01. Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Transition as new Educator in Higher Education – in the Context of a Strategic Decision about a central Pedagogical Unit
Henriette Duch, Birgitte Lund Nielsen
VIA University College, Denmark
Presenting Author: Duch, Henriette;
Nielsen, Birgitte Lund
Professional development for educators in higher education is a field with a growing international awareness (Irby & O'Sullivan, 2017; Vanderlinde et al., 2016). However, organizational initiatives for such development in higher education are complex when the intention is to involve all faculty members, covering various aspects such as technology, organizational development and teaching (Camblin & Steger, 2000). In general, the term 'onboarding' is used for initiatives focusing on new employees (Bauer, 2015). The onboarding is important for the assimilation of new staff and their well-being (Ellis et. al., 2015).
The focus of this study is the onboarding and the further process for new assistant professors at a large university college. The framework conditions have changed due to a new strategic initiative (2022) establishing a central organizational unit, the Educational Academy, tasked with leading and hosting professional development for all educators across the college's campuses in seven cities. The college, with approximately 2000 employees and 40,000 students, offers professional bachelor programs in fields such as nursing, teacher education, business administration, engineering, and computer graphics.
Due to stakeholder-interests, e.g. among those who previously managed the mandatory program on teaching skills for assistant professors, the initiative introduces both potentials and tensions within the organization (Duch & Nielsen, 2023). In 2023 the Educational Academy among other things initiated a completely redesigned program for assistant professors. This paper focuses on the initial development as professional educator from the perspective of the assistant professors within this program. The aim is to track the professional development of assistant professors transitioning towards being associate professors, exploring the shift from their previous identity, and understanding of teaching, which is influenced by diverse educational backgrounds and job experiences. The research seeks to answer the following questions: 1) How do new assistant professors perceive their role as an educator at a university college? 2) How do assistant professors with diverse educational backgrounds and work experiences understand the profession they are educating for? 3) How do they perceive to be supported in their development in the program for assistant professors at the Educational Academy?
Theoretical inspiration is drawn from Wenger-Trayner & Wenger-Trayner (2015), who utilize the metaphor of learning in a landscape and the concept of boundary crossing. Wenger (1999) previously introduced the term 'broker' to comprehend the relationship between different contexts, each hosting distinct communities of practice. He discusses 'boundary objects' as "artifacts, documents, terms, concepts, and other forms of reification around which communities of practice can organize their interconnections" (Wenger, 1999, p. 105). The process of becoming a professional educator in higher education can be viewed as a journey from legitimate peripheral participation to achieving full membership. This journey unfolds in a new landscape with multiple boundaries to traverse. By observing assistant professors throughout the transition period, we can witness the development of meaningfulness, identity, and collaboration with colleagues within the program where they are teaching and in the context of the activities designed by the Educational Academy.
Research indicates that content focus, active learning, coherence, duration, and collective participation are crucial elements in professional development (Desimone, 2009). However, for a program designed for diverse educators in higher education and not limited to teacher educators, where we know most from previous research (MacPhail et al., 2018; Vanderlinde et al., 2016), the transition from being social worker, engineer, nurse, etc., based on varied educational backgrounds, is equally significant. Additionally, the ongoing changes in vocational education (Smeby, 2013) play a crucial role. These changes may influence identity development on micro and macro levels, encompassing personal identity, professional identity, and identity within the profession (Wackerhausen, 2009; Heggen, 2013; Nielsen et al., 2023).
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe research is part of a large-scale mixed method study (Creswell & Clark, 2018) initiated in 2022 within the context of the newly established Educational Academy. Initially, document analyses were performed to grasp the strategic perspective, followed by a range of interviews with the unit manager and stakeholders representing various perspectives within the unit (Duch & Nielsen, 2023). Subsequently, newly designed short courses for associate professors, where professional inquiry is a central part, have been monitored using a primarily qualitative questionnaire (Braun et al., 2021), e.g. to understand the associate professors’ needs and experiences, and to broadly comprehend the pedagogical thinking guiding the Educational Academy. This presentation is based on the subsequent phase of the research involving repeated individual interviews (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2008) with eleven assistant professors participating in the new program designed for this group. These interviews will be conducted every six months throughout the four-year program. The informants represent nine different higher education institutions located on four different campuses. Thus, the interviews aim to capture the diversity among educators at the University College, representing various professions and geographic locations.
In the first phase of this longitudinal research our interest lies in understanding the assistant professors' perspectives on teaching and educating for a profession. The interview themes encompass: 1) the decision to become an educator, 2) initial experiences as an educator 3) collaboration with colleagues, and 4) the experiences from the first part of the new program for assistant professors in the Educational Academy.
Sampling included inviting the 56 participants in the program to participate in the research. Following an initial email, where the majority of the eleven associate professors responded, selected participants were contacted again to ensure an adequate number of participants and a broad representation of professional educations. The interviews, conducted in January 2023, lasted approximately 60 minutes each and were subsequently transcribed.
Subsequent interviews will delve into research competencies, further development of identity as an educator and the written assignments required to attain associate professor status. These future interviews will be complemented by observations (Gold, 1958) and focus group interviews on different settings of the program for assistant professors. Thus, the long-term development will be tracked.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe findings reveal a diversity of understandings regarding being an educator. Some of the variation is due to the culture and pedagogical thinking in the educational program they are transitioning into, e.g. an engineering educator argues referring to the principles of problem-based learning used in the unit. Another element is their educational background and work experiences. Some of them have a close connection to the professions, while others have an academic background in a specific discipline, e.g. one teacher educator has a degree in Nordic languages while another is transitioning from being a Mathematics teacher with a subsequent degree in pedagogical sociology. However, even when the connection to the profession is close, pedagogical perspectives vary, and while some educators have prior teaching experience and possess a broad understanding of pedagogy others are relatively new to teaching. Some of them find preparation, structuring, and interaction with students challenging.
The landscape appears distinct across the various programs. Some assistant professors engage in close cooperation with colleagues, receiving feedback and support. Others find themselves in a more solitary position. Nevertheless, all of them mention at least some of the activities in the program at the Educational Academy as affecting their pedagogical thinking and practice. In particular there are high expectations for the newly established learning groups where they collaborate around professional inquiry with other assistant professors. Despite this, their evaluations of the program differ, with some emphasizing the significance of talks from experts, while others stress the importance of meetings and discussions with assistant professors from different parts of the college.
Summing up, the results suggest a highly diverse landscape where assistant professors navigate through a variety of boundaries. The complexity of onboarding new educators at a large university college must account for this diversity and be designed to differentiate and facilitate accordingly.
ReferencesBauer, T. (2015). Onboarding: Maximizing role clarity and confidence. https://doi.org//10.13140/RG.2.1.1834.8887 .
Braun, V., Clarke, V., Boulton, E., Davey, L., & McEvoy, C. (2021). The online survey as a qualitative research tool. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24(6), 641-654. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1805550
Camblin, L.D., Steger, J.A. (2000). Rethinking faculty development. Higher Education 39, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003827925543
Creswell, J.W. & Clark, V.L.P (2018). Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research (third ed.). SAGE.
Duch & Nielsen (2023). Organisatorisk rammesætning af kompetenceudvikling for undervisere på videregående uddannelse. Dansk Universitetspædagogisk Tidsskrift 18 (35). https://doi.org/10.7146/dut.v18i35.136250
Desimone, L. M. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Towards better conceptualizations and measures. Educational researcher, 38(3), 181-199. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X0833114
Ellis, M. A.; Bauer, T. N.; Mansfield, L. R. Erdogan, B.; Truxillo, D. M. & Simon, L. S. (2015). Navigating Uncharted Waters. Journal of Management 41(1), 203-235. DOI: 10.1177/0149206314557525
Gold, R. L. (1958). Roles in sociological field observations. Social Forces, 36(3), 217–223
Heggen, K. (2013). Profesjon og identitet. In A. Molander & L.I. Terum (ed.) Profesjonsstudier (p. 321-332). Universitetsforlaget.
Irby, D. M. & O´Sullivan, P. S. (2017). Developing and rewaring teachers as educators and scholars: remarkable progress and dauting challenges. Medical Education (52), 58–67. https://doi.org//10.1111/medu.13379
Kvale, S. & Brinkmann, S. (2008). InterView. (2. ed.) Hans Reitzels Forlag
MacPhail, A., Ulvik, M., Guberman, A., Czerniawski, G., Oolbekkink-Marchand, H., & Bain, Y. (2019). The professional development of higher education- based teacher educators: needs and realities. Professional Development in Education, 45(5), 848-861. https://doi.org//10.1080/19415257.2018.1529610
Nielsen, B. L., Lang, N. R., Grosen, T. H., & Høyer, H. (2023). Professionsidentitet på tværs: Hvordan er vi som professionelle, hvordan er jeg, og hvad tænker de andre? Tidsskrift for professionsstudier, 19(36), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.7146/tfp.v19i36.13997
Smeby, J.C. (2013). Profesjon og udtanning. I: A. Molander & L.I. Terum (eds), Profesjonsstudier (p. 87-102). Universitetsforlaget.
Wackerhausen, S. (2009). Collaboration, professional identity and reflection across boundaries. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 23(5), 455-473. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820902921720
Vanderlinde, R.; Tuytens, M.; De Wever, B. & Aeltermann, A. (2016). An introduction. In B. De Wever; R. Vanderlinde, M. Tuytens & A. Aelterman Professional learning in education challenges for teacher educators, teachers and student teachers (s. 9-22). Academia Press.
Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.
Wenger-Trayner, E. & Wenger-Trayner, B (2015). Learning in a landscape of practice: A framework. In E. Wenger-Trayner; M. Fenton-O´Creevy; S. Hutchinson, C. Kubiak & B. Wenger-Trayner, B. Learning in Landscapes of Practice. Routledge.
01. Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Value Creation in the Context of an International Summer Academy for Teacher Educators
Helma Oolbekkink-Marchand1, Gerry Czerniawski3, Bruno Oldeboom2
1HAN University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands; 2University of Applied Sciences Windesheim, The Netherlands; 3University of East London, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Oolbekkink-Marchand, Helma;
Oldeboom, Bruno
Teacher educators, responsible for educating both prospective and in-service teachers, have been the subject of research, especially regarding their professional development. Teacher educators have a strong desire for continuous professional learning influenced by the context they work in (Czerniawski et al., 2017). However, teacher educators are only moderately satisfied with professional development opportunities, while teacher educators find opportunities in collaborative professional development and research important (McPhail et al., 2021; Van der Klink et al., 2017). Studies indicate that professional development for teacher educators is often self-initiated and induction in the profession is frequently absent.
Research has drawn particular attention to the importance of network learning and learning communities. Both in teaching and teacher education numerous studies have shown the importance of (professional) learning communities (Hadar & Brody, 2010; Prenger et al., 2019) as a way for professional development, innovation, the quality of professional practice, and for breaking isolation within the profession. Some studies have indicated positive outcomes of participation in a (professional or networked) learning community in terms of satisfaction and impact on professional practice (Prenger et al. 2019). International comparative needs analyses of higher education-based teacher educators and school-based teacher educators (Czerniawski et al., 2017; Czerniawski et al., 2023) has built on this literature by emphasising the ways in which teacher educators, as both teachers and researchers, want to be part of a collaborative community where they can feel supported, listened to, and share their practices and experiences.
Both networks and communities of practice offer learning opportunities, but assessing the value of this learning is a complex issue. The concept of value creation is central to understanding the benefits derived from participation in such groups. De Laat et al. (2014) identify five cycles of value creation: immediate value, potential value (knowledge capital), applied value, realized value, and reframing value. To gauge the overall value added by network participation, individuals are encouraged to share their "value narratives." These narratives involve participants articulating the overall benefits of their involvement in a network or community and detailing specific instances of value creation, such as contributions to networks or improvements in professional practice.
In this study, teacher educators participating in an international professional development one-week programme, the so-called InFo-TED Summer Academy, are asked to describe their personal value narratives. The Summer academy is organized by InFo-Ted, an international forum working to promote professional development of teacher educators. This involves reflecting on the overall added value of their participation in the programme and identifying specific instances of value creation that they experienced during the programme.
The main aim of our study was to gain insight in the perceived impact of an international professional development initiative on teacher educators professional learning. In this study, we explore to what extent professional learning of teacher educators is influenced by such factors as their own values, those of their institutional context and national and international policy contexts for teacher education (Czerniawski, 2018; Lunenberg & Dengerink, 2021). Focusing on participants of the Summer Academy, the study examines how this experience broadens their value perspectives, introducing them to new roles, professional contacts, and institutional expectations, thereby enriching their professional development.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe International Forum of Teacher Educator Development (InFo-TED) launched the Summer Academy to enhance the professional growth of teacher educators, foster networking among them, and support their role in developing fellow educators. Two iterations of the Summer Academy took place: a face-to-face event in Trondheim, Norway, in 2018 with 24 participants from seven jurisdictions, and an online version in 2021 (due to de COVID-19 pandemic) via MS Teams with 66 participants from nine jurisdictions. Despite differences, both academies shared similar learning opportunities: thematic kick-offs, storylines, collaborative groupwork, and individual reflection (Oolbekkink-Marchand et al., 20.
Data collection
In this study teacher educators, who participated in one of the InFo-TED summer academes, were invited for an online interview. Participation in the interview was voluntary. Sixteen teacher educators responded and were interviewed, and these included eleven women and four men. Participants came from Belgium (1), Ireland (4), Norway (1), the Netherlands (2), Portugal (1) and United Kingdom (7). Nine participants were university-based teacher educators, five were School-based teacher educators. All participants gave active and informed consent for the interviews to be recorded. They were asked to describe their personal narrative by reflecting on the overall added value of participation and the specific instances of value creation. A template value narrative was constructed based on work of De Laat et al. (2014) and send in advance to prepare for the interview. Overall, the interviews lasted between 45-60 minutes.
Data analysis
A qualitative content analysis approach was chosen to analyse the interview transcripts (Hsieh & Shannon, 2015). More specifically, the transcripts of the interviews were analysed by the research team in three different ways. The first researcher coded inductively, by studying all interviews and looking for common themes in the interviews (convential content analysis). All interviews were open and axial coded by the second researcher, selecting salient quotes and connecting themes to them (directed content analysis). The third researcher coded deductively, by focusing in the transcripts on themes related to impact (directed/summative content analysis).
Engaging in research with these multiple methods of qualitative data analysis, as described in the tripartite approach to coding interviews, offered several advantages. The arguments for utilizing this method were: to accommodate the comprehensiveness and richness of the data, triangulation, mitigation of researcher bias and comprehensive understanding of the context of the Summer Academies.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThree main outcomes were identified. The Summer Academy had impact on three areas. There was perceived impact on professional identity, perceived impact on professional networks and there was perceived impact on the professional practice of teacher educators.
The perceived impact on one's professional identity as a Teacher Educator included several key aspects. It involved awareness of belonging to a professional group, which is a significant part of identity formation. This sense of belonging fosters a connection, leading to feelings of validation and acceptance within the professional group. Furthermore, participants mentioned a realisation that a researcher identity can coexist with, or even become an integral part of, the teacher educator identity. This integration enhances the professional persona of a Teacher Educator, enriching their role with the analytical and inquisitive qualities of a researcher.
The perceived impact on the professional networks was diverse. For teacher educators, the main influence from the Summer Academy was increased working on collaborative research. Some described pursuing professional doctorates, starting to work on (research) publications, starting up new research or research collaborations. This was especially the case for early career teacher educators.
The perceived impact of the InFo-TED Summer Academy on the professional practice was three folded. Some, and not all, participating teacher educators began to start their lessons with practice before theory. They developted a mixed pedagogical perspective on teaching and they began to emphasise the importance of embodying the principles they teach.
The findings suggest that professional development programmes such as the InFo TED Summer Academy can play a role in shaping a next generation of teacher educators and influence the practice of teacher education. However, as one of the attendees pointed out, teacher educators need more time to process the new knowledge acquired during the Summer Academy to be able to influence future teachers.
ReferencesCzerniawski, G., Guberman, A., & MacPhail, A. (2017). The professional developmental needs of higher education-based teacher educators: an international comparative needs analysis. European Journal of Teacher Education, 40(1), 127-140.
Czerniawski, G., Guberman, A., MacPhail, A., & Vanassche, E. (2023). Identifying school-based teacher educators’ professional learning needs: an international survey. European Journal of Teacher Education, 1-16.
De Laat, M., Schreurs, B., & Sie, R. (2014). Utilizing informal teacher professional development networks using the network awareness tool. The architecture of productive learning networks, 239.
Hadar, L., & Brody, D. (2010). From isolation to symphonic harmony: Building a professional development community among teacher educators. Teaching and teacher education, 26(8), 1641-1651.
Hsieh, H. F., & Shannon, S. E. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative health research, 15(9), 1277-1288.
MacPhail, A., Ulvik, M., Guberman, A., Czerniawski, G., Oolbekkink-Marchand, H., & Bain, Y. (2019). The professional development of higher education-based teacher educators: needs and realities. Professional development in education, 45(5), 848-861.
Oolbekkink-Marchand, H., Meijer, P. C., & Lunenberg, M. (2021).Teacher educators' professional development during an international Summer Academy. Teacher Educators and their Professional Development, 92.
Prenger, R., Poortman, C. L., & Handelzalts, A. (2019). The effects of networked professional learning
communities. Journal of teacher education, 70(5), 441-452.
Van der Klink, M., Kools, Q., Avissar, G., White, S., & Sakata, T. (2017). Professional development of teacher educators: What do they do? Findings from an explorative international study. Professional development in education, 43(2), 163-178.
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