(Re)constructing science educator identity through teaching: perceptions and experiences from science academics in higher education

Despite growing research interest in science education, how university science academics construct their science educator identity and make sense of science teaching remains underexplored, particularly in the higher education context where research excellence is prioritised. To address this issue, this study draws on a poststructural perspective of identity and takes a thematic approach to analyse interview and other supplementary data collected from eleven academics from a school of chemical sciences in a New Zealand university. The analysis suggests a developing understanding of science teaching that draws the participants towards an academic career and drives their (re)construction of science educator identity as part of a broader academic identity. By intersecting with research, service and leadership, science teaching further prompts their transition from the singular I to the plural We and Others. While a we-focused perspective emphasises reciprocal relationships or mutual development with students, an others-focused perspective prioritises serving and preparing others (e.g., students and colleagues) for science research. These findings challenge discourses that place (science) teaching as secondary to research, as narrowly confined to the ‘classroom’, and poorly engaged with research and service.