The merging of identities: From trade professional to tertiary education professional
Author: Shirley McCarthy
Supervisors: Glenys Forsyth Carleen Mitchell
20 July 2024
McCarthy, S. (2024). The merging of identities: From trade professional to tertiary education professional.(Unpublished document submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Professional Practice). Otago Polytechnic | Te Pūkenga, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.34074/thes.6539
Abstract
My research aim was to contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics involved in a person's transition from trade professional to a tertiary education professional, a tertiary trade tutor (TTT). Furthermore, I aimed to provide insights that could inform the development of an outline of a Level 3 apprenticeship-style induction programme to support that transition from trade professional to TTT. To provide a more comprehensive understanding of the identity transition issue, various sources were used including a review of the available literature, a thematic analysis of semi structured interviews and my thirty-five years' experience of working with TTTs. My thesis identifies several themes including TTTs professional identity, TTTs transition experiences and the support systems required to support the transition from trade professional to TTT. The scope of the thesis focused on a small sample of 10 foundation level TTTs and the study was located within the context of a private training establishment (PTE) in New Zealand.
Although there is a scarcity of research on TTTs in a PTE, my research results supported the literature, in that there is insufficient support and expertise in the field of tertiary trade education and with the identity transition of TTTs in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom. My findings also support the suggestion that there is a need for a formal induction into tertiary trades teaching to ensure that the identity transition from trades professional to TTT is more effective. I further recommend that any professional development provided must be designed for TTTs' needs to acknowledge and build on their skills, knowledge, and attributes to support that transition. An insight I gained through this research was that with the right support and mentorship, a trade professional's identity evolves rather than transitions to a tertiary trade professional.
Keywords
tertiary trade tutor (TTT), professional identity, transition, trade professionals, tertiary trade education, New Zealand
License
A copy of this thesis is publicly available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International
This license applies except where otherwise indicated, especially for images.
