ABSTRACT
The character of professional development offered to those who teach in higher education is changing. There is a shift towards the adoption of more flexible, work-based, apprenticeship models, where experiential routes are increasingly valued. This paper seeks to understand the factors that impact engagement in academic professional development. A quantitative study reveals that experience, years of service, and discipline have little impact on educators’ professional development preferences, nor on the recognition of individual needs and contextual nuances to ensure optimal engagement in academic professional development. We demonstrate that it is not possible to profile professional development pathways in these ways, thus strengthening the evidence base for a flexible approach to it.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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Emma O Brien
Dr. Emma O Brien is an Academic Developer in Technology Enhanced Learning in the Learning Enhancement Academic Development Centre at Mary Immaculate College, where she leads the institution-wide adoption of digital pedagogies.
Gwen Moore
Dr. Gwen Moore is Senior Lecturer and Director of Teaching and Learning at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, where she leads the Centre for Learning Enhancement and Academic Development. Gwen’s research interests include higher music education and teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education.
Laura Costelloe
Dr. Laura Costelloe is an Academic Developer in the Learning Enhancement and Academic Development (LEAD) Centre at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick where she supports the professional learning of those who teach, including the coordination of the Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice.
Íde O’Sullivan
Dr. Íde O’Sullivan is a Senior Educational Developer in the Centre for Transformative Learning at the University of Limerick, where she is Curriculum Development Support Lead and Course Director of the Graduate Diploma/MA in Teaching, Learning and Scholarship.