ERIC Number: EJ1377916
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0309-877X
EISSN: EISSN-1469-9486
'It Feels Like You're Going Back to the Beginning…': Addressing Imposter Feelings in Early Career Academics through the Creation of Communities of Practice
Mulholland, Kirstin; Nichol, David; Gillespie, Aidan
Journal of Further and Higher Education, v47 n1 p89-104 2023
In exploring imposter feelings in early career academics, this article examines the impacts of adopting social constructivist pedagogies. It reveals the significance of reflective practice in a Post-Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice programme (PGCAP), supporting professional development in teaching, learning and assessment for new academics in a UK Higher Education context. A qualitative case study approach enabled researchers to gain insight into participants' experiences; data was collected via semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that causes for imposter feelings are multi-faceted, encompassing factors including interactions with students, and adjusting to university language, culture and systems. Alongside similar studies internationally, the authors present that employing social constructivist pedagogical tools in a planned programme of professional development for early career academics supports the creation of mutually empowering communities of practice (CoP), so addressing threats to professional identity, providing a horizontal alternative to organisational hierarchical support mechanisms, and enabling the construction of a secure academic identity.
Descriptors: College Faculty, Beginning Teachers, Beginning Teacher Induction, Foreign Countries, Professional Identity, Self Concept, Teacher Attitudes, Teacher Student Relationship, Academic Language, School Culture, Communities of Practice, Sense of Community, Group Membership, Social Environment, Work Environment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A