Lecturers' professional identity : the chase of chartered accountants in academia
Date
2016
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
HESA
Abstract
This study surveyed a number of accounting lecturers at a research-intensive South African
university to determine their perceptions and preferences regarding their own professional identity.
How university lecturers see and experience their own professional identity is important as such
views influence the way they teach, participate in professional learning opportunities and attach
value to what they do. The findings indicate that professional identity is not a stable construct, that
it is related to personal choices and influenced by a number of contextual factors. The participant
group of accounting lecturers indicated their professional identity as primarily being professional
lecturers rather than professional chartered accountants, but background variables did not seem
to play a significant role in their professional identity formation, nor was role conflict identified as
being a major factor. The findings imply that if accounting lectures consider themselves as
professional university lecturers rather than professional chartered accountants, excelling as
academics and educators would contribute towards excellence in the teaching of accounting.
Description
CITATION: Bitzer, E. & De Jager, E. 2016. Lecturers' professional identity : the chase of chartered accountants in academia. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(4):171‒189, doi:10.20853/30-4-624.
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
The original publication is available at http://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe
Keywords
College teachers, Accountants, College teachers -- Attitudes, Identity
Citation
Bitzer, E. & De Jager, E. 2016. Lecturers' professional identity : the chase of chartered accountants in academia. South African Journal of Higher Education, 30(4):171‒189, doi:10.20853/30-4-624