Abstract
This chapter outlines some of the broad results from a three-year longitudinal study examining day-to-day doctoral student experiences of over 40 students in two Faculties of Education in Canada. The resulting collection of responses from interviews and questionnaires that were administered monthly highlight the highly varied activities and interactions participants engaged in over time, as well as the difficulties they encountered and how these were addressed. Findings point to students actively negotiating their intentions in forms of negotiated agency that include: the active creation of networks both within and beyond their immediate academic context, negotiating a range of different supports from directive to supportive with a wide array of individuals beyond their primary supervisory relationship, and engaging in tasks beyond what many may assume to be the main activities of doctoral students. All are crucial activities for progress that often go unnoticed.
I have 2 days during the workweek which are dedicated to my PhD work. Right now, I’m focusing on my comps knowing I am writing them from March 16–30. I’m reading, searching for articles and books, talking with my committee members and my supervisor to narrow my focus, and asking other students about their comps process. On the weekend I spent time on my PhD work while the rest of my family did other activities. I also worked part-time on research for my supervisor (not related to my PhD); worked part-time as an instructor; contributed to a volunteer organization I’m involved in, and went out with friends. Looking back, I should have done a better inventory of the information and knowledge I was accumulating for my comps to see where the holes were and to ask some further questions of my committee.
Cathy
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Jazvac-Martek, M., Chen, S., McAlpine, L. (2011). Tracking the Doctoral Student Experience over Time: Cultivating Agency in Diverse Spaces. In: McAlpine, L., Amundsen, C. (eds) Doctoral Education: Research-Based Strategies for Doctoral Students, Supervisors and Administrators. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0507-4_2
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