Exploring the Transition to Becoming an Academic: A Comparative Study of Australian Academics With and Without a Doctorate

Authors

  • Patricia Anne Logan Charles Sturt University
  • Edwina Adams Charles Sturt University
  • Doreen Rorrison Charles Sturt University & University of Adelaide
  • Graham Munro La Trobe University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v2i3.125

Keywords:

Transition, academic practice, identity, professional socialization, Australian academics, professional practice, staff development,

Abstract

Staff taking up their first academic position come from a range of backgrounds. One key distinction on entry is whether the individual already has a doctorate or attains one later. The transition experiences of staff taking up their first full-time academic position and the effect of entry pathway are under reported. This study aimed to explore these transitions (n=24) and determine whether background influences the experience. Participants were grouped as either with a doctorate (D) or with no doctorate but extensive professional practice experience (ND) at the time of their first full-time academic appointment. Semi-structured interviews by purposive sampling at four Australian universities – regional (n=2), Group of Eight (Go8), research intensive universities (n=1), metropolitan non-Go8 (n=1) – were undertaken. Transcripts were confirmed by participants for accuracy. Manual content analysis was conducted by two independent researchers, followed by Leximancer© software analysis. Findings were grouped into similarities and differences between the two groups. Similarities exist for staff at the point of entry regardless of background and when they entered academia. Key similarities were the pressure of time, feeling overwhelmed and managing the competing demands of the position. Differences exist in the way pressure is felt as a result of the participants’ background. Those from the no doctorate group found a tension between keeping their professional ties and attaining a doctorate while still keeping up with teaching. The group with a doctorate found a greater tension between initiating their research careers and managing their teaching. Staff development premised on the strengths of new staff rather than on their deficits may provide a more positive and supportive model. Staff development models that enhance resources help to buffer demands, thereby creating a more productive and satisfied work environment.

Author Biographies

Patricia Anne Logan, Charles Sturt University

Lecturer, Health Science

School of Biomedical Science

Edwina Adams, Charles Sturt University

Doreen Rorrison, Charles Sturt University & University of Adelaide

Graham Munro, La Trobe University

References

Anderson, D., Arthur, R., & Stokes, T. (1997). Qualifications of Australian Academics: Sources and levels 1978-1996. Australia Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DEETYA). Higher Education Division. ISBN 0642236771.

Anderson, D., Johnson, R., & Saha, L. (2002). Changes in Academic Work. Implications for Universities of the changing age distribution and work roles of academic staff. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.

Archer, L. (2008). Younger academics’ constructions of ‘authenticity’, ‘success’ and professional identity. Studies in Higher Education, 33(4), 385–403.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075070802211729

Australian Government. (2013). Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency Act 2011 (TEQSA Act 2011) No 73, 2011 as amended. Consequential Amendments Act 2013. [Online] Australian Government. Retrieved 24 April, 2014, from www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/C2013C00169

Australian Government Department of Industry. (2012). Selected Higher Education Statistics –Staff 2012 Highest Qualification. [Online] Australian Government. Retrieved 24 April, 2014, from www.industry.gov.au/highereducation/HigherEducationStatistics/StatisticsPublications/Pages/Library%20Card/2012StaffHighestQualification.aspx

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2007). The job demands-resources model: State of the art. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 22(3), 309–328.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02683940710733115

Bakker, A. B., Hakanen, J. J., Demerouti, E., & Xanthopoulo, D. (2007). Job resources boost work engagement when job demands are high. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(2),274–284.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.99.2.274

Bexley, E., Arkoudis, S., & James, R. (2013). The motivations, values and future plans of Australian academics. Higher Education, 65, 385–400.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10734-012-9550-3

Boyd, C. M., Bakker, A. B., Pignata, S., Winefield, A. H., Gillespie, N. & Stough, C. (2011). A Longitudinal test of the job demands-resources model among Australian university academics. Applied Psychology, 60(1), 112–140.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.2010.00429.x

Boyd, P. (2010). Academic induction for professional educators: Supporting the workplace learning of newly appointed lecturers in teacher and nurse education. International Journal of Academic Development, 15(2), 155–165.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13601441003738368

Coates, H., Dobson, I., Edwards, D., Friedman, T., Goedegebuure, L., & Meek, L. (2009). The attractiveness of the Australian academic profession: A comparative analysis. Research Briefing Changing Academic Profession. Victoria: Australian Council for Educational Research ACER.

Cretchley, P. (2009). Are Australian universities promoting learning and teaching activity effectively? An assessment of the effects on science and engineering academics. International Journal of Mathematical Education, 40(7), 865–875.

Francis, H. M., Ramdhony, A., Reddington, M., & Staines, H. (2014). Opening spaces for conversational practice: A conduit for effective engagement strategies and productive working arrangements. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24(14), 2713–2740.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.870309

Goldsworthy, J. (2008). Research Grants Mania. Australian Universities’ Review, 50(2), 17–24.

Group of Eight. (2011). Staffing trends in Australian Universities. Go8 Backgrounder 25. Group of Eight, Dec. 2011.

Hemmings, B. (2012). Sources of research confidence for early career academics: A qualitative study. Higher Education Research and Development, 31(2), 171–184.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.559198

Hemmings, B., & Kay, R. (2010). Research self-efficacy, publication output and early career development. International Journal of Educational Management, 24(7), 562-574.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513541011079978

Henkel, M. (2005). Academic identity and autonomy in a changing policy environment. Higher Education, 49, 155–176.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10734-004-2919-1

Hugo, G. (2008). The demographic outlook for Australian Universities’ Academic Staff. Occasional Paper for Council of the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHASS). Retrieved 22 August, 2010, from http://www.chass.org.au/papers/PAP20081101GH.php

Jackson, D., Peters, K., Andrews, S., Salamonson,Y., & Halcombe, E.J. (2011). “If you haven’t got a PhD, you’re not going to get the job”: The PhD as a hurdle to continuing academic employment in nursing. Nurse Education Today, 31(4), 340–344.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.07.002

Jenkins, S., & Delbridge, R. (2013). Context matters: Examining ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ approaches to employee engagement in two workplaces. The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 24(14), 2670–2691.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2013.770780

LaRocco, D. J., & Bruns, D. A. (2006). Practitioner to Professor: An examination of second career academics’ entry into academia. Education, 126(4), 626–639.

Langford, P. (2010). Benchmarking work practices and outcomes in Australian universities using an employee survey. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 32(1), 41–53.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13600800903440543

Leximancer© (2011). Leximancer Manual Version 4. Retrieved 28 August, 2014, from https://www.leximancer.com/site-media/lm/science/Leximancer_Manual_Version_4_0.pdf

Leximancer©. (n.d.). FAQ Home. Retrieved 28 August, 2014, from https://www.leximancer.com/faq/display_and_output.html

McCormick, C. B. & Barnes, B. J. (2008). Getting started in Academia: A guide for educational psychologists. Educational Psychology Reviews, 20, 5–18.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10648-007-9058-z

Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods. London: Sage Publications.

Punch, K. F. (2009). Introduction to Research Methods in Education. London: Sage Publications.

Ryan, S. (2012). Academic zombies: A failure of resistance or a means of survival. Australian Universities Review, 54(2), 3–11.

Shin, J. C., & Jung, J. (2014). Academics job satisfaction and job stress across countries in the changing academic environments. Higher Education. 67, 603–620.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10734-013-9668-y

Smith, A. E. & Humphreys, M. S. (2006). Evaluation of unsupervised semantic mapping of natural language with Leximancer concept mapping. Behavior Research Methods, 38(2), 262–279.

doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03192778

Winefield, T., Boyd, C., Saebel, J. & Pignata, S. (2008). Update on University Stress Study. Australian Universities’ Review, 50(1), 20–29.

Downloads

Published

2014-12-02

Issue

Section

Original Research