Pracademic transitions: identity formation and institutional belonging among second-career academics

Purpose This study aims to explore how practitioners who transition into academia mid-career (also known as pracademics or second-career academics (SCAs)) form their academic identities and experience institutional belonging. While SCAs are increasingly present in higher education due to demands for industry-relevant teaching and knowledge exchange, their identity development remains a space for further research, especially in comparison to traditional early career academics. Design/methodology/approach An integrative literature review was conducted synthesising 84 peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2025. The review draws on Bourdieu’s theory of practice and Henkel’s conceptualisation of institutional identity to interpret how SCAs navigate symbolic capital, habitus and structural norms across disciplinary and institutional contexts. The review culminates in a conceptual typology of three identity trajectories: assimilation, integration and resistance. Findings SCAs’ identity formation is shaped by a tension between their prior professional selves and the expectations of academic institutions. Some SCAs assimilate by adopting dominant academic norms, others integrate by blending professional and academic roles, while a third group resists institutional norms altogether. These identity responses are dynamic and influenced by factors such as institutional culture, support structures and personal agency. The study highlights that institutional recognition or misrecognition of SCAs’ capital significantly shapes their experience of belonging and retention. Originality/value This study contributes a theory-informed typology of identity trajectories among SCAs. It builds on the academic identity discourse and extends the attention to non-traditional academics. The proposal is a conceptual lens that informs future empirical research and institutional policy design to support diverse academic pathways.