Understanding Individual Consultations (ICs)

Insights from Academic Language and Learning Advisers’ perspectives

Abstract

Individual Consultations (ICs) are an integral part of the Academic Language and Learning (ALL) Adviser role, designed to enhance students’ academic literacy, including discipline-specific familiarity and integration. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, advisers increasingly support wellbeing and personal development (Gurney & Grossi, 2023; Schmidt & Schneider, 2023), adding to the complexity of their role. Studies provide insights into the potential for ICs to impact student learning through dialogue and scaffolding informed by socio-cultural Vygotskyan approaches (Vygotsky, 1978). However, further research is needed to document the IC structure, function, and contributions to learning.

This study deepens the understanding of ICs from the perspective of ALL advisers. It is part of a larger project, Understanding ICs: Students and Adviser Perspectives (Bak et al., 2023; Editorial Introduction to this issue), using semi-structured interviews analysed discursively. The research explores how advisers navigate the complex interpersonal dynamics of ICs to balance authority with empathy and support. Through discussions of IC practices, advisers offer valuable insights into these sessions while constructing an agentive and critically reflective professional identity. These findings highlight how ICs contribute to student learning and promote their value across the university. This is crucial in a context increasingly dominated by rationalisation and reliance on self-access and automated/GenAI services, underscoring the importance of connective services.