”

Unpacking (in)formal learning in an academic development programme: a mixed-method social network perspective

“…It is well-documented that academics primarily construct their own identity based upon their collegial network (Roxå & Mårtensson, 2009) and their department/academic discipline (Clarke & Reid, 2012;Kinchin et al, 2008;Rienties & Kinchin, 2014;Roxå & Mårtensson, 2009). For example, participants in an AD programme may have different sets of persons with whom they share their practice: fellow AD programme participants; departmental colleagues; friends; their partner; family; etc.…”

“…It is necessary to unpack how participants in AD programmes learn from the experiences of each other, as research has highlighted that social network developments influence learning processes and learning outcomes (Cela, Sicilia, & Sánchez, 2014;Hommes et al, 2012;Katz, Lazer, Arrow, & Contractor, 2004). How academics develop social network relations and engage in general with the AD programme may be dependent on the design of the academic development programme (Clarke & Reid, 2012;Ziegenfuss & Lawler, 2008), the "external" network of participants (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011;McCormick, Fox, Carmichael, & Procter, 2010), and/or the organisational cultures within the participants' departments (Daly & Finnigan, 2010;de Lima, 2007).…”

University teachers’ self-reflection on their academic growth

“…Many of the changes in higher education that derive from Europe-wide initiatives such as the Bologna process give increased attention to student-centred teaching approaches, allied to growth in teachers' academic development (Higher Education Academy 2011, Clarke andReid 2013). The need to encourage and support academic development in university teachers is widespread and recognised internationally (for example, Higher Education Academy 2011, Reid 2013, Barefoot andRussell 2014).…”