Cultivating a Collaborative Culture Between Academics and Third Space Professionals for Learning and Teaching in Engineering

In this blog Hebatallah Shoukry, Gule Saman, Nidhal Abdulaziz and Juliet Nwafor (School of Engineering and Physical Sciences), and Clare Thomson (Learning and Teaching Academy) share some of their findings from an Enhancement Themes project on Third Space Professionals.

Background

In today’s rapidly evolving academic landscape, collaboration between academics and third space professionals is essential. But what exactly is a “third space professional,” and why does collaboration matter? Third space professionals are individuals who operate at the intersection of academia and the wider community (Whitchurch, C., 2008, Whitchurch, C., 2015), they play a vital role by contributing diverse perspectives, resources, and expertise that significantly enrich learning. This collaboration has several benefits such as unlocking new opportunities for research, teaching, and community engagement which will significantly improve student success and enhance overall student experience. This blog explores the key areas to improve these collaborations, offering insights for academics, professionals, and institutions alike. It is based on research by Shoukry et al. (2025) exploring third space professional among electrical engineering academics at Heriot-Watt University.

Approach

A mixed-methods approach, informed by relevant literature and discussions with colleagues, was chosen to explore the barriers and enablers of collaboration between academics and third space professionals at Heriot-Watt University. To gain a comprehensive view of collaborative practices among electrical engineering academics in all three campuses, an initial survey was administered that included both open and closed-ended questions. Although all the academics shared an engineering background, their teaching portfolios were diverse. The different teaching portfolios considered were Graduate Apprenticeship Programmes, Transnational Educational Programmes, and standard Undergraduate Programmes. The respondents’ experience varied, with the largest group (31.8%) having 3-5 years, followed by equal proportions (22.7%) in the 5-10 and over 10-year ranges as shown in Figure 1. This diversity, from early to established careers, provides valuable insights into collaboration practices. This post focuses on one open-ended question that asked for suggestions to improve collaboration between academics and third space professionals.

Figure 1: Survey Respondent Demographics: Campus and Experience Level

Outcomes and Recommendations

The analysis revealed several key areas for improving collaboration between academics and third-space professionals. Firstly, time and workload support is consistently identified as essential, with academics stressing the need to reduce workload pressures and acknowledge their time constraints. Secondly, the importance of fostering collaboration and sharing best practices is a prominent theme, with calls for specific initiatives, policies, and workshops. The survey also highlighted the demand for relevant professional development focusing on accessible, high-quality, and innovative teaching methods. Finally, respondents emphasise the necessity of clear and impactful communication through concise, targeted resources and regular updates to effectively support collaborative teaching activities.

The recommendations based on the survey results are given in Figure 2.

References

C. Whitchurch, ‘Shifting Identities and Blurring Boundaries: The Emergence of Third Space Professionals in UK Higher Education’, High. Educ. Q., vol. 62, no. 4, pp. 377–396, Oct. 2008, doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2273.2008.00387. x.

C. Whitchurch, ‘The Rise of Third Space Professionals: Paradoxes and Dilemmas’, in Forming, Recruiting and Managing the Academic Profession, U. Teichler and W. K. Cummings, Eds., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2015, pp. 79–99. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-16080-1_5.

Shoukry, H., Saman, G., Abdulaziz, N., Nwafor, J. and Thomson, C.  ‘Overcoming Obstacles: A roadmap for effective Collaboration Between Engineering Academics and Third Space Professionals’, in IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON) Conference, London, United Kingdom, 2025.

Image credit: Photo by Vardan Papikyan on Unsplash