Being and Becoming: The Shifting Possible Identities of the Academic Practitioner as They Navigate Across Practices

This qualitative study sought to understand the range of possible identities of academic practitioners engaged in work integrated learning (WIL) in universities. Six academic practitioners participated in interviews to the double (Nicolini, 2012), looking at the differing WIL practice enactments across the university. Possible Selves theory (Markus & Nurius, 1986) was used to capture individual practitioners’ hopes, fears and what could be realised given appropriate conditions. Analysis revealed a range of possible selves, viewed as continually active influenced by shifting self-knowledge. This has implications for how WIL practitioners may change from how they are now, to what they will become in the future. Practical implications include informing future professional development requirements of WIL’s impeding policy-driven expansion in higher education.