While 'broker' appears in academic development literature, the broker role is underexplored in it relative to other disciplines and its potential significance for academic developers (ADs). Synthesizing management and academic development literature, this conceptual article explains how ADs can foster trust as brokers. It delineates the broker…

I reflect on the significance of trust in Academic Development (AD) and outline strategies for cultivating it with other academics. Within many higher education institutions, the inherent uncertainty of the AD role necessitates intentional trust-building efforts. In this regard, conversations have been encouraged as trust-building tools. However,…

As academic developers, we rely on colleagues' trust to a considerable degree. In this study, we explore how a person-centred approach to academic development, grounded in relational pedagogy, both relies upon and builds trust between staff and an academic development team. We discuss empirical data -- from colleagues with whom we have worked --…

This paper considers the process of "professional becoming" for an academic developer as a complex transition towards epistemological plurality. This is a necessary step to appreciate and support the lived experiences of teachers across the spectrum of academic disciplines. Viewed through an ecological lens, the complexity of the…

This article assesses the basis of trust in academic development as it relates to the current standing of academic development as a profession against established, distinguishing criteria of professions. These are: (1) possession of an inwardly-defined, esoteric, and specialized body of knowledge and skills; (2) collective autonomy over the…

This study explores the experiences of international staff in Egypt and Trinidad who undertook a UK-based teaching development course provided by the London University who were validating and franchising the offshore courses they taught. Such transnational education (TNE) is a significant but under-researched area of Higher Education and…

Academics are constantly undergoing identity shifts in response to globalisation, marketisation and the impact of technology on academic work. This study investigates the impact of a Graduate Certificate of Higher Education (GCHE) on academic identity development in an Australian University. GCHE graduates and their educators were interviewed to…

This paper describes a multi-year project to inform academic development (AD) for instructors at a large university, as the result of a shift towards greater equity, diversity, inclusion, and access (EDIA) efforts. A variety of data were collected, along with extant literature focused on teaching and learning, to identify campus needs and…

The character of professional development offered to those who teach in higher education is changing. There is a shift towards the adoption of more flexible, work-based, apprenticeship models, where experiential routes are increasingly valued. This paper seeks to understand the factors that impact engagement in academic professional development. A…

This research investigates how peer observation programs can be designed to enhance faculty use of student-centered logic. Data include participants' self-reports (interviews) and 50 hours of recorded faculty-faculty dialogue. Findings suggest specific design features that may increase fluency in student-centered logic. The study may be useful to…

Informal academic conversations constitute a valuable addition to the repertoire of academic development initiatives. This article proposes that a Change Laboratory methodology may enhance the productivity of such conversations. Support for this proposal comes from a detailed analysis of participants' transformation of conversations on individual…

This study examines the extent to which lecturers demonstrate effective teaching behaviour. The results of 203 observations reveal substantial differences in detected teaching behaviour. Lecturers mostly demonstrated teaching behaviour in the domains classroom climate, efficient organisation, and instruction. Teaching behaviour relating to the…

While scholarly writing on trust in academic development (AD) is still relatively limited, current literature explores trust within a number of institutional relationships. Here, we reflect specifically on the relationship between academic developers (ADs) and faculty groups, consider how we as ADs aim to build rapport and trust when supporting…

There is a need to understand sessional staff experiences of professional development in universities, and as academic developers play a key part in university teaching and learning, they are well placed to provide this insight. The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore academic developers' perceptions of support and development for…

This paper will challenge readers to consider their approach to supporting academics who are writing a teaching portfolio. What comes first? The literature, collecting evidence or something else? In this reflection on practice, I offer an approach that centralises practice as the core focus for starting this process. Grounded in theoretical…