“Socialized Into the Field”: Exploring How Higher Education and Student Affairs Faculty Members Are Socialized to Teach Student Development Theory

Abstract

Higher education and student affairs (HESA) faculty members who teach student development theory (SDT) courses are integral to socializing future professionals to SDT and to the organizational culture, or the norms, behaviors, and values, of HESA. Although faculty members are important socializing agents, how they teach SDT courses and the ways their teaching dis/engages socialization processes and organizational culture remain underexamined. This study was focused on HESA faculty members who teach SDT. I explored 2 research questions: What organizational norms, behaviors, and values are HESA faculty members socialized to implement in SDT courses? and How do HESA faculty members adopt or challenge these norms, behaviors, and values through their SDT courses? Using socialization as a guiding framework and with a qualitative approach, I generated 3 themes from 18 HESA faculty members’ stories of teaching SDT: (a) “I taught as I was taught”: socialized to create a culture of affirmation, (b) the primacy of The Book, and (c) the dis/placement of foundational theories.