A Narrative Inquiry on the Teaching Development of Adjunct Faculty in Counselor Education

Adjunct faculty in counselor education (AFCE) can experience barriers in their teaching development, such as role confusion, isolation, low self‐efficacy, and limited mentorship. Yet, limited research exists about how AFCE navigate these barriers to make meaning of their teaching and grow over time. In this narrative inquiry study, we used interviews and photo elicitation with 13 AFCE to elicit their stories of teaching development. We used thematic analysis to analyze the data, and the resulting themes were teaching identity definition and evolution , student relationships motivate growth , and program and institutional support . These findings highlight AFCE's agency in seeking meaning in relationships with students and in preparing students as future counselors, as well as in how AFCE sought support for their teaching development with other faculty in the face of unsupportive institutional systems. Implications for counseling programs and institutions include development of flexible, accessible, and continuous mentoring programs for AFCE and engagement of AFCE in programmatic and institutional decision‐making to promote a greater sense of belonging. Implications for AFCE include reflecting on motivation for teaching and areas of meaning in their teaching through reflective journaling.