Learning to become an academic

This chapter explores the informal learning dimensions of ‘learning to become an academic’. I explore in detail the process of becoming a scholar with particular emphasis given to the supervisory relationship as a process of apprenticeship and learning community. My Ph.D. focussed on the informal and social learning practices of two groups of activists, so this paper also covers the journey of the research, the methodology and the methods chosen for the research. I outline the early corporeal learning experiences that constituted my own educational experience as a young woman growing up working class, who turned to ideas and theory for a language of resistance to educational discourses about class. This paper has a particular focus on the role of ‘identity’ formation in learning to become an academic. I outline the processes of apprenticeship through supervision and the role of a learning community in the Ph.D., as key in developing ‘mastery’ or a ‘feel for the game’ of academia.

The problem of underachievement in numeracy : using bourdieu and critical theory to interpret academic achievement

The paper considers the achievement gap experienced by Victorian public school students. The paper uses a methodological approach informed by critical theory to interpret achievement levels between students from high and low socio-economic status. It analyses and discusses documented data and in doing this, reflects upon the work of Bourdieu emphasizing the reproductive nature of contemporary schooling. 

Preparing for WIL : online career development for IT students

This paper reports on an online unit that enhances IT students’ generic skills. Frequently IT students, even those with a strong technical background and a high academic record, can be unsuccessful at obtaining work placements as they stumble at the interview stage due to a lack of social or professional skills. A simulation was created that enables students to enhance their employability and to prepare for transition to work integrated learning (WIL) through realistic interview preparation. The simulation utilizes a synchronous communication tool to conduct behavioural group interviews with expert careers advisors. The impact of this new initiative is explored and feedback received from faculty, careers advisors and students during three trimesters is discussed. The findings suggest that incorporating WIL through the simulation has been a success by at least raising students’ awareness of the importance and significance of being well prepared for job interviews.

The role of the academic board in the contemporary Australian university

This research explored the role of the academic board within the context of 21st century Australian university governance. It found that academic boards did not implement all of their documented responsibilities but did perform significant unofficial roles which were perceived to greatly add value to their universities’

Turning the spotlight to international students’ internal negotiations: critical thinking in academic writing

The case study reported in this chapter explores how four Chinese and Vietnamese international students from two disciplines, Economics and Education, mediated their ways of displaying critical thinking in disciplinary writing at an Australian university. It draws on a modified version of Lillis’s (2001) heuristic and positioning theory (Harre´ & van Langenhove, 1999) for the interpretation of students’ writing practices within an institutional context. The study includes four talks around texts, which engage the students in an exploration of their practices in demonstrating their critical thinking in their first texts at the university, and four in-depth interviews six months later, which aim to examine how students negotiated their writing practices as they progressed through their course.

Unpacking academic practices: international students in management and education disciplines

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative case study that explores how international students in different disciplines struggle to interpret their disciplinary requirements. The study shows the emergence of five main forms of unpacking academic expectations that individual students in the study employed. It will be argued that these international students appear to be active and capable of drawing on various strategies and problem‐solving skills in order to take control of their academic life and enable them to participate in the academic practices of their discipline. The students' experiences also indicate that the interaction and dialogue they establish with their lecturers plays a significant role in their success in the course.