Future Thinking and Professional Agency as Predictors of Academic Transition Shock among Newly Appointed University Instructors

Abstract

The current study aimed to: measure future thinking, professional agency, and academic transition shock among newly appointed university instructors. It also sought to identify the significance of differences in future thinking, professional agency, and academic transition shock among newly appointed instructors according to the variables of gender, specialization (scientific/humanities), and graduation institution (universities inside the region vs. outside the region). Furthermore, the study aimed to determine the correlational relationship between future thinking and academic transition shock among newly appointed instructors, as well as the relationship between professional agency and academic transition shock. In addition, the study investigated the extent to which future thinking and professional agency contribute to academic transition shock among newly appointed instructors. The researcher adopted the predictive correlational approach. The research sample consisted of (250) male and female instructors holding Master’s or PhD degrees at Salahaddin University-Erbil whose years of service did not exceed three years. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher constructed three scales: Future Thinking Scale consisting of (5) domains and (30) items, Professional Agency Scale consisting of (4) domains and (25) items, and Academic Transition Shock Scale consisting of (5) domains and (20) items. The items were formulated as situations derived from the university professional environment. The psychometric properties of the three scales were verified, and the data were analyzed using the statistical program (SPSS). The study reached the following results: future thinking, professional agency, and academic transition shock among newly appointed instructors were found to be high. There were no statistically significant differences in future thinking according to gender and specialization, whereas there was a statistically significant difference according to graduation institution in favor of universities outside the region. There was a statistically significant difference in professional agency according to gender in favor of males, while no statistically significant differences were found according to specialization and graduation institution. There were statistically significant differences in academic transition shock according to gender in favor of females, specialization in favor of humanities disciplines, and graduation institution in favor of universities inside the region.The findings also revealed a statistically significant negative correlational relationship between future thinking and academic transition shock, as well as between professional agency and academic transition shock. Moreover, there was a statistically significant inverse relationship between future thinking, professional agency, and academic transition shock. Future thinking and professional agency were found to have a statistically significant negative contribution to academic transition shock. In light of the findings, the researcher presented several recommendations and suggestions.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.54633/2333-025-058-022