A practical guide to intradepartmental induction for first-year university lecturers

Abstract

The early period of academics' lives at university are often difficult. They start teaching for the first time, are unfamiliar with the administrative routines of the institution and struggle to fit research activities into their busy days. Various staff development induction initiatives attempt to limit the instability experienced by the lecturers. In this article, I describe a model which places this staff development within the department in which the new lecturer works. To give life to the model I report on a study which investigated the early socialisation of a first-year lecturer. The behavioural patterns he exhibited as an academic during this period form the basis of the model I propose.


South African Journal of Higher Education Vol.15(1) 2001: 190-196