Study of the factors affecting the process of formation and development of professional identity of faculty members

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 PhD student, Department of Educational administration, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Kurdistan University, Kurdistan, Iran.

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Educational administration, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Kurdistan University, Kurdistan, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Department of Educational planning, Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Kurdistan University , Kurdistan ,Iran.

Abstract

The faculty members of the universities have a key role in training the professional and efficient human resources needed by the society and creating insight in them, so it is very important to pay attention to their professional identity. The present study sought to identify important factors in the process of formation and development of their professional identity by studying the lived experience of faculty members and used qualitative research method and phenomenological strategy. Study population was faculties of Kurdistan University who were selected by purposive sampling method and the sample size reached 14 people due to saturation of opinions. The data collection tool was a semi-structured interview and using the data coding, the relevant findings were categorized and placed in the main and sub-categories and themes. Data were analyzed by using the seven-step Colizzi method. The result of the analysis was the extraction of semantic units embedded in the experiences of faculty members that were important in the formation and development of their professional identity and included five main themes "creation and effectiveness", "effective teaching", "Attention to environment", "classified audience" and "organizational coordination". These topics expressed the depth of experiences of university professors in relation to the phenomenon of professional identity and the extent of development of these cases was a measure of their work success. Attention to the findings of this study can provide insights to higher education institutions to better understand professional identity of faculties and create the ground to strengthen the important issues in its formation and development and thus in training quality and efficient human resources to be more effective.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

References
Abu-Alruz, J., & Khasawneh, S. (2013). Professional identity of faculty members at higher education institutions: a criterion for workplace success. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 18(4), 431-442. https://doi.org/10.1080/13596748.2013.84 7235
Ashforth, B. E., Rogers, K. M., & Corley, K. G. (2011). Identity in Organizations: Exploring Cross-Level Dynamics. Organization Science, 22(5), 1144-1156. https://doi.org/10. 1287/orsc.1100.0591
Beijaard, D., Meijer, P. C., & Verloop, N. (2004). Reconsidering research on teachers’ professional identity. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(2), 107-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2 003.07.001
Bojarczyk, H. (2008). Faculty development activities for new adjunct faculty: A qualitative investigation of which types of activities most benefit new adjunct faculty at four-year colleges and universities [Doctor, Oakland ]. Rochester Hills, Michigan. https:/ /www.proquest.com/openview/1400eb5d2e0b9e226bb72de0b510b396/1?pq-origsi te=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
Bolandhematan, K., & Mohammadi, S. (2015). Why the Elite Refuse to Immigrate Masterly Identity Representation. Strategic Culture Journal, 8(31), 127-153. http://www.jsfc. ir/article_14924.html?lang=fa
Bonakdari, N., Mehran, G., Mahroozadeh, T., & Hashemi, S. A. (2016). Characteristics of Iranian Competent Professor: A Qualitative Research. Journal of New Approaches in Educational Administration, 7(1), 117-138. http://jedu.miau.ac.ir/article_2036_c d058a8c5566a4daec22126367f95baa.pdf?lang=en
Brown, A. D. (2015). Identities and Identity Work in Organizations. International Journal of Management Reviews, 17(1), 20-40. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12035
Caza, B., & Creary, S. (2016). The construction of professional identity. In Perspectives on Contemporary Professional Work Challenges and Experiences. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781783475582.00022
Chang-Kredl, S., & Kingsley, S. (2014). Identity expectations in early childhood teacher education: Pre-service teachers' memories of prior experiences and reasons for entry into the profession. Teaching and Teacher Education, 43, 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2014.05.005
Deem, R. (2006). Changing Research Perspectives on the Management of Higher Education: Can Research Permeate the Activities of Manager-Academics? Higher Education Quarterly, 60(3), 203-228. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.2006.00322.x
Fairweather, J. (2008). Linking evidence and promising practices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate education. Michigan State University. http s://otl.wa yne.edu/wider/linking_evidence--fairweather.pdf
Field, R., Duffy, J., & Huggins, A. (2013). Supporting transition to law school and student well-being: The role of professional legal identity. The International Journal of the First Year in Higher Education, 4(2), 15-25. https://doi.org/10.5204/intjfyhe.v4i2.167
Forotan, M., & Reshadatjoo, H. (2015). Conceptualizing the professional identity of faculty members, providing a qualitative model. Journal of Education and Learning, 7(1), 100-123. https://doi.org/10.22099/jsli.2015.3098
Forotan, M., Reshadatjoo, H., & Samani, S. (2019). Developing a Professional Identity Model for Faculty Members (Case Study: Faculty Members of Islamic Azad Universities of Fars Province). Journal of New Approaches in Educational Administration, 10(1), 217-242. https://www.sid.ir/fa/journal/ViewPaper.aspx?ID= 498324
Hong, J. Y. (2010). Pre-service and beginning teachers’ professional identity and its relation to dropping out of the profession. Teaching and Teacher Education, 26(8), 1530-1543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2010.06.003
Korthagen, F. A. J. (2004). In search of the essence of a good teacher: towards a more holistic approach in teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20(1), 77-97. https ://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2003.10.002
Lingard, L., Reznick, R., DeVito, I., & Espin, S. (2002). Forming professional identities on the health care team: discursive constructions of the ‘other’ in the operating room. Medical Education, 36(8), 728-734. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2923.2002.01271.x
Low, M., Davey, H., & Davey, J. (2012). Tracking the professional identity changes of an accountancy institute. Journal of Accounting & Organizational Change, 8(1), 4-40. https://doi.org/10.110 8/18325911211205720
Mohrbacher, R. C. (2015). The Professional Identity of Community College Faculty Members [Doctoral, Oregon State]. Corvallis, Oregon. https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/conce rn/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/gx41mn547
Neary, S. (2014). Reclaiming professional identity through postgraduate professional development: careers practitioners reclaiming their professional selves. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 42(2), 199-210. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2013.869790
Robert, J., & Carlsen, W. S. (2017). Teaching and research at a large university: Case studies of science professors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 54(7), 937-960. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21392
Starr, S., Ferguson, W. J., Haley, H-L., & Quirk, M. (2003). Community Preceptors' Views of Their Identities as Teachers. Academic Medicine, 78(8), 820-825. https://journals .lww.co m/academicmedicine/Fulltext/2003/08000/Community_Preceptors__Views_of_Their_Identities_as.17.aspx
Starr, S., Haley, H-L., Mazor, K. M., Ferguson, W., Philbin, M., & Quirk, M. (2006). Initial Testing of an Instrument to Measure Teacher Identity in Physicians. Teaching and Learning in Medicine, 18(2), 117-125. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328015tlm1802_ 5
Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. J. (2000). Identity theory and social identity theory. Social psychology quarterly, 63(3), 224-237. https://doi.org/10.2307/2695870
Stryker, S., & Burke, P. J. (2000). The past, present, and future of an identity theory. Social psychology quarterly, 63(4), 284-297. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2695840
Trede, F., Macklin, R., & Bridges, D. (2012). Professional identity development: a review of the higher education literature. Studies in Higher Education, 37(3), 365-384. https:// doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2010.521237
Whitchurch, C. (2007). Beyond administration and management: Changing professional identities in UK higher education. In Changing Identities in Higher Education. Routledge. https://w ww.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203944905-14/beyond-administration-management-changing-professional-identities-uk-higher-education-celia-whitchurch
Yarmohammadin, M. H., Yamani, N., Ansari, M., & Yousefi,A. (2007). Introduction to qualitative research method: The way and method of theorizing in humanities and health. Isfahan University of Medical Sciences and Health Services. https://www.gisoom.com/book/1486 722/
Ylijoki, O-H., & Ursin, J. (2013). The construction of academic identity in the changes of Finnish higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(8), 1135-1149. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 03075079.2013.833036
Karafan Quarterly Scientific Journal
Volume 17, Special Issue - Serial Number 51
Special Issue Of Humanities
March 2021
Pages 13-26

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 01 December 2020
  • Revise Date: 04 January 2021
  • Accept Date: 23 February 2021

Share

How to cite

Statistics