| Introduction | |
| Capture interest: | The significance of doctoral identity cannot be overstressed. Once a student completes a doctoral education, he or she must possess knowledge, skills, and values that conform to their profession. |
| Context: | Smith & Hatmaker (2015), Baker & Pifer (2011), and Gardner (2009) provide an insight into the formation of doctoral identity. Smith & Hatmaker (2014) examine the process of identity construction among doctoral students carrying out research on public affairs. Baker & Pifer (2011) explore the role of relationships in the identity development process. Gardner (2009) explores the concept of success and describes the factors that affect faculty members’ perceptions of success in doctoral education. |
| Statement of common themes: | The three article share three common themes. These themes include academic success, individual effort and relationships. |
| Thesis statement: |
Based on the three common themes shared by the three articles, the thesis statement is: Academic success, individual effort and relationships are integral for the formation of doctoral identity. |
| Theme One: | Academic Success |
| Baker and Pifer (2011): | Baker and Pifer (2011) hold that academic success is very vital when it comes to the formation of doctoral identity. Baker and Pifer (2011) define success as the successful shift from dependency to independence. For a doctoral student to be considered successful, he or she should attain the following: complete the dissertation process, complete coursework, and pass all the doctoral or candidacy exams. According to Baker and Pifer (2011), doctoral students with the qualifications stated above have comprehensive knowledge of research and language skills. |
| Gardner (2009): | According to Gardner (2009), the term academic success has a different meaning, depending on how an individual view it. Simply put, academic success is an obscure concept. In academics, the term can be used to refer to various achievements, such as dissertation completion, degree conclusion, achievement in coursework, and graduation from college or university and attaining a high-grade point average (GPA), among other academic achievements. According to Gardner (2009), the facet mentioned above is vital for the formation of doctoral identity. |
| Smith and Hatmaker (2014): | Smith and Hatmaker (2015) hold that socialization can lead to academic success. According to the researchers, through socialization, one can enrich his or her professional identity. Social relationships can improve an individual’s skills and help one adopt values, rules, and culture. |
| Theme Two: | Relationships |
| Baker and Pifer (2011): | Baker & Pifer (2011) highlight the significance of relationships, particularly during the second stage. According to the researchers, during the first stage, students are more involved in socializing with their peers. When the transition to the next stage, the student’s lose interaction with their peers and become independent researchers. According to Baker & Pifer (2011), this transition can be rough sometimes, especially if a student’s had a negative relationship with peers during the first stage. Relatives and peers often provide support and help an individual pursuing a doctoral program accomplish his or her goal. Doctoral students who do not receive this kind of support often feel resentment, particularly if they see their peer receiving support. As such, the authors call for the need to interact with people outside the academic community socially. This helps an individual keep balance and perspective on the experience. |
| Gardner (2009): | Gardner also highlights the importance of social interaction. According to Garner (2009), through social interactions, doctoral students can share their concerns and doubts with other people. In addition, social interaction provides the doctoral students with the opportunity to share with their peers their progress and feelings. Through this, the students can collect feedbacks. Gardner discussed that, through socialization, doctoral students learn the skills, knowledge, and values of their career field. |
| Smith and Hatmaker (2015): | Smith and Hatmaker (2015) also highlight the significance of relationships. According to the researchers, students are often assigned to student programs with advisors and research assistantships. These programs help support doctoral students to develop not only research skills but also help doctoral student’s social relationship with their faculty mentors. These relationships are very vital when it comes to developing doctoral identity. |
| Theme Three: | Individual Effort |
| Baker and Pifer (2011): | Doctoral students often start to develop their own academic identities, independence and professional voices during stage two. It is during this stage that students start to lose focus because of the lack of guidance they used to have. According to Baker & Pifer (2011), social interactions make doctoral students transition easily to independent scholar. |
| Gardner (2009): | Gardner (2009) highlight the importance of having social interactions for doctoral students. According to the author, social interactions can help a student transition easily and become an independent student or researcher. Family and peers often provide support and this support can help a student transition easily. |
| Smith and Hatmaker (2015): | According to Smith and Hatmaker (2015), student programs provide mentorships and assistantships to students. These programs are very beneficial to students as it helps them develop research skills and proficiency in research methods. In addition, the program help students establish relationships with faculty mentors. |
| Statement of Conclusion | Individual efforts and relationships visibly impact academic success. Doctoral students ought to have social support. Lack of social support makes students feel frustrated and feel resentment, especially when they see their peers receiving support and guidance from their family members and peers. Another common theme explored by the articles is becoming an independent scholar or researcher. It is during this stage the student need to socialize with others. This helps them share their experiences and feelings. It also helps them get feedback as well as suggestions from their mentors. There is a need to have positive relationships in order to attain academic success as well as transition to become an independent researcher or scholar when pursuing a doctoral program. |
References
Baker, V. L., & Pifer, M. J. (2011). The role of relationships in the transition from doctor to independent scholar. Studies in Continuing Education, 33 (1), 5-17. Doi: 10.1080/0158037X.2010.515569
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Gardner, S. K. (2009). Conceptualizing success in doctoral education: perspectives of faculty in seven disciplines. The Review of Higher Education, 32 (3), 383-406. Doi: 10.1353/rhe.0.0075
Smith, A. E., & Hatmaker, D. M. (2015). Knowing, doing, and becoming: professional identity construction among public affairs doctoral students. Journal of Public Affairs Education , 20 (4), 545-564.
