The professional learning of academic researchers through their career.
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| Title: | The professional learning of academic researchers through their career. |
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| Authors: | Gopalan, Yuveena (AUTHOR), Shum, Simon Buckingham (AUTHOR), Boud, David (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Studies in Higher Education. Jun2026, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p1273-1290. 18p. |
| Subjects: | Learning strategies, Social learning, Nonformal education, Career development, Research personnel, Organizational learning |
| Abstract: | Professional development is necessary to sustain continual learning in any workforce, including academic researchers. However, researcher development strategies and support have been largely informed through institutional strategies, often conceived and deployed without the active participation of researchers. Several studies recognise the limitations of this approach and argue for the importance of understanding researchers' perspectives on their learning. With an international focus, this paper examines ways in which leading researchers develop in becoming better researchers. Its distinctive contribution is to provide evidence of how academic researchers talk about their own learning, how it is conducted and what they have found effective in their careers. The paper reports the findings of a study that involved interviewing leading international researchers at three different career stages (early, mid and senior) in two fields. Four main themes were identified from the research: establishing expertise, pursuing passion, coping with challenge and change, and building belonging, with an overarching interrelationship between social and personal dimensions to learning. The findings are in line with workplace learning theories, and evidence: academic researchers, like other professions, learn predominantly through informal, unstructured and social means and are contingent on practice needs. While this alignment with our current understanding of professional learning might seem unremarkable, it has practical implications for supporting researcher development. Evidence-based approaches to examining researchers' continued professional learning and development could promote researcher engagement and support institutional efforts to promote learning at both personal and community levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | Professional development is necessary to sustain continual learning in any workforce, including academic researchers. However, researcher development strategies and support have been largely informed through institutional strategies, often conceived and deployed without the active participation of researchers. Several studies recognise the limitations of this approach and argue for the importance of understanding researchers' perspectives on their learning. With an international focus, this paper examines ways in which leading researchers develop in becoming better researchers. Its distinctive contribution is to provide evidence of how academic researchers talk about their own learning, how it is conducted and what they have found effective in their careers. The paper reports the findings of a study that involved interviewing leading international researchers at three different career stages (early, mid and senior) in two fields. Four main themes were identified from the research: establishing expertise, pursuing passion, coping with challenge and change, and building belonging, with an overarching interrelationship between social and personal dimensions to learning. The findings are in line with workplace learning theories, and evidence: academic researchers, like other professions, learn predominantly through informal, unstructured and social means and are contingent on practice needs. While this alignment with our current understanding of professional learning might seem unremarkable, it has practical implications for supporting researcher development. Evidence-based approaches to examining researchers' continued professional learning and development could promote researcher engagement and support institutional efforts to promote learning at both personal and community levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 03075079 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03075079.2025.2505932 |
