The dynamics of professional identity of university teachers: reflecting on the ideal university teacher

Abstract

The dynamics of professional identity of university teachers: reflecting on the ideal university teacher Current paper investigates development of professional identity of university teachers, observed through reflective exercises which enabled participants' to focus on their perception of the ideal university teacher. Images of the ideal university teacher were studied from two aspects: first - before the participants started teaching, and second - after they had been teaching for some time. This paper focused on how images of the ideal university teacher have changed over time, and discussed the reasons that brought about changes. There is a tendency that ideals are adapted in accordance with teaching experience. Ideals are regarded as unstable phenomena, influenced by the surrounding environment. Current paper made use of a qualitative design of reflective writing exercises and focus group interviews. The sample comprised an aggregate of 42 participants, university teachers and PhD students, and 4 focus groups. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The study shows that after some teaching experience, didactic knowledge and communicative skills come to the forefront of the ideal university teacher identity. The study opens the way for further and deeper discussion of images of an ideal university teacher.

Developing Connective Pedagogy in Cultural Research—A Case Study from the Teachers’ Perspective in Adopting a Problem-Based Approach in Higher Education

“…Professional identity is an individual's cultural and social self-formation process in the context of work [43]. The academic professional identity is multiple and often also fragmented because of the various local and international, research and teaching communities to which the teachers are connected [44].…”

Personality Value Qualities of an Ideal Higher Education Teacher

“…The problem of personality value qualities of an ideal higher education teacher has been studied by foreign scholars: A. Haamer, L. Lepp, E. Reva (2012); O. Dautova, O. Krylova (2016); M. Skrynnik (2014), S. Azer (2005) et al…”

“…Germany (Skrynnik, 2014) Estonia (Haamer, Lepp and Reva, 2012) Russia (Skrynnik, 2014) the USA (Azer, 2005) The overall results of the survey among the students of foreign higher education institutions are summarized in Table 1. It has been found that the respondents' answers specify most often such personality value qualities of an ideal higher education teacher as expertise in the relevant field, communication skills; the second position is taken by teaching tact, intelligence, empathy, emotional stability, openness; the third position is occupied by self-awareness, tolerance, knowledge of behavioural strategies, creativity, ability to build relationships with students; the fourth position is taken by mastery of teaching methodology, adherence of principles, organizational skills and readiness for leadership, responsibility and sense of humour.…”

Rhetorical ideal of a teacher of technical university: essence, content and structure

“…Європейські дослідники [14] розглядають пра-гнення до професійного ідеалу як джерело і ресурс професійному розвитку. Згадані дослідження пока-зують: ідеальний викладач -це педагог, особистість, експерт предметних знань.…”

“…Естонські вчені дослідили трансформацію уявлень викладачів університету про ідеал впродовж 5 років від початку діяльності. За їх результатами, викладання вимагає не тільки книж-них, технічних знань, а мудрості, життєвого досвіду, світогляду [14]. Можна зробити висновок, що україн-ський ідеал викладача в цілому відповідає загально-європейському.…”