Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis

Abstract

While many research methods courses challenge students to make sense of their own researcher identities as they relate to research paradigms and perspectives, there is a lack of research that examines how students actually go about constructing theses identities, particularly at the level of discourse. In this study, we attended to graduate students’ talk in an introductory research methods course, taking note of how students used particular discursive resources to construct a research identity in online classroom discussions. We analyzed 93 discussion posts students were asked to make in response to a discussion board prompt after completing assigned readings related to research paradigms and researcher identity. We identified two discursive patterns through our analysis: 1) minimizing knowledge, and 2) justifying paradigmatic orientations. Our findings highlight how being asked to talk about one’s research identity is a potentially fragile task, as evidenced by disclaimers of ‘knowing’, and one that evokes justifications and connections to students’ everyday lives. We highlight implications for the teaching of research methodology, particularly qualitative methods courses.

Modeling American Graduate Students’ Perceptions Predicting Dropout Intentions

“…It has further been linked to their longer-term professional success, to strong degree completion, and to good job placement, as demonstrating their development of socialization and identification with the professional community that is their eventual destination on graduation (e.g., Gardner & GoPaul, 2012;McAlpine & Turner, 2012). Studies of interdisciplinary graduate students returning from professional practice have extended elements of graduate student identity development to factors such as metacognitive and conceptual self-awareness, linked to graduate school identities such as scholar-researcher (Davis & Lester, 2016), as well as specific alignment with professional preparation (e.g., Hardré & Chen, 2006;Mevorach & Miron, 2011).…”

An explicit approach to liminality as an inclusive approach to librarian support for graduate student researchers

“…, 2021; Coryell et al. , 2013; Davis and Lester, 2016; Hall and Burns, 2009; Murakami-Ramalho et al. , 2013).…”

“…In Hammack's (2014) literature review on identity, for example, the author notes that "Identity is the anchoring concept for thinking about difference and sameness in our time" (p. 11) and is present in both our everyday conversations and academic explorations. The development of researcher identity in particular has been discussed extensively in higher education literature (Castell o et al, 2015, Castell o et al, 2021Coryell et al, 2013;Davis and Lester, 2016;Hall and Burns, 2009;Murakami-Ramalho et al, 2013). In their systematic review on researcher identity, Castell o et al (2021) note that identity is a complex concept with multiple meanings and potential applications to pedagogy and Murakami-Ramalho et al (2013) note that researcher identity development takes place in both formal and informal settings.…”

Postmodernism and Educational Research

“…And they point out that rather than being one type of method, it is interdisciplinary in nature, and there are no clear definitions as to what constitutes "text". Davis and Lester (2016) [19] for exam-Open Journal of Social Sciences although they suggest that more studies should focus on discourses of "liberation" rather than only on "oppression", as this area was limited in scope (p. 384).…”