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Dilemmas in professional code-switching for teacher educators in higher education.

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Title: Dilemmas in professional code-switching for teacher educators in higher education.
Authors: Alexander, Colette (AUTHOR), Cain, Melissa (AUTHOR), Plastow, Kathleen (AUTHOR)
Source: Studies in Higher Education. Mar2026, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p699-713. 15p.
Subjects: Professional identity, Pedagogical content knowledge, Professional socialization, Teacher educators, Career changes, Higher education
Abstract: This article interrogates the professional socialisation work faced by second-career academics ('pracademics'), who choose to straddle professional and academic spheres. We offer that the identity formation and re-formation pracademics undergo as part of this multi-socialisation process constitutes a dilemmatic space, underscored by competing values, alternatives, and priorities. Specifically, pracademics experience conflict in the dilemma of holding knowledge and identity as an expert within their professional context, with that of being a novice within the academic context. As such, individuals transitioning from or between professional and academic spheres must both acknowledge the need for and engage in the work of 'code-switching' to successfully develop distinctive knowledge and identity as an academic whilst maintaining productive connections with their first career. To conceptualise our investigation, we present two stages of analytic reflection. The first, an examination of the conceptual relationships formed at the intersection of three theoretical fields: professional identity, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and code-switching. The second draws these relationships together into a Model of Professional Transition that examines how all three fields contribute to pracademics effectively transitioning into and between professional and academic roles. Examples of second-career education academics illustrate these relationships, as there is an added layer of complexity in deconstructing the impact of PCK in prior-to-university contexts on PCK in higher education. As such, we propose that pedagogical content knowledge should be re-imagined as 'andragogic content knowledge'. The Model for Professional Transition may assist universities in supporting second-career academics with the important work of code-switching between professional identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: Dilemmas in professional code-switching for teacher educators in higher education.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Alexander%2C+Colette%22">Alexander, Colette</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cain%2C+Melissa%22">Cain, Melissa</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Plastow%2C+Kathleen%22">Plastow, Kathleen</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Mar2026, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p699-713. 15p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+identity%22">Professional identity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pedagogical+content+knowledge%22">Pedagogical content knowledge</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Professional+socialization%22">Professional socialization</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+educators%22">Teacher educators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+changes%22">Career changes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+education%22">Higher education</searchLink>
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  Data: This article interrogates the professional socialisation work faced by second-career academics ('pracademics'), who choose to straddle professional and academic spheres. We offer that the identity formation and re-formation pracademics undergo as part of this multi-socialisation process constitutes a dilemmatic space, underscored by competing values, alternatives, and priorities. Specifically, pracademics experience conflict in the dilemma of holding knowledge and identity as an expert within their professional context, with that of being a novice within the academic context. As such, individuals transitioning from or between professional and academic spheres must both acknowledge the need for and engage in the work of 'code-switching' to successfully develop distinctive knowledge and identity as an academic whilst maintaining productive connections with their first career. To conceptualise our investigation, we present two stages of analytic reflection. The first, an examination of the conceptual relationships formed at the intersection of three theoretical fields: professional identity, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and code-switching. The second draws these relationships together into a Model of Professional Transition that examines how all three fields contribute to pracademics effectively transitioning into and between professional and academic roles. Examples of second-career education academics illustrate these relationships, as there is an added layer of complexity in deconstructing the impact of PCK in prior-to-university contexts on PCK in higher education. As such, we propose that pedagogical content knowledge should be re-imagined as 'andragogic content knowledge'. The Model for Professional Transition may assist universities in supporting second-career academics with the important work of code-switching between professional identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Studies in Higher Education is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2486577
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              Text: Mar2026
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