Being a professor in higher education

the beginning of the teaching career at a Brazilian public university

Abstract

This paper aims to present the results of a research study focusing on early-career educators. The overall objective was to understand and analyze the statements of higher education professors regarding the beginning of their careers in a public institution. To achieve the general objective, we defined specific goals, including highlighting the factors that influenced the research subjects in their decision to become university professors, identifying the expectations, difficulties, and challenges faced by early-career university educators, and examining and analyzing the research subjects' perspectives on their formative needs and the development of their teaching careers. The theoretical framework was based on studies related to university teaching, pedagogical knowledge, and reflective practice. The methodological approach was rooted in qualitative methods, utilizing semi-structured interviews. The research subjects included eleven educators from different fields, each with up to three years of experience in higher education. Data analysis was conducted based on content analysis principles and followed the categorization technique's guidelines. The results revealed that, for the majority of the participating educators, a strong interest in research significantly influenced their career choice. Their primary difficulties were related to didactic and pedagogical issues and challenges in the teacher-student relationship. They recognized the need for pedagogical training to enhance classroom practices and engage students. This research contributes to the field of university teaching studies and underscores the importance of institutional initiatives to support professional integration.