Navigating Academic Identity as a Practitioner-Educator
Reading Beaton’s (2022) discussion of “dual professionals” prompted me to reflect on the complex identity transition experienced by practitioners who move into university teaching. The article argues that individuals entering higher education from professional practice often occupy an ambiguous position: they bring deep expertise from their original field yet may feel uncertain about their legitimacy within academic environments. This tension emerges because academic culture traditionally assumes a particular career trajectory, doctoral study followed by research and teaching roles, which does not always align with the pathways of practitioner-educators.
This idea resonated with my own experience entering higher education while maintaining strong connections with industry practice. In fashion business education, professional knowledge and industry insight are central to teaching. Students expect lecturers to connect theoretical frameworks with contemporary market practices, brand strategies and retail innovation. However, while this professional expertise supports credibility in the classroom, developing confidence in academic practices, such as pedagogical design, curriculum development and engagement with educational scholarship requires a different set of competencies.
Beaton’s use of Communities of Practice provides a useful lens for understanding this transition. The article highlights how practitioner-academics navigate multiple professional communities simultaneously, including their original industry field, disciplinary academic teams and formal academic development programmes. Reflecting on my own experience, the most influential learning has often occurred through informal interactions with colleagues rather than through structured professional development alone. Conversations about teaching strategies, assessment design and student engagement within my disciplinary team have significantly shaped my approach to teaching.
At the same time, the reading raises questions about how institutions recognise and support practitioner-academics. As universities increasingly emphasise industry engagement and employability, the role of lecturers with professional expertise becomes particularly valuable. However, traditional academic structures may still prioritise research trajectories over practice-informed teaching. This tension highlights the importance of recognising diverse academic career pathways.
This reflection has encouraged me to think more critically about how I position my own professional identity within higher education. Rather than viewing practice and academia as competing roles, I see increasing value in integrating both perspectives. For example, industry-informed teaching activities, such as live briefs, applied case discussions and industry-facing projects, can help students connect theoretical concepts with professional realities.
In the future, I plan to engage more actively with pedagogical scholarship and professional development opportunities that support teaching practice in higher education. At the same time, I will continue to draw on industry experience to design authentic learning activities that bridge theory and practice for students.
Further discussion of practitioner identity and academic development can be found in the International Journal for Academic Development, which publishes research on academic professional identity and teaching development in higher education:
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rija20/current
Reference
Beaton, F. (2022) ‘How do I know who I am? Academic professional development, peer support, and identity for practitioners who teach’, International Journal for Academic Development, 27(3), pp. 234–248. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/1360144X.2021.1931181