Trust in and through Academic Development
Published on 4. February 2026
150 pages
978-1-040-86214-8 (ISBN)
Description
Trust matters in higher education, yet it is often taken for granted. This book shows how trust-between students and teachers, faculty and academic developers, or individuals and institutions-shapes the ways we teach, learn, and work together. Drawing on fresh research and first-hand accounts from across the world, this book reveals that trust is not static but a dynamic, reciprocal process. It is cultivated gradually through care, credibility, and openness, and it enables people to share vulnerabilities, take risks, and imagine new possibilities for teaching and learning.
Contributors explore trust at many levels: in the classroom, in academic development programmes, and within wider institutional and cultural contexts. They demonstrate how trust allows people to share vulnerabilities, engage in honest conversations, and take risks that lead to more inclusive and effective teaching. At the same time, they address the challenges of mistrust and the work required to establish trustworthy practices and structures.
Accessible and thought-provoking, this book offers valuable insights for anyone interested in the human relationships at the heart of higher education. It makes a compelling case that trust-building is not optional but integral to effective teaching, meaningful learning, and transformative academic development.
This book was originally published as a special issue of International Journal for Academic Development.
Contributors explore trust at many levels: in the classroom, in academic development programmes, and within wider institutional and cultural contexts. They demonstrate how trust allows people to share vulnerabilities, engage in honest conversations, and take risks that lead to more inclusive and effective teaching. At the same time, they address the challenges of mistrust and the work required to establish trustworthy practices and structures.
Accessible and thought-provoking, this book offers valuable insights for anyone interested in the human relationships at the heart of higher education. It makes a compelling case that trust-building is not optional but integral to effective teaching, meaningful learning, and transformative academic development.
This book was originally published as a special issue of International Journal for Academic Development.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
File size
5,40 MB
ISBN-13
978-1-040-86214-8 (9781040862148)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Gabriela Pleschova | Kathryn A. Sutherland | Peter Felten
Trust in and through Academic Development
Book
approx. 02/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€210.70
Not yet published
Persons
Gabriela Pleschova leads the Centre for Scholarship and Teaching in the Faculty of Arts at Comenius University Bratislava where she serves as an associate professor in the Department of Pedagogical Sciences.
Kathryn A. Sutherland is an academic developer in the Centre for Academic Development at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Peter Felten is executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, assistant provost for teaching and learning, and professor of history at Elon University (US).
Rachel Forsyth is a senior educational developer at Lund University in Sweden.
Mary C. Wright is Professor of Education Scholarship at the Office of Educational Innovation, DVC (Education), University of Sydney, Australia.
Kathryn A. Sutherland is an academic developer in the Centre for Academic Development at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Peter Felten is executive director of the Center for Engaged Learning, assistant provost for teaching and learning, and professor of history at Elon University (US).
Rachel Forsyth is a senior educational developer at Lund University in Sweden.
Mary C. Wright is Professor of Education Scholarship at the Office of Educational Innovation, DVC (Education), University of Sydney, Australia.
Content
1. Trust-building as inherent to academic development practice 2. Academic development, trust, and the state of the profession 3. The role of the academic developer as broker in building trust 4. 'You almost feel like you've got a friend, somebody who's backing you up': Exploring the building blocks of trust within a relational pedagogy approach to academic development 5. Scaffolding trust to advance inclusive teaching through UDL: A model for academic development 6. Trust and ethos in academic development: Credibility, identity, and value 7. Facilitating conversations about race: Staff views on the importance of accountability and trust in a student-led project 8. Trust and trustworthiness in pedagogical competence development programs: Tensions between systemic contexts and interpersonal relationships 9. Engineering students trust teachers who ask, listen, and respond 10. Reflections on building trust with groups engaged in curriculum review 11. Value of taught academic development programmes: Building trust? 12. How academic developers build trust in their work with other academics: The importance of cultivating a robust knowledge base 13. Practicing trust between academic developers and faculty for equitable assessments: A reflection on practice.
