Does The One Who Knows Teach, Or the One Who Has Lived? The Role of Work Experience in University Teaching: A Systematic Literature Review (2022-2026)

Abstract Book of the 10th International Academic Conference on Education

Year: 2026

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Does The One Who Knows Teach, Or the One Who Has Lived? The Role of Work Experience in University Teaching: A Systematic Literature Review (2022-2026)

Ricardo Tupac Apaza, Miriam Sara Quispe Salas y Nolazco Labajos, Fernando Alexis

ABSTRACT:

A teacher’s work experience within their disciplinary field emerges as a critical factor in the quality of teaching practice, although its scope and concrete implications remain conceptually ill-defined. This systematic review analyzed scientific evidence regarding the role of university teachers’ disciplinary work experience in their teaching practice, based on literature published between 2022 and 2026. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, Redalyc, ProQuest, and SciELO using terms related to teaching practice, teacher training, university teaching, and work experience. Articles focused on university education that explicitly addressed the relationship between professional experience and teaching practice were included. From an initial 121 records on teachers’ work experience, 21 studies were selected for qualitative synthesis. The analysis identified five thematic themes: work experience as a source of pedagogical knowledge; the role of experience in shaping teacher identity and confidence; the tension between disciplinary expertise and pedagogical competence; institutional recognition of professional trajectory; and the transfer of experiential knowledge to didactic strategies. The evidence indicates that disciplinary work experience constitutes a structural component of pedagogical knowledge, conditioning professional identity, confidence, and the teacher’s ability to promote situated learning. Furthermore, significant gaps are identified in the integration of teachers’ disciplinary work experience with institutional policies.

Keywords: Andragogy; Professional Competencies; Didactic Strategies; Teacher Training; Professional Identity