Running head: ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT 1

An Exploration of Online Doctoral Students’ Identity Development:

An Individual Analysis of Three Interview Participants

By

Raymond Obeng

Northeastern University

College of Professional Studies

EDU 7215 – Proposal Development: Qualitative Research

February 08, 2015

2ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Overview

According to Sowell, Zhang, & Redd (2008), completion rates ten

years after students begin their doctoral program remain low at

an average of 56.6% with the causes largely unknown. Research

suggests that the development of an academic identity is critical

in doctoral success (Austin & McDaniels, 2006) and is at the

heart of the doctoral pursuit (Jazvac Martek, 2009; Green, 2005).

Even though researchers have recently addressed the emergence of

these identities as they relate to student attrition (Jazvac

Martek, 2009, Garrett, 2012), this has been largely explored in

the context of traditional academic programs aimed at preparing

students for careers in academia.

Undoubtedly, the nature of many doctoral programs has

changed. An increasing number of programs aimed at the scholar-

practitioner have arisen to meet the needs of working

professionals who wish to support their practice with scholarly

3ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTknowledge. Many of these are offered in an online format so that

students can balance work and learning, and, while the attrition

rates for these programs remain high, there is little known about

the causes of on-line doctoral student departure. There is

therefore a need for a better understanding of the doctoral

experience in an online program and this specific population’s

emerging identities as scholar practitioners.

The study seeks to understand how students in an advanced

research course perceive their doctoral student identity as part

of an online, scholar-practitioner doctoral program. This

qualitative analysis therefore focuses on online doctoral

students’ sense of identity as scholar-practitioners and explores

based on all the three sets of data collected from a team of

three members (student interviewees) using constant comparison as

a basic inductive technique. This report of data analysis process

and findings presents a clear and specific description of how the

inductive analysis approach has been applied.

Data Analysis

4ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTGrounded Theory (GT) use has spread to various fields of study

since Glaser & Strauss’ (1967) introduction of the methodology

(Tan, 2010, p. 94). A review of the literature on the Constant

Comparative Approach (CCA) shows the same movement. CCA appears

to be considered as synonymous with GT. O’Connor, Netting, &

Thomas’ (2008) review of the GT literature shows a steady growth

over the last several decades in the use of CCA within GT

methodology. Fram (2013) argues that a review of dissertation

abstracts from 2004 shows that GT is used in various ways, and

further posits that 35% of the dissertations that state grounded

theory in their dissertation abstracts, keywords, and/or titles

focus on the use of the CCA technique, but lack a definitive

approach towards the development of a substantive theory. The

problem appears to be a gap in the literature regarding

discussion of the legitimate use of the CCA outside of GT.

This study therefore is to show the strength in using CCA to

bring into the limelight interview participants’ doctoral

experiences, integrate categories and themes, delimit the theory,

and last but not least, outline the theory.

5ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Theoretical Framework

Although the construct of identity has been discussed from a

number of perspectives in a variety of disciplines, this study

adopts the social-psychological focus on role identity (McCall &

Simmons, 1978) as a useful framework for examining the multiple

influences on emerging identities. Rooted in the symbolic

interactionist perspective (Stryker, 1980), the concept of role

identity assumes that identity is constructed in relationship

with people and embedded in interpersonal interactions. Thus,

this perspective of role identity integrates both the

psychological and the social formation of identity as well as

allowing for the examination of contextual influences on its

emergence.

Analytical Report

Length of Doctoral Program

The study indicated that doctoral students have the opportunity

to do one or not more than three courses per term. The study

indicated that being slow in completing the program has effects

on students, and that there is the need, if possible, to do at

6ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTleast two courses per term. Interview participants indicated that

the online component of the program has been beneficial to

professionals working in various capacities as organizational

leaders.

Professional Work of Interview Participants

The study indicated that all of them were experienced

organizational leaders working in several capacities in their

various fields. Bobby is an experienced teacher who has taught a

lot of high school in several countries, both at private schools

and public schools, and right now teaching part-time biology at

North Shore community college, and some Master’s level students

at another college. Barbara is a rabbi and was ordained in 1992

from Hebrew Union College Jewish Institute of Religion. Sylvia is

the director of entrepreneurship at Harrison University.

Influencing Others

The study indicated that all the three participants in one way or

the other have helped and encouraged students to achieve greater

academic excellence, and that their influence has gone a long way

to ensure that students live up to their expectations.

7ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTThe Desire to Obtain a Doctorate Degree

Interview participants were asked to share their views on why

they made a decision to obtain a doctoral degree. Analyzing their

thoughts, one realizes that one of them decided to obtain a

doctorate degree for personal development, gain much authority to

make any changes or to influence others, and to get prepared to

work in a school of education, as well as leave a legacy so that

other teachers will have a better experience in life and be able

to do a better job teaching. The second interviewee was seen to

have developed a burning desire to pursue a doctoral program. the

third one sees it a way of being taken seriously in her

professional work as well as gain respect with faculty members

who have terminal degrees. Analyzing their responses, the

interviewer discovered that the rationale behind their desire to

do a doctorate degree is likely about developing their

personality, and gaining respect and power.

Analyzing whether they believe that a doctorate degree would

change their lives, the interviewer found out that all of them

believe that a doctorate degree would make them more

8ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTknowledgeable, become more mindful about incorporating research

into teaching and particularly into organizational work, as well

as equip them to think critically and differently and or in much

more deeper level and really have the opportunity to become much

more knowledge and really build an expertise in in their

organizations. Analyzing their views critically, the interviewer

realized that the acquisition and application of knowledge became

the dominant theme that emerged from their thoughts and beliefs.

The Meaning of a Scholar Practitioner

The study participants explained that scholar practitioners serve

as a link between the research and scholarship and that they can

transfer wisdom and knowledge that people have worked so hard to

gain, and make it more practical and make life better for others.

Critically analyzing their views, the interviewer found out that

the meaning of a scholar practitioner has both strong academic

and intellectual components. Consequently, the most dominant

theme (integrated scholar) that emerged from their expressions

indicated that the meaning of a lies in the depth of one’s

knowledge on an issue.

9ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTAdjusting to New Expectations as Scholar Practitioners

Interviewees’ responses to how they did adjust to new

expectations as scholar practitioners were analyzed. The

interviewer found out that all of them decided to learn more and

learn better ways of organizing themselves to meet the demands of

the program. Also, it was realized that they applied a self-

convincing strategy, the passion to adapt, and adjust to the

program and its expectations, though they all confirmed that it

took a lot of persistence and self-confidence building to be able

to adjust to new expectations as scholar practitioners. In all,

self-confidence, determination, adaptation, and diligence stood

out among the various themes that emerged.

The Sense of becoming Scholar Practitioners

The study examined the various experiences that influenced

interviewees’ sense of becoming scholar practitioners.

Interviewees indicated that the search for more knowledge and the

desire to see the big picture of issues, the residency programs

and its face-to-face approach to learning, and the application of

knowledge gained from courses studied impacted their sense of

10ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTbeing scholar practitioners. Thus, the study showed that the

nature of the doctoral program has been influential in the lives

of the three interview participants, and that those reactions

spanned from a sense of awe to moments of relation, frustration,

joy, and confusion, though those experiences led to mastery,

excitement, confidence, and relationship building.

The Application of Theory into Professional Practice

The study indicated that each participant was more adaptive and

more individual in where each the people they influence needs as

a way of helping them see the big picture of education. Again,

the study revealed that they better understood problems of

practice that came up every day in their professional lives, as

they became more relevant in the advancement of knowledge in

their organizations.

Engagement in a Scholarly Work

The study indicated that participants did feel engaged in one way

or the other in a scholarly work. It was discovered that they

felt like diligently searching for more knowledge, which

continuously seemed to stretch their research skills and made

11ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTeach of them feel as if they were approaching a new life as a

researcher.

Describing how they knew they were acting as scholars, the

first participant interviewed said he knew he was acting as a

scholar when experiments and research made him see the world in a

better way; the second one said she got to know that when she was

part of a group commissioned to develop a new leadership theory;

whereas the third one indicated that she realized that when she

added to the body of knowledge around inquiry based learning and

applied it against entrepreneurship as an experience. In all, the

study showed that adding to pre-existing knowledge, building a

new theory, and advanced learning best categorized their

experiences.

The Impact of the New Self

The study indicated that ever since Bobby realized that he is a

scholar, he has learned to acknowledge authors better, search for

ideas, and see individual ideas as they fit into the bigger

picture of human knowledge. The study revealed that Barbara has

deeply recognized and better appreciated different leadership

12ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTstyles of others and that has given her a much deeper

appreciation for the different modes by which other people lead.

The study showed that Sylvia now can understand the research

process better, emphasize what research means, and can relate

much more with people at different levels. The study therefore

indicated that being a scholar practitioner makes one more

knowledgeable, valuable, empowered, creative, authentic,

transformed, and expert.

Influential Individuals in Interviewees’ Doctoral Experience

Bobby told a story about an interaction with an entrepreneur who

was able to practically help him clarify so many things that

would have taken him weeks and months on his own to learn.

Barbara thinks that the people that have been most influential

outside of the program itself were her direct reports who tend to

provide encouragement, serve as a reflective mirror, and raise

her morale, excitement, and energy to function better. Sylvia

argues that two people have been influential to her when it comes

to this doctoral program-one is personal and the other one is a

faculty member-have honestly been instrumental and supportive to

13ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTher. The study therefore indicated that those interactions

positively helped to boost their self-confidence and excitement

as well as build healthy relationships among them. Thus, those

interactions led to the generation of ideas, impacting lives,

making a difference, and self-actualization.

Leaving the Doctoral Program

What made Bobby think about leaving the doctoral program was a

discouraging score he got from one assignment, which made him

very discouraged and very nervous that he was not going to meet

the passing mark. Sylvia thought about that when there was just

so much work to do and she was wondering how she could do it all,

which turned to make her more confused and frustrated. However,

with Barbara, she was more positive and determined to complete

the program, and that she never thought about leaving the

program, though she argues that the beginning of the program was

somehow scary. Thus, there was a mixture of confusion,

frustration, indecision, impossibility, discouragement,

nervousness, and self-confidence and determination.

14ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT The study indicated that the passion of study participants

equipped them to complete the program. Participants revealed that

the vicissitudes of the doctoral program made them more

determined to incorporate doctoral discipline into their

profession. Undoubtedly, the study indicated that what prevented

them from leaving the program were interviewees’ will power,

determination, commitment, relationships, self-confidence, self-

trust, and positive thinking.

Conclusion

The study indicates that combining professional life with

endeavoring to become a scholar practitioner through an online

doctoral program comes with a lot of challenges though it is

worthy. The study reveals that being able to get much involved in

academic and professional life, scholar practitioners try to work

in light of a bigger picture to making the world a better place

for others. The study participants indicate that it is a way of

bringing research and scholarship into their work to make it more

credible. The study shows that in all, the experiences of scholar

practitioners are deeply captured as the application of research

15ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTand scholarship into their professional lives. Bringing these to

light, the researcher generated various codes to help identify

emerging themes that captured the saliency of the views of each

interview participant as well as employed the inductive analysis

approach to give a clear and specific description of the

experiences of scholar practitioners.

References

Austin, A. E., & McDaniels, M. (2006). Using doctoral education

to prepare faculty for work within Boyer’s four domains of

scholarship. New Directions for Institutional Research, 129, pp. 51-65.

Fram, S. M. (2013). The constant comparative analysis method

outside of grounded theory. The Qualitative Report, Volume 18, Article

1, pp. 1-25. Retrieved from

http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR18/fram1.pdf

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The discovery of grounded

theory: Strategies for qualitative research. New York, NY: Aldine De

Gruyter.

16ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTGarrett, P. S. (2012). Toward a more explicit doctoral pedagogy

(Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Dissertation

Abstracts International. (UMI: 3505668).

Green, B. (2005). Unfinished business: Subjectivity and

supervision. Higher Education Research and Development, 24(2), pp.

151-163.

Jazvac Martek, M. (2009). Emerging Academic Identities: How Education PhD

Students Experience the Doctorate (Doctoral dissertation).

Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. (NR66551).

McCall, G. J., & Simmons, J. L. (1978). Identities and interactions: An

examination of associations in everyday life. New York: The Free

Press.

O’Connor, M. K., Netting, F. E., & Thomas, M. L. (2008). Grounded

theory: Managing the challenge for those facing

institutional review board oversight. Qualitative Inquiry, 14(1),

28-45.

Sowell, R., Zhang, B, &. Redd, K. (2008). PhD Completion and

Attrition. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

17ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTStryker, S. (1980). Symbolic interactionism: A social structural version.

Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin Cummings.

Tan, J. (2010). Grounded theory in practice: issues and

discussion for new qualitative researchers. Journal of

Documentation, 66(1), 93-112.

18ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Appendices

1: Samples of Excerpts from Transcripts and How They Were Coded

A: Excerpts from Raymond’s Interview Transcripts

Interviewer: Can you recall a time when you really felt you were

engaging in a scholarly work?

Participant: [Confused] Several of the papers I’ve written, I’m

trying to get it done to pass it in, and I realize as I’m reading

through the paper, there’s an author they refer to, and I want to

go find out what that author said. (Search for more knowledge) So, I

go read some more. Then I find out something else that they

said, and I want to find out more about that [laughter]. So,

this leaves me hungry to learn more. I’m trying to think, what

particular topic it was. I know about motivation, I’m still

finding more and more things about motivation, what motivated

people, what works well, what doesn’t, so forth. That’s one area

where I feel like I’ve learned a lot.

(Hunger for more knowledge).

19ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTInterviewer: Describe how you knew you were acting as a scholar?

Participant: Well, because I was interested, “Who said this, and

when was this published, and who were they reading? Let’s look

back at this paper that they mentioned somebody,” you know, I

didn’t hear about [inaudible] until a couple of semester ago, or

a couple courses ago, and then suddenly, “Oh, this is a whole new

area that I want to know more about.” (Interestedness) And who

else, Ryan and Jessie about self—here it is: self-determination

research. There’s just so much about the experiments they’ve

done, the observations they’ve made, why this works better for

kids, and everyone, you know, employees met. My son has a

doctor, and part of his doctor dissertation was on engagement of

employees in the workplace, so [inaudible] and you know, how to

really get employees, students, everybody onboard, and seeing the

same picture, and rolling in the same direction. And so, we’re

all onboard together, we’re a team moving in the same direction,

instead of having kids fight against what’s going on and say,

“Oh, the teachers, I just get a [inaudible]” that’s the wrong

mentality. The teacher is like the guide to freedom, it’s like

there used to be an underground railroad helping slaves escape

20ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTslavery and get to the North. (Self-determination) And the teachers

are like the people helping people escape intellectual slavery,

and getting them to freedom, and be able to ascend to bigger

ways, and to see the world in a better way. (Seeing the world in a

better way)

Interviewer: Yes, so what determined this …? What has changed

ever since you realized that you are a scholar?

Participant: Because I started referring to different authors,

[Sellingman, Densey & Ryan, and Bamburas] and this, you know,

these different experts. So, it’s not just my opinion, but I’m

finding out, there’s really good ideas out there that I like, and

they were read by so-and-so, and that person read other things,

and so forth. So, it’s like seeing that my ideas fit into the

bigger picture of human knowledge, and all of things that people

are discovering, I have my little piece, but it’s helping me to

understand other people’s research, and other people’s

contribution.

(The use of APA, searching for ideas, and seeing individual ideas fit into the

bigger picture of human knowledge).

21ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTB: Excerpts from Barbara’s Interview Transcripts

Interviewer: Mhhmm. That is a really good example. Um, were

there any other experiences that impacted your experience

becoming a scholar-practitioner?

Participant: Um, again, I’ve been really delighted by the faculty

and by the support and interest that the faculty members…many of

them, and a few really especially have not just in my work but in

me, and um, because being a scholar-practitioner it’s…it’s very

personal because it involves the work that we’re doing and, um,

every day and the research and writing, which I think is really

personal and reading. (Delight, Personally-focused doctoral program,

Involvement of research and practice). Um. I love the dialogue and

interchange and, ah, have felt very supported by the people…by

the professionals in the program as well as the, um, the cohorts

in the classes. (Supportive learning)

Interviewer: Thank you. Um. Did you have any emotional

reactions to either of those experiences and if so, could you

describe them?

22ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTParticipant: Sure. I guess the overarching I had in the first

residency week was being overwhelmed, just the sense of

overwhelming, ah, more like a list of tasks. Just the number of

things I wanted to master and master quickly and thought it was

just me because I hadn’t been in school for a long time, and once

those tasks got mastered, the electronic stuff, and the … and the

deadlines, and the, you know, sort of the to do list.

(Overwhelmed by voluminous tasks) Once I was able to gain mastery

over those pieces it became much more of a…excitement, and um,

pleasure, than feeling overwhelmed. There was never really a

time that I lost confidence or, ah, um, felt like this was it. A

couple of classes I remember the reading felt like it was foreign

language to me but once I got into it again, um, the personal

touch of the professors and what they bring to the reading, the

syllabus, the discussions, the projects, the evaluations, the

assessments, I really think it…it has turned out to be a very

personally fulfilling emotion. (Mastery, Excitement, Confidence,

Relationship building, A very personally fulfilling emotion)

C: Excerpts from Debarros’ Interview Transcripts

23ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTInterviewer: [Laughing] Ok, alright, um, ok, so the first

question I would like to ask you is, um, What does being a

scholar practitioner mean to you now? um, end of, go ahead.

Participant: [Pauses] So I think after spending time in the

program, I can say with confidence that a scholar practitioner to

me, is someone who really has expert, I don’t wanna say expert,

can I say really in depth knowledge on a topic that they love,

but then they’ve also figured out how to take that knowledge and

apply it in the world around them and make it difference with

that, and I think that is one of the things that you will need in

this program [background sound] was that it wasn’t researched for

research sake and, um, I think um Elisabeth has joined us.

(Expert, Someone with depth knowledge about something, Professionally

applying knowledge, Making a difference in the world)

Interviewer: [interrupts] We can continue.

Participant: Ok.

Interviewer: Ok, go ahead, sorry, sorry for the interruption.

24ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTParticipant: It was research that had a purpose beyond just

adding to a body of knowledge.

(Research)

Interviewer: Ok, so how does the scholar prac…[background noise]

ooops did we have more people join us? Ok.

Participant: hmmm.

Interviewer: How did the um, being a scholar practitioner, um,

um, did you have to actually, the question, did you have to

adjust to new expectations when you joined the program and, or,

you as a scholar practitioner?

Participant: Oh, gosh, I totally had to adapt. I probably had to

adjust to the program and their expectations, um, it was, doing

this type of work was something that I had never done before and,

I mean I have been a student, I have taught faculty, I’ve taught

courses, but the expectations of this program was so much higher

than I have ever been exposed to before and it took a lot of

persistence patience, resilience um, and a lot of self-confidence

building to be able to feel like I could do this, and do it

successfully, um, do it well and do it to the level I felt was,

25ONLINE DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ IDENTITY DEVELOPMENTum, both required of the faculty members but also within myself.

I didn’t want to do this halfway and I really wanted to get the

most out of this program as possible. (Much more expectations,

Adjustments, Adaptation, Required more resilience, patience. Persistence, and

self-confidence)

Interviewer: Hmmm, very good, wow [giggles], sounds like a lot

what I have experienced too.

Participant: Yeah, I mean this program has really challenged me

to, I mean, I can’t tell you the number of times I have

questioned why I am doing this. Now I am doing this for the right

reasons and that really juxtaposition has been an interesting

roller-coaster to ride, um, throughout the program. (Challenge,

Critical thinking).