Identity Shock in Practice-Based Learning: Insights From Student-Led Consultancy

Abstract

Student-led consultancy is widely used in management education to connect theory with real organizational practice, yet the identity transitions students undergo in these contexts remain underexplored. This article introduces identity shock to describe the disorientation that arises when learners are expected to perform a professional identity they have not yet internalized. Drawing on possible selves theory, role theory, and an autoethnographically informed reflective teaching practice, we conceptualize identity shock as a form of identity dissonance that becomes particularly salient in externally facing consultancy work. We position the construct in relation to reality shock, identity crisis and impostor syndrome, to clarify its developmental significance. The article outlines five pedagogical strategies that can help students navigate the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral tensions of adopting both student and consultant roles: role framing, mentoring and modeling, structured reflection, peer-supported identity work, and identity-aligned supervision and assessment. We argue that consultancy modules, and other practice-based curricula, should be designed as learning ecosystems that scaffold identity development alongside skills acquisition, enabling students to engage more confidently with emerging professional selves.