The conventional view of a successful career in academia is a linear pathway from academic study to post-doctoral work to, finally, academic employment. However, this traditional perspective fails to acknowledge the complexity and conditional nature of entering academia.
Higher education has transformed rapidly into a multi-faceted environment, underpinned by teaching, research, industry experience, scholarly activity, and wider responsibilities – and early-career academics (ECAs) are critical to that academic ecosystem.
The challenges ECAs face can be extensive: foremost among them the planning and delivering of teaching content, added to the pressure of research, publications and preparing funding applications, as well as engaging in broader activities in pursuit of career development. When coupled with the potential uncertainty surrounding contract renewal, these factors can create an environment where stress and anxiety are pervasive.
Accessing the necessary resources, activities and support is crucial to developing a thriving career. Helping to achieve a balance between focusing on teaching, research outputs, personal wellbeing and building a strong professional network is fundamental.
Balancing the multiplicity of roles may make this initial transition difficult for ECAs. While research output and funding success of ECAs are often closely scrutinised, there is a critical aspect of their role that tends to be overlooked and under-appreciated – their teaching responsibilities.
Priority mismatch
For many ECAs, the challenge lies in being assigned increasing teaching hours, often including subjects or modules that are far removed from their research or industry expertise. This can be frustrating, diverting time from research, which is typically their primary focus.
The demands of teaching should not be underestimated. Developing module and session content, grading and providing student support all take up significant time. Combined with the need to prepare, it’s easy to see how there can be little room for research or personal development. The problem is compounded by the increased administrative burden associated with teaching, which in many universities has been on the rise in recent years.
Moreover, teaching quality is often seen as “secondary” to research output when it comes to academic progression. This can lead to a mismatch in priorities, where ECAs are forced to choose between excelling at teaching or focusing on research to meet the expectations of the next stage of their careers.
ECAs can be provided with research supervisors, but there can be limited opportunity to access support to discuss pedagogical methods of teaching and learning and preparation of sessions. Even when opportunities exist for ECAs to engage in collaborative networks, peer support and mentoring, engagement can be restricted by work environment such as lack of time, high workloads and isolation
Bridging the gap
Many ECAs receive research support, yet less focus is placed on teaching fundamentals and long-term professional development. Often, ECAs may achieve their postgraduate teaching certificate after having started teaching – and the operational guidance and pedagogical skills can often get overlooked.
Although ECA mentorship programmes do now exist within institutions, and more accessible support is available in professional networks, few universities offer formal mentoring schemes, which would pair ECAs with more senior academics to provide guidance in navigating the complexities of academic careers, specifically on teaching and learning.
Despite the best possible local institutional support, ECAs will often stress the hidden struggles to develop independently, stating that it is difficult to determine what is supposed to be done and how – or what they are “expected to know.” This results in ECAs finding themselves struggling to build necessary skills to assist them with future teaching commitments.
How we put a resource together
A formal mentoring scheme at Hartpury University led us to develop a series of infographics as a visual communication tool to assist the development and delivery of pedagogical concepts to assist teaching delivery (in the subject area of anatomy). One example can be seen here on the National Teaching Repository, with links to others below.
This was underpinned by discussing with ECAs their needs and resources to support their own teaching journey. These resources have grown organically as an operational user-friendly guide.
This “anatomy series” appears to have resonated with both mentors and ECAs – according to the downloads we’ve seen from the repository at key points in the academic annual cycle.
Through a small study (n=7), we collated an illustrative selection of narratives from ECAs and mentors on their thoughts. Both ECAs and mentors reported using the majority of the infographics “somewhat” or “to a great extent,” providing positive feedback in the following areas:
- clear, evidence-based material that is easy to digest and ready to use as a quick reference guide
- bite-sized content for quick reference during content creation or planning
- “user-friendly” approach with concise actionable guidance
- visually appealing resources that enhance clarity and learning retention.
In addition, mentors highlighted:
- effective scaffolding and signposting for module and assessment design
- succinct prompts as a helpful reminder of the fundamental principles to focus on with ECAs
- accessible, shareable resource featuring clear examples for ECAs.
Ideas for future topics provided by respondents included technology and innovation, student support and success, and lecturer wellbeing.
For a thriving academic career
A rewarding academic career needs the right support and balance to transfer knowledge, inspire a generation, and pursue research.
ECAs face complex challenges – but universities can help by improving mentorship programmes, building supportive networks, and offering guidance, as well as creating user-friendly resources that assist the practicalities of teaching.
Early-career academics are central to the academic ecosystem, yet their struggles can be overlooked, particularly within the teaching and learning environment. By establishing a more sustainable and supportive environment, we can ensure that they are able to thrive within the multiplicity of roles they are asked to take on, and contribute to the academic community for years to come.
