Values Informing Professional Practice in Academic Professional Development

Abstract

While a significant body of work on the practice of academic development exists, research on academic developers (those charged with supporting the education of academic staff in higher education) as professionals is limited, and few have explored the profession from the perspective of academic developers themselves [22]. Specifically, this reflective report begins to address the question of how best to prepare and support current and future academic developers for their ambiguous and complex roles and their need to function within the changing environment of higher education institutions. Since embarking on a role in an Irish Higher Education Institution in 1999 as an Academic Developer, it has been crucial to consider my values as an educator, and how they inform the multifaceted role. A personal and professional value system certainly requires considerable thought as it is necessary to understand what it is that the academic developer wishes to evaluate in their work, why and for what purpose.