Impact of Text Discussions on the Professional Identity of Higher Education Students

Abstract

Comprehension of academic literature is a key element in the immersion of university students in the academic subcultures of each discipline (Chanock, 2001; Estienne & Carlino, 2004; Gottschalk & Hjortshoj, 2004). To do so, universities opt for the implementation of text discussion such as book clubs (Hartley, 2002; Long, 2003), dialogic literary gatherings (Flecha, 2000; Mirceva & Larena, 2010). or literary circles (Daniels, 2002; Duncan, 2012).This case study, essentially qualitative, seeks to know the impact of text discussions on the professional identity of the students of Teacher Education and Computer Science at the University of Andorra (UdA). Results are obtained by student focus groups, the Likert test Motivational Survey on Academic Reading, teacher interviews and taking notes in situ throughout the discussions.The main results indicate that the text discussions have a positive impact on students as (1) it increases the reflection, understanding and critique of the professional world, (2) they apply evidence-based content in professional contexts and (3) it improves the justification of informed professional decisions.