Doctoral identity is extremely significant for any student that pursues a doctoral education. All scholars who have completed a doctoral education are expected to possess knowledge, skills, and values that express their new identity. Doctoral students experience several identity transitions through their studies. First, they become students, then they become doctoral candidates, and are finally turned to emerging scholars. These transitions from their past identities to their new identities is difficult. Becoming a doctoral student and engaging in a scholar’s life can present significant challenges. To explore the subject of doctoral identity, articles by Smith & Hatmaker (2015), Baker & Pifer (2011), and Gardner (2009) which present insight on the formation of doctoral identity. Baker et al. (2011) assesses the role of relationships in the transition from doctoral students to independent scholars while Gardner (2009) evaluates the different factors that support success in doctoral education. Lastly, Smith et al. (2015) provides a model explaining how interactions between students and faculty members results in the development of their identity. The three common themes observed across each article, in different and unique ways, are academic success, individual effort, and relationships between students and faculty members. Based on these three common themes, this paper aims to show that academic success, individual effort, and relationships are essential for the formation of an individual's doctoral identity.
Academic Success
The phrase ‘Academic success’ is commonly used to define the accomplishment of a student during a learning process. This accomplishment includes the gaining of subject knowledge and the development of employability success. The academic success of a student significantly impacts their ability to be doctoral students and finally become emerging scholars. According to Baker et al. (2011), academic success is essential in the formation of doctoral identity. Baker et al. (2011) define success as the shift from dependency to independence by a doctoral student. For doctoral students to be identified as successful, they are expected to complete the dissertation process, complete their coursework and pass all their exams. As acts as a metric through which doctoral students can be assessed, it significantly affects the development of their identity. Academic qualifications describe the knowledge and capabilities that a doctoral student possesses and the relevance that this has to the career that they are in. Hence, according to Baker et al. (2011) academic success is essential for the transition of a student’s doctoral identity from a student to a scholar.
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On the other hand, Gardner (2009) states that academic success is perceived differently based on the individuals concerned. This means that academic success is an obscure concept that can be used to indicate a variety of factors. Some of these factors include the completion of the dissertation process or appropriate exam scores. Gardner (2009) further states that academic success is important for the formation of doctoral identity. Smith et al. (2015) state that the socialization process can result in academic success due to the interactions involved. Through socialization, an individual can enrich their professional identity. Social relationships have a supportive role in improving the skills of an individual while also assisting with the adoption of values and culture.
Relationships
For doctoral students, relationships mainly refer to the discussions and engagement that they have with their peers, the community members around them, and their instructors. Baker et al. (2011) highlight the importance of relationships, by structuring several stages through which relationships are created. According to Baker et al. (2011), students are engaged in socialization with their peers in the first stage of relationships. As they transition to the second stage, doctoral students then lose interest in interactions with their peers. In the second stage, students are more determined on strengthening their own assumptions and opinions turning them into independent researchers. Baker et al. (2011) state that this transition can be difficult, if their previous interactions with their peers were not cohesive or peaceful. Relatives and peers provide support and assistance in the pursuit of one's goals during a doctoral program. Doctoral students who do not receive enough support usually resent their peers and other individuals they interact with. Based on this, Baker et al. (2011) emphasize the need for social interactions between doctoral students and those that surround them.
Gardner (2009) highlights the significance of social interactions by stating that doctoral students can share their concerns and doubts with different people. Social interactions present these students with the opportunity of sharing their progress and emotions with their peers. When interacting with their peers, students are able to express their ideas and opinions to individuals that are at the same academic level as them. This gives them the opportunity to be innovative in their thinking while also supporting the formation and understanding of new concepts. Gardner (2009) believes that doctoral students learn the skills and knowledge needed in their career field through socializations. They gain the capabilities and knowledge that they need to properly cooperate and grow in their respective careers. Smith et al. (2015) also highlight the importance of relationships as students are typically assigned to student programs with advisors and research assistants. These programs help support doctoral students in the development of research skills and social relationships with their faculty members. These relationships are essential for a doctoral identity. According to Smith et al. (2015), student programs that are created for doctoral students are significant for shaping specific aspects of an individual’s identity such as what theories or subjects they are most interested in.
Individual Effort
Doctoral students often begin to create their own identity, independence and professional capabilities at the second stage. During this stage, students begin to lose focus due to the lack of guidance that they used to have. According to Baker et al. (2011), while social interactions help doctoral students in their transition, doctoral students should also invest themselves in the process. Gardner (2009) highlights the importance of being interested in a certain field for doctoral students. According to them, having individual goals and objectives are critical to helping students easily transition and become independent students and researchers (Gardner, 2009). Family and peers usually provide support, but this support should be integrated with an individual need to excel as a scholar. This need is critical for enabling doctoral students to be more engaged and invested in their developmental journeys. When doctoral students perceive that they are capable of succeeding, they are more likely to invest a higher degree of effort to their education and career development.
Smith et al. (2015) state that student programs present mentorships and assistantships to students. This shows that mentorship programs are highly advantageous to students as it helps in the researching of skills and proficiency in research methods. These programs are effective platforms through which students can become aware of the level of effort they need to invest (Smith et al., 2015). Individual drive is critical as it provides doctoral students with the internal motivation they need to drive themselves further in their doctoral journey.
Conclusion
Doctoral students experience significant shifts in their identities, as they transition from becoming doctoral students to emerging scholars. Three factors are identified as necessary for the creation of doctoral identities and include academic success, relationships with faculty members and peers and individual effort. Academic success acts as an indicator of the knowledge and capability that a doctoral student possesses. It is used to tell whether the student is qualified to transition from one level to another. Individual efforts and relationships have a significant impact on the academic qualifications of the doctoral students involved. Doctoral students also need to have strong relationships with their academic peers, faculty members and other individuals outside the academic community. These relationships are critical for the provision of the social support needed for the creation of their doctoral identity. Hence, it is clear that the formation of a doctoral identity is affected by several conditions surrounding the doctoral student.
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
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.
