Assessing lecturers’ adaptation of professional identity: a study at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Terengganu / Juliana Mohd Nor

For Universiti Teknologi MARA(UiTM), the professional identity as a university lecturers involved the responsibilities of not just being a teacher but also those of a researcher and community service doer. However in most cases involving lecturers in some private institution, such as the former Kolej Yayasan Terengganu (KYT), lecturers only dealt with teaching as there were no such emphasis on the whole growth of a full fledged university lecturer. Thus when lecturers from private institution such as Kolej Yayasan Terengganu (KYT) joined public universities such as UiTM, they have to adapt to the required professional identity of a full fledged university lecturer. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess how former KYT lecturers who are now working with UiTM felt regarding their decision to join UiTM in 2008 as well as to identify their perceived job satisfaction level, how they have adapted to their professional identity which is centered on the three main thrust stated by the university; teaching, research and community service and to determine if the professional development program by UiTM has helped them with their new professional identity. 49 lecturers were identified as the population of this study carried out in July, 2010 questionnaires were distributed. Out of this distribution, 40 completed and returned the questionnaires. In addition, interviews with 5 selected respondents were conducted in August 2010.