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SYNTHESIS PAPER: DOCTORAL IDENTITY
Synthesis Paper: Doctoral Identity
D’Ainsley Smith
Grand Canyon University
Synthesis Paper: Doctoral Identity
Doctoral research compositions reflect clear aspects which ensure doctoral students are successful in their challenging academic development. The doctoral profession is an important field, which assist research students to include different information aspects of research with existing knowledge. This has been explained in various compositions which provide a dimensional approach to doctoral study. Expositions are written by author(s), Baker and Pifer (2011), Gardner (2009), and Smith and Hatmaker (2015).
Research provides important aspects needed by doctoral students to achieve academic excellence. The compositions provide major themes which include; academic success, relationships, and transition. .
Theme of Academic Success
Doctoral students engaging in community and professional aspects other than course work enhances developments in society, which display academic success. Students engaging in assignments, coursework, and examinations as a method of evaluation provide a theme of academic success. According to Baker and Pifer, (2011), the relationship between student-advisor, and doctoral students through various professional activities, such as training, study, and emulation of experiences display academic success.
Baker and Pifer, (2001), identify the need for doctoral students to acquire new skills and be competent in their respective areas of study. Evidence supporting the theme of academic success includes doctoral students being evaluated using assignments, exams, and coursework. Doctoral students conducted academic research by interviewing thirty individuals is evidence of academic success (Gardner, 2009). Enforcement of professional competence among doctoral students enhances the theme of academic success, and doctoral students are advised to complete the degree program.
Researchers are taught how to prepare valid manuscript through enhanced research tactics. The presence of professional role models guide and impact doctoral student academic success. Smith and Hatmaker, (2015), states doctoral students participate in professional workshops and interviews, and offered the opportunity to enroll in different institutions to continue their studies reflects the theme of academic success.
Mastery of the undertaking subject is important, but is not sufficient enough to provide information for the scholar. Researchers must learn how to present themselves with discipline, and accentuate the ability to communicate with colleagues, and ensure they can apply standards of ethics to be part of the study. Critical to role learning is social support, and interaction with peers, mentors, family members, and friends (Baker and Pifer, 2001).
Theme of Relationships
Relationship themes presented by the authors include advising students of developments and academic practices in the doctoral field. Evidence presents how doctoral students rely on interactions and relationships between colleagues and instructors to navigate through challenges in different periods of study. Doctorate students share strategies, such as, short and long-term goals, successful writing habits, and their participation experiences provide evidence of relationship themes. According to Baker and Pifer, (2001), participation of doctoral students in the community after coursework reinstates the theme of relationships.
Researchers build relationships with advisers and mentors, which is a statement of professional socialization, and identity development. Advisors are supportive of committed doctoral students, and productivity in their research. Relationships developed between faculty and peers are based on guidance and support. This allows students to transition in a professional manner, and builds student's identity and their socialization phases as they focus on the course workload, and the dissertation thesis. Social influences interconnected with learning, identity development, acknowledged in socio-culture indicate the necessity of interpersonal relationships in the success of the student.
Involvement of faculty members, committee members, mentors, teachers, and students is evidence of the theme of relationships. Accepted behaviors, code of conduct, values and distinctive intellectual tasks among students and stakeholders in the doctoral field display relationships governed by these aspects. Relationships based on the involvement of doctoral students and the faculty departments have a relationship theme rating of 76.5% (Baker and Pifer, 2001).
Doctoral students and faculty member’s interactions contribute to their development, and display the relationship aspect of research. The participation and ability of doctoral students to negotiate employment opportunities show the presence of relationships theme (Gardner, 2009). New students engage in professional practices include training while at work, emulating professional role models, and being guided by other doctoral members (Smith and Hatmaker, 2015). The authors emphasize mentoring relationships between students and faculty members, and seen as advantageous as a mentor-protégé relationship.
Theme of Transition
Doctoral students are trained to acquire new skills for competence of professional tasks in the doctoral field, which assist with transitioning into the professional industry. Students engage in community development workshops, because it provides changes in general appearances of their neighborhood and environment. As doctoral students grow they experience changes in their personality as they interact with peers, and share strategic motives (Baker & Pifer 2011).
Doctoral students experience changes in behavior as they are guided by a code of conduct, values, and culture changes. Doctoral student’s ability to negotiate opportunities results in a transition of economic status change as they learn, and engage in diverse industry projects. Degree completion by doctoral students results to change in society as educational and literacy levels are enhanced (Gardner, 2009).
Students conducting research results in change and modification of existing information about certain aspects. New student behavior change and code of conduct show the transition of their character through the doctoral process. Developments which occur in students minds after interactions with mentors, faculty members and student-advisors are evidence of the transition theme (Smith and Hatmaker, 2015).
Conclusion
Themes of academic success, relationships, and transition are presented in the research, and are essential aspects of the doctoral profession. The doctoral profession includes academic success, relationships, and transition as students are expected to have academic qualifications, relationship and interaction skills, and the ability to transition into society. Relationships are developed efficiently through relationship-building diverse methods.
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. (2014). Knowing, doing, and becoming: Professional identity construction among public affairs doctoral students.Journal of Public Affairs Education,20(4), 545-564.