Journeys of growth towards the professional learning of academics: understanding the role of educational development

Abstract

This article foregrounds the iterative journey of a group of educational development (ED) practitioners at a research-led university towards an enhanced understanding of the ED opportunities we offer. Reflecting on the intention of our interventions to facilitate academics’ professional learning, we developed a framework within which the range of growth opportunities we provide might be meaningfully situated. Our objective was to extend our insight into both the journeys that academics follow towards adopting a more scholarly approach to their teaching and our own journeys of growth in ED as well as professionally.

Keywords:

• educational development
• professional learning
• scholarly teaching
• scholarship of teaching and learning

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the many academics that they have worked with over the years, for their commitment to their teaching task and for allowing us to accompany them on their journeys of growth.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms have been used throughout the study.