The university teachers are academics who have achieved their professional competence as researcher, and teaching is something that comes later with the academic position in the university. University teachers’ conceptions of teaching have been largely explored, but there is hardly any research focusing on university teachers’ self concept as a teacher. The aims of the study are thus twofold, firstly we aim to explore how university teachers perceive them as teachers, and secondly, we aim to explore how the self-concept as a teacher is related with teaching modes.

Methodology

Participants of the study were 67 teachers from the University of Helsinki and one teacher from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration. The interviewed teachers represented diverse disciplines. Teachers’ age varied from 26 to 58 years, and the mean age was 40.3 years. Forty-nine (72 %) of teachers were female. The teaching experiences varied from six month to 30 years.

Interviews

The semi-structured interviews were performed during the years of 2003 and 2004. The interviews lasted from 26 to 80 minutes, and they were transcribed. The themes of the interviews covered different aspects of university teaching varying from teachers’ self-concept as a teacher, teaching modes, teaching and learning experiences, the effect of discipline in their teaching, and the effect of pedagogical training in their teaching. In this study we focus on teachers perceptions of themselves as teachers.

Analyses

The interviews were analyzed independently by the first author applying content analysis and the categorization was confirmed by the second author. Firstly, the teachers’ interviews were read as a whole to get a whole picture of the answers teachers gave in the interviews. Then we concentrated on recognizing how teachers described themselves as teacher. As a result the 35 categories of self-concept as a teacher were identified. Secondly, the categories of self-concept as a teacher were reread and organized according the three different themes which were indentified as common factors for categories.

Results

Unclear versus clear self-concept as a teacher

In this dimension we included the self-concept categories which varied from uncertain descriptions to clear and well-defined descriptions as a teacher. In unclear self-concept as a teacher were included the descriptions in which a teachers could describe them only as working like a teacher and running courses like this young post doctoral student:

”Well, I work as researcher in the university, and I’m doctoral student. I have taught only some courses.” (A7, Male teacher, 31 years, Faculty of Arts)

Some teachers were not able to describe themselves as teachers because they lacked teaching experience or felt that they were very novices as teachers. Some teachers described that they were more experts of subject and researchers than teachers, and the teaching was the compulsory task to be done. On the other hand, some teachers described themselves as being especially university teachers and they liked to teach. They described being as teachers who like to develop teaching methods and their pedagogical thinking.

“I am very enthusiastic of my teaching and enormously interested in the whole field. … and I’m very aware of that I could not be a teacher in a pre-school, or in a secondary school, or not even in a upper secondary school.“ (S48, Female teacher, 52 years, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Keeping distance versus coming near students

In this dimension we included the categories of self-concepts as a teacher which varied from authoritarian and distance keeping teacher towards peer-teacher and interactive, communicative teacher who likes to be with students, and even to teachers who were very concerned of their students. The teachers’ self-concepts as a teacher differed in this dimension how they saw themselves as teachers in relation with their students. Here is an example of a self-concept description by teacher who is authoritarian and expert of her subject with long teaching experience:

“My teaching varies depending on my mood …. Some students even ... are afraid of me, I have heard.” (A17, female teacher, 54 years old, Faculty of Arts)

These type of descriptions of as a teacher were, however, rare. The most teachers described themselves as being teachers who like to communicate and interact with students, and who preferred teaching in small groups like this female teacher:

“I am quite open, outwardly going, interested in people and their opinions and thoughts. I like to inspire students.” (V21, female teacher, 41 years old, Faculty of Veterinary)

Rigid versus flexible as a teacher

Teachers’ self-concepts differed in the flexibility. Some teachers described themselves as being careful planners who did not like exceptions and surprises in teaching. On the other hand, some emphasized that they liked to try some new methods, or change teaching mode in situ according to their students needs. The following excerpt is an example of teacher who emphasizes herself as careful planner:

“Well… I’ll think I am very methodical and organized. I don’t get lost… and I stay in the topic.” (M3, female teacher, 27 years old, Faculty of Science)

Some other teachers described that they did not plan carefully teaching. Instead they preferred to improvise and go ahead according to students’ questions and needs.

…I’ll get inspired, and … I like to improvise during my lectures, and I don’t prepare slides or anything before hand, … I’m depending on the situation and teach accordingly.” (S8, male teacher, 61 years old, Faculty of Social Sciences)

Theoretical and educational significance of study

The results give new insight how university teachers perceive themselves as teachers and how self-concept as a teacher is constructed. The dimensions of self-concepts as a teacher help to understand more profoundly the structure and development of teacher self-concept among university teachers. The results can be applied in the educational training of university teachers in order to help them to reflect and develop teacher identity as a university teacher.