Deliberative academic development: the potential and challenge of agency

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we explore possibilities and challenges for deliberative academic development. Deliberative academic development refers to a practice that engages members of the university in dialogue about its purposes, ways of organizing and leading higher education, as well as teaching and learning. The paper critically analyses data from focus group interviews with academic developers from four universities within two national contexts. Combining sociological conceptualizations of agency and the framework of ‘epistemic living spaces’, the paper offers insights into challenges and opportunities for deliberative academic development, as well as a framework for studying agency in other contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Agency
• deliberative academic development
• epistemic living spaces

Acknowledgments

The study reported in this paper is part of the international research and competence-building project ‘Formation and competence building of University academic developers.’ The project includes six institutional partners and is supported by the Norwegian Research Council 2015–2020, project number 246,745/H20 (http://www.uv.uio.no/iped/english/research/projects/solbrekke-formation-and-competence-building/index.html). We are sincerely grateful to the focus group participants for spending the scarce resource that is time to share their ideas and experiences. We also wish to thank the reviewers and the editor for their thoughtful and constructive feedback, as well as colleagues in the Formation project – Molly Supthen in particular – for valuable contributions to earlier versions of this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Data (audio files and transcripts are available on request)

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Norwegian Research Council. Project number 246745/H20.

Notes on contributors

Ester Fremstad

Ester Fremstad is senior lecturer, academic developer, and educational researcher at the University of Oslo, Department of Education. Her research interests include the societal role and responsibility of higher education institutions, teaching for social responsibility, as well as the professional responsibility of academic developers.

Andreas Bergh

Andreas Bergh is Associate professor and Senior Lecturer of Education at Örebro University. His research interest is within the field of curriculum theory, with a specific focus on education policy, issues of quality, and the professional roles of teachers and school leaders. He is currently engaged in studies of higher education, segregation, and of teachers’ anti-racist actions.

Tone Dyrdal Solbrekke

Tone Dyrdal Solbrekke is professor at University of Oslo, Department of Education. Her research interests are wide-ranging and have resulted in several qualitative studies on professional responsibility, leadership in higher education, and the formative aspect of institutional leading and teaching practices. She is the project leader of the Formation project referred to in this article.

Trine Fossland

Trine Fossland area of research is within the field of higher education, with a specific interest in digital technology, academic development, and educational leadership. She is currently deputy chair of the Norwegian Network for Academic Developers.