The accidental global professional: A series of conflicts in teaching academic skills in higher education

Abstract

This article critically reviews the literature relating to the teaching of academic skills in the context of increasing globalisation, internationalisation and marketisation. By situating the author as a “global professional”, this review traces a series of conflicts that have impacted on teaching and professional development. These conflicts are background to a career pathway that has developed in a haphazard and accidental fashion, resulting in a number of different professional identities. By rationalising these conflicts as natural transitions in professional development, it is argued that the forces of global change in education have been pivotal in shaping the author’s, pedagogical knowledge, professional identity and research interests.