Article Gold Open Access 2020

Academic identity in a changing Australian higher education space: the higher education in vocational institution perspective

International Journal of Training Research
Journal · Vol. 18 · Issue 2 · pp. 121-140
Abstract

This article explores the academic identities of college educators of higher education in vocational institutions. Qualitative semi-structured interviews generated data from eleven educators in five vocational education institutions. Discourse analysis revealed that educators distinguished their vocational institutions’ contributions to HE as different, but equal or superior to those of universities. Educators presented their culture and practices in advantageous ways, contrasted against imagined stereotypes of university experiences, which are perceived to be deficient for supporting the types of students they teach. In adopting academic identities that distinguish their cultures and practices from those presumed prevalent in universities, these educators seek parity of esteem with universities through distinctiveness, and reject research-focused academic identities and academic drift. In embracing teacherly identities supporting students rather than the research-teaching nexus, educators may be contributing to the ‘therapeutic turn’, diminishing opportunities for students, and furthering the vertical stratification of institutions within the Australian HE space. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Higher vocational education College-based higher education Academic identity academic drift Social Equity TAFEs

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Department of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Funding & Acknowledgements
Australian Research Council, ARC
Grant: DP170101885
Funding text 1: This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.; Funding text 2: This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP170101885]. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.
Australian Research Council, ARC
Funding text 1: This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.; Funding text 2: This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP170101885]. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.
Victoria University, VU
Funding text 1: This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.; Funding text 2: This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP170101885]. This research was funded by the Australian Research Council in the 2017 Discovery Project funding round (DP170101885). The authors acknowledge the support of other research team members in the data generation for this article: These include Chief Investigators: Dr Steven Hodge, Griffith University; Dr Shaun Rawolle, Deakin University; Partner Investigators: Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, University of Birmingham, UK; Professor Trevor Gale, University of Glasgow, UK; and Research Fellow, Dr Elizabeth Knight, Victoria University. The Project Team including the authors also thank the participants in the research who were so generous with their time.
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