Identity formation and conflicting priorities of early career academics on the Academic Professional Apprenticeship

Joanne Brindley*, Richard Poole, Fiona Cook, Stuart Sims

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

The Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) has emerged in recent years as a new avenue for early career academic staff to develop into their roles. While much of the content may be similar, as an apprenticeship, the requirements and structure of the APA differs greatly from other routes for supporting early career staff such as a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education. This article discusses qualitative interviews with 11 apprentices who are early career- academic professionals nearing the end of their taught course about their identity and experiences. Key findings suggest that the identity of the apprentice is a multifaceted one, with a reluctance to identify explicitly as an apprentice, often preferring the more discreet title of being a student. Elements such as teaching pressures, intrusion into research productivity and historical perspectives of what an apprenticeship is, all contribute to the formation of personal identities.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages28
JournalJournal of Vocational Education & Training
Early online date19 Dec 2024
DOIs
Publication statusEarly online - 19 Dec 2024

Keywords

  • Apprenticeships
  • early career academics
  • academic work
  • identity

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