Telling tales: a narrative research study of the experiences of new international academic staff at an Australian university

Abstract

As the transnational movement of academics continues to increase, some are arguing it is time to look more closely at the challenges faced by new international academic staff. This article reports on a narrative research study exploring the experiences and perceptions of eight international academic staff at a large, research‐intensive university in Australia. The findings suggest that the difficulties faced by the participants were resolved over time, albeit at great personal cost, and with varying costs to the institution in terms of the quality of teaching, student learning and research. The implications of these findings for academic developers are briefly considered.

Keywords:

• academic mobility
• transnational teaching
• cultures of learning
• narrative research

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions and generosity of the international staff who participated in this study, and the opportunity they provided for us to gain an insight into their lives. The authors also wish to acknowledge the funding received from the University Staff Development Committee to support this research.