Formal and implicit conceptions of authenticity in teaching

Recent literature in higher and adult education has identified 'authenticity' in teaching as a significant yet under-researched phenomenon lacking a straight-forward definition. By exploring how academic teachers and their students, next to educational theorists and philosophers, understand the notion of authenticity in teaching we offer this empirical study as a contribution towards a deeper understanding of this complex and multi-dimensional construct. In order to identify teachers' and students' implicit conceptions we asked the former to participate in semi-structured interviews and the latter to take part in focus-group sessions, both of which we analysed for emerging themes. The results contribute to greater conceptual clarity of the concept, which is a crucial prerequisite for future studies exploring relationships between authenticity in teaching and its effects on students. Suggestions for future research are offered.