Pathways to the Professorate: The Development of Faculty Identity in Education

This study describes the development of initial faculty identities of doctoral students in education as they transition and adjust to the professorate. The findings are based on constant comparative analysis of semi-structured interviews with 30 participants at 14 universities. Interview data are supplemented by participant journals and materials, including curriculum vitae, website materials, and program documents. I identified five archetypal pathways to the professorate: anointed, pilgrim, visionary, philosopher, and drifter. Discussion of these pathways focuses on how these students decide to pursue a career in education and how they characterize their socialization and transition into the professorate.