View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

The professional learning of academic researchers through their career.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: The professional learning of academic researchers through their career.
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]
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
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 194222914
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: The professional learning of academic researchers through their career.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gopalan%2C+Yuveena%22">Gopalan, Yuveena</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Shum%2C+Simon+Buckingham%22">Shum, Simon Buckingham</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Boud%2C+David%22">Boud, David</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Studies+in+Higher+Education%22">Studies in Higher Education</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 51 Issue 6, p1273-1290. 18p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning+strategies%22">Learning strategies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+learning%22">Social learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nonformal+education%22">Nonformal education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+development%22">Career development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+personnel%22">Research personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Organizational+learning%22">Organizational learning</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: 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]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  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.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=194222914
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03075079.2025.2505932
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 18
        StartPage: 1273
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Learning strategies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nonformal education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Organizational learning
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: The professional learning of academic researchers through their career.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Gopalan, Yuveena
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Shum, Simon Buckingham
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Boud, David
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 03075079
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 51
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Studies in Higher Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1