Narratives Of Academics Personal Journeys In Contested Spaces

"Narratives of Academics' Personal Journeys in Contested Spaces provides theoretically-informed personal narratives of 11 emerging and established leaders in learning and teaching in Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the USA. The academics' narratives focus on how the individuals have navigated to their current leadership role in learning and teaching whilst negotiating contested identities, such as gender, and physical and social marginalised spaces, such as interstitial (middle) leadership positions. These international narratives provide unique perspectives on the sense-making of academics as they reflect on their learning and teaching leadership journey and how these journeys are shaped by their contested identities and the marginalised spaces they inhabit. Often such identities and spaces are not recognised in higher education which may lead to even more isolating and challenging leadership journeys. The book contributes to our understanding of the subjective experiences that academics encounter in their leadership journeys. Further, the personal narratives included in the book capture how the contested identities and marginalised spaces influence the learning and teaching leadership practices in various educational, cultural and national contexts."--

Narratives of Academics' Personal Journeys in Contested Spaces provides theoretically-informed personal narratives of 11 emerging and established leaders in learning and teaching in Australia, Finland, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and the USA. The academics' narratives focus on how the individuals have navigated to their current leadership role in learning and teaching whilst negotiating contested identities, such as gender, and physical and social marginalised spaces, such as interstitial (middle) leadership positions. These international narratives provide unique perspectives on the sense-making of academics as they reflect on their learning and teaching leadership journey and how these journeys are shaped by their contested identities and the marginalised spaces they inhabit. Often such identities and spaces are not recognised in higher education which may lead to even more isolating and challenging leadership journeys. The book contributes to our understanding of the subjective experiences that academics encounter in their leadership journeys. Further, the personal narratives included in the book capture how the contested identities and marginalised spaces influence the learning and teaching leadership practices in various educational, cultural and national contexts.

Early Career Teachers in Higher Education explores the experiences of Early Career Teachers (ECTs) through 13 personal teaching journeys from academics working across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and South America. This edited volume contains the subjective narrative of each contributor's entry into academia, their pedagogic practice and the development of their multiple teaching identities. Their personal narratives and testimonies presented here will provide a valuable resource for ECTs and academics around the world as they begin teaching in higher education. In addition, this edited book highlights contemporary issues, such as precarity, casualisation, fragmentation of academic responsibilities and intersectionality, that shape contemporary ECT workloads.

Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Leadership in Higher Education has been designed to bring together case studies to facilitate the development of effective and well-equipped leaders within the higher education sector. With the growing global emphasis on higher education to improve the quality of the learning experience for increasingly diverse students, this book focuses on good leadership in teaching and learning by illustrating the lived experiences of academics and sharing case studies which highlight moments and instances that positively impacted their professional development as leaders. The globally relevant case studies included provide insights into the different ideas implemented by leaders for learning and teaching projects. Through these case studies, the decision-making processes of leaders are made visible to other aspiring leaders in similar positions. This resource will be invaluable in enhancing and enriching the learning experience of students, as this book demonstrates that academic leadership is intricately related to student learning. It will help leaders negotiate their own conflicts and challenges and will be essential reading for present and budding learning and teaching leaders in the educational sector.

Many contemporary commentators present a damning account of the current state of higher education, to the extent that our universities may be considered to be broken. This book offers an alternative perspective to the dominant neoliberal discourse and provides the conceptual tools to help construct a trajectory of repair for our universities. These ideas are presented within this book as five moves to transform our current pathological situation and develop towards a more healthy and sustainable ecological learning environment. In this book, Ian Kinchin draws upon a wide range of sources from the philosophy of education, biological and clinical sciences as well as educational research and academic development. This alternative ecology of ideas presents a challenge to university leaders and asks if we care enough about the future of our universities to encourage an evolution of practice that deals sustainably with the wicked problems our universities face in the coming century. It describes a move towards an ecological university. The book includes a foreword written by Martyn Kingsbury, Professor of Higher Education and Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship, Imperial College London, UK.

As complex, large institutions, universities present unique challenges for leaders. International Perspectives on Leadership in Higher Education examines how contemporary leaders in higher education – in different disciplines, at different levels and in different parts of the world – are identified, developed and supported.

This book is about a network of women who as a collective and individuals can share their stories to indeed help themselves as well as others. Our stories as¬sist in the telling and retelling of important events. Reflecting on these events allow the ‘processing’, ‘figuring out’ and ‘inquiring’, leading to behavioural actions to change situations. The fact that we are women unites us as we have common elements with our roles both within academia, in our families, and in society. The women in this study share their narratives in an open dialogue. Their journey into and out of academia is constructed from “a metaphorical three-dimensional inquiry space” (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000, p. 50). The space enables the authors to capture and communicate the emotional nature of lived experiences (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). The self-studies explore the changes in social and contextual approaches that are attached to working and studying in higher education. The book provides a narrative of the “ups” and “downs” that female academics have individually and collectively encountered while moving “in” and “out” of academia. Making these stories known establishes a sense of collaboration and com¬munity. This action serves to perpetuate and further develop the established pedagogy and look to improve practice. A community practice seeks to locate the learning in the process of co-participation (building social capital) and not just within individuals (Hanks, 1991). It allows females to come together to share experience and discuss ways forward.

Through candid discussions and personal counter-narrative stories, Black Faculty in the Academy explores the experiences and challenges faced by faculty of color in academe. Black faculty in predominantly White college and university settings must negotiate multiple and competing identities while struggling with issues of marginality, otherness, and invisible barriers. This important book illuminates how faculty can develop a professional identity that leads to success in academe, while at the same time remaining true to cultural and personal identities. Through rich narratives, chapter authors situate race-related encounters at the center of their experience in an effort to deconstruct and challenge commonly held assumptions about life in academe. They also provide key recommendations and strategies to help faculty of color ensure their continued professional success. Framed by critical race theory, these stories show how faculty can successfully maneuver through all stages of a career in academe, including tenure and promotion, publication, mentoring, networking, teaching, and dealing with institutional climate issues. This valuable book is for faculty and administrators seeking to create an environment that nurtures professional growth and fosters success among Black faculty.