A Case Study of Academic Identity, Teaching Perspectives and Teaching Practices of Part-time and Full-time Academics in Indonesia

Abstract

A rapid rise in the number of part-time academics (PTAs) in higher education has attracted studies about the impact of this group, many of which conclude that PTAs contribute negatively to undergraduate education. Most of the studies focus on their employment conditions; very few explore their academic identity or teaching practices, despite their strong presence on campus. This mixed methods doctoral study investigates differences between part-time and full-time academics in a holistic way. The study is located at a private university campus in Jakarta, Indonesia. In Study 1, I conducted in-depth interviews with 11 full-time academics (FTAs) and 14 PTAs to explore their academic identity. In Study 2, I compared the teaching perspectives, teaching evaluations, and out-of-classroom practices of part-time and full-time lecturers, using the Teaching Perspectives Inventory (Pratt & Collins, 2000) (n = 135), Student Evaluation of Educational Quality questionnaire (n = 1629), and interviews (n = 25) respectively. Through thematic analysis, I found that both groups strongly identified themselves as teachers and saw their main contribution as sharing practice-based knowledge in addition to theoretical knowledge to prepare students for the real world. Both groups are passionate teachers and enjoy the teaching aspect of the job most. Statistical analyses of both surveys showed strong similarities between them. Thematic analysis of the interviews also revealed that there are many similarities between part-time and full-time lecturers in teaching preparation and goals. However, differences were found in their level of engagement in reflective practice and pastoral care. Thus, employing PTAs rather than FTAs provides a similar in-class experience for students. However, it differs in the vital student experience of pastoral care. Full-time lecturers may well better understand their students because they follow their development year by year and are more involved in curriculum design; thus, they are in a better position to give advice or spot areas of difficulty for students. This study concludes that both PTAs and FTAs are valuable to enhance students' experience in higher education. Nonetheless, PTAs need to be better integrated into the department to support them in their academic career choice and to maximise their potential in teaching, and to the institution, as well as in supporting students' growth.