Exploring Faculty Development Identity through Self-Study: Teaching Philosophies, Reflective Practice, and Critical Friendship

Teaching philosophies provide a space for faculty to explore their practice, articulate their beliefs about teaching and learning, and express their identity as an educator. A well-developed teaching philosophy statement paints a picture of who that faculty member is in and out of the classroom. As faculty transition to different roles within higher education, such as faculty development, their practice, beliefs, and identity may also change. Teaching philosophies can be a powerful venue for faculty to explore this shift in role and identity. This collaborative self-study explores how two educators who recently transitioned from faculty to faculty developer acted as critical friends and revised their teaching philosophies through reflective practice. The participants used personal shared journals, teaching philosophy revisions, and recorded discussions as data as they reflected on their shifting philosophy. Through this process, they revised their teaching philosophies to represent their new practice, beliefs, and identity; explored, developed, and accepted their new identity as a faculty developer; and recognized the integral role critical friendship played throughout this transition. This study provides insights for faculty who are transitioning into faculty development and recognizes the role teaching philosophies and critical friendship can have through this transition.