Professionalisation and professional identity in academic development: concepts, domains, and mechanisms

This issue marks 30 years of publication of the International Journal for Academic Development (IJAD). Professionalisation and professional identity, as enduring themes in academic development, have continued to evolve. Value and identity are at the centre of the relevant discussions, which often prompt questions about what we know, what we treasure in our profession, and what kind of professionals we want to become. The valuable collection of articles and reflection in the current issue of the International Journal for Academic Development responds to these questions through thoughtfully examining aspects such as specialist knowledge of academic development, collective autonomy and identity, and professional ethics. These aspects echo Wilson and Popovic’s conceptualisation of a profession and further direct our attention to our shared ethos and collective development. Based on each contribution’s focus, we have organised this collection into concepts, domains, and mechanisms.