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…

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 article reviews studies that have addressed academic developers' professional identity, focusing on the period 1996-2020. Our intention was to evaluate and synthesise the claims made in this body of research in order to inform theory as well as the work in which developers are currently engaged. Thirty-four peer-reviewed papers were included…

Researching the experiences of teaching focused academic (TFA) roles reveals challenges and alienation. Investigating their practices can enrich theorisations of their role. We conducted a focused ethnography capturing data from institutional materials, focus groups, and key informant interviews. We present two vignettes demonstrating the…

For staff of non-Anglophone universities, formal academic development (AD) is frequently equated with learning experiences in Anglophone settings to develop policy-assigned professional identities. Taking dialogic conceptions of professional identity and a temporal model of identity-agency as theoretical lenses, we examine the overseas AD…

In this study of trust in academic development, we propose a framework to build trust between developers and faculty. This framework was conceptualized while reflecting on a teaching and learning programme and analysing the strategies for building trust that were apparent in its design. Our findings reveal that trust is built and sustained by…

The pandemic forced universities to move rapidly to remote teaching, and Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) played a large role in ensuring that transition. We argue that the effectiveness of our work as academic developers lies in our style or approach as much as in any actions taken. This style of working -- holding lightly to expertise,…

I discuss my engagement with three professional recognition and development opportunities for academic developers: Senior Fellowship of HEA, HERDSA Fellowship, and SEDA Fellowship. I found that the portfolios for these fellowships complement one another well, and together present a valuable reflection on all aspects of the academic development…

Building on previous research on informal conversations in teachers' academic development, this study explores how academics' reflections on their teaching practices are shaped by online conversations with their international colleagues. In-depth interviews conducted with teachers (N = 13) at 12 higher education institutions in eight countries…

Workplace preparation is increasingly part of university curricula and this has led to the appointment of staff with professional practice expertise being appointed to teach, who are experienced professionals yet HE novices. How do they make sense of HE's expectations and begin to reconcile their identity as educators with the credibility their…

This paper argues that in undergraduate architectural design education, professional learning and the formation of casual academics as university educators occur while 'situated' in tutorials through design conversations with students and as-needed chats with colleagues. For casual academics, such disciplinary, routine, and informal activities…

This paper examines how pracademics who teach at different universities in Ghana contribute to shaping their academic development. In this study, a pracademic refers to an industry practitioner who is employed by a university as a part-time academic to teach academic courses and support the knowledge and skills development of learners. Using a…

Reading poetry through a metaphorical lens, we enquire into our lived experience of academic development. By reading poetry as a metaphor for practice it becomes possible to explore teaching identities within higher education, creating opportunities for learning and critical self-awareness. Comparing and contrasting our different interpretations…

Research in academic development more often articulates stories of success than of failure in our practice. Using a self-study methodology involving written reflections and analysis of recorded conversations, this article explores how two mid-career developers define and learn from feelings of failure in the context of group facilitation. Through…

This investigation explores how the academic development influence the emotions and psychological states of university professors, particularly during two ceremonies of passage (graduate school and the tenure process). Thirty-two narrative interviews were conducted with tenure-track and tenured faculty members from the Social Sciences, Humanities,…