Refracting lecturers' digital identity through the lens of policy reform of technological universities in Ireland

Abstract

The Irish higher education sector is undergoing transformation as many Institutes of Technology (IoTs) become Technology Universities (TUs). This paper aims to explore lecturer identity in higher education in the context of recent contract structure recommendations by the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) for lecturers in the emerging TU sector. This study is of significant relevance as the OECD recommendations are being used to inform future lecturer contracts. First, theoretical perspectives on identity development are explored, focussing on teacher identity, professionality, professionalism and ideal online teacher identity. Using this theoretical framework, lecturer identity as presented by TU lecturers of education in their public, online biographies is deconstructed. Qualitative, desk‐based analysis of these biographies explores (i) lecturers' imagined audience for their online identity; (ii) projected, ideal lecturer identity, including representations of professionality; and (iii) teaching and research values. By aligning lecturer identity portraits to proposed OECD contract structures, the discussion considers how well‐positioned TU lecturers are to changes across the IoT/TU sector nationally and implications for the sector.