Academics' identities and students' experiences in the study process. together or alone?

• Authors: Katrin Karu , Kristiina Krabi
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

Covering students' experiences and academics' identities in the study process, enables the creation of better conditions for academics and students both to learn at the university. In studies, the academics and the students are in interaction, which means relationships designed to support learning. This paper aims to understand students' experiences and academics' identities in the study process. The paper is based on two qualitative studies and, as a result, varieties in academics' identities and students' experiences are described.The following academics' identities emerged: the academic as an interesting speaker, the academic as a facilitator of learning, and the academic as a promoter of the student's development in research. In the students' experiences the following portraits became distinguishable: the student as a relater, the student as a constructor and the student as a developing personality. Academics' identities and students' experiences create various options for choices in the study process. By understanding identities and experiences, both the academic and the student can acknowledge the impact of their choices and activities on the study process. In this paper, we provide an opportunity for academics to interpret and thereby understand oneself as an academic, adult as a student and student's learning, hoping that the academic more consciously acknowledges the impact of one's activities, choices and teaching on a student's learning in the context of identity and experience.

Keywords

EN

social-constructivist learning concept; study process at university; academics' identities; student experiences

• Publisher: Sciendo
• Journal: Studies for the Learning Society
• Year: 2012
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 2-3
• Pages: 99-109

Dates

published

2012-01-01

online

2012-05-11

Contributors

author

Katrin Karu

• Tallinn University, Estonia

author

Kristiina Krabi

• Tallinn University, Estonia

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Identifiers

DOI

10.2478/v10240-012-0009-y