Navigating reflective academic leadership through SFHEA: An autoethnographic perspective from health sciences

Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) is increasingly viewed as a benchmark of teaching excellence and leadership in UK academia. Yet the reflective journey towards SFHEA, especially under the revised 2023 Professional Standards Framework (PSF), is underexplored. This autoethnographic study examines one applicant’s experience, capturing motivations, challenges, and feedback’s role. Drawing on journal entries and drafts, the author (a health scientist-turned-educator) reflects on how values and career pressures shaped the application. Challenges included balancing workload with reflective writing, adapting to a new genre, and navigating the updated PSF, with its emphasis on inclusivity and digital pedagogy. Collegial feedback proved transformative, prompting a full rewrite and deeper critical reflection. The findings are situated within literature on academic identity, feedback literacy, and reflective development. This study argues that, when supported by authentic feedback and reflection, SFHEA can foster meaningful professional growth.