‘Our Breadcrumb Trail through the Woods’: Reflections on the Use of a Secret Facebook Group as a Strategy for Surviving and Thriving on the Doctoral Journey

Abstract

This article explores the value of attending to the emotional side of the doctoral journey by focusing on the use of a ‘secret’ Facebook group amongst a cohort of EdD (Professional Doctorate in Education) students at one English university. Presented as a piece of action research in which the participants created an intervention to address a perceived problem and then reflected on its effectiveness, it is co-authored by the cohort of six students and their tutor. The stresses and loneliness of the doctoral journey have been well documented and constitute the ‘problem’ addressed by this cohort of students. Their inception and use of a Facebook group was a response to challenges experienced in their studies, with the expectation of facilitating peer support. As will be shown this aim was successfully met with enhancements in academic, social, and emotional support. However, unexpected benefits arose from the interactions within the group including a normalization of the challenges of the doctoral quest and the advantage of being able to follow the ‘breadcrumb trail’ found in the group postings as group journal and aid to reflection. Further, both tutors and students have noted the development of a strong sense of ‘cohortness’ and inclination to work collaboratively. Through a process of individual and group reflection on experiences of the intervention, combined with analysis of the content of the postings, this article examines the characteristics of the Facebook intervention and considers some ethical implications. We suggest that key characteristics that have contributed to its success include the student ownership, the protection of the secret format, and the combination of emotionally supportive, academic, and irreverent exchanges between group members. It is hoped that these insights may be useful to future doctoral candidates and their tutors as they negotiate their own way through the doctoral woods.

Focusing the Lens to Share the Story: Using Photographs and Interviews to Explore Doctoral Students’ Sense of Well-being

“…These factors included a robust relationship network spread across campus and beyond, and careful attention to maintaining a work-life balance grounded upon physical and mental health activities. Based on our findings, we posit that maintaining a work-life balance mitigates the emotional hurdles that are naturally a part of the doctoral journey (Satchwell et al, 2015). Specifically, we argue that when students recognize the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, they tend to be more hopeful of their future as burgeoning professionals in their chosen field.…”

Behaviours in a peer-only creative writing HDR support group: the experiences of two students of colour

“…The correlation between these feelings of isolation and students' failing to complete their research, along with the pressure placed on supervisors to improve their supervisory practices (Pearson & Brew 2010: 136), leads them to investigate how different forms of learning and teaching, such as peer learning, 'might be a productive frame through which to view research education' (Boud & Lee 2005: 501). Wider literature reinforces the notion that isolation during HDR candidature can detrimentally affect student well-being and learning, and that peer support groups help students to 'survive' isolation (Brown 2018;Burford 2014;Conrad 2012;Pyhalton et al 2009;Satchwell et al 2015).…”

Participation of doctoral students in online social networks

“…Moreover, social networks do not always enhance equity and democratization (Ford et al , 2014), but require a recalibration of the diverse dimensions of social media (Shoemaker, 2011). In addition, ethical implications might occur in OSNs when identifiability or anonymity is biased in the case of various roles at the same institution (for instance, where a person has a double role – doctoral student and lecturer) (Satchwell et al , 2015).…”

“…Social media is just one way that doctoral students foster a sense of belonging, facilitate in-person contact and construct societal linkages. Thus, each individual might use social media for different ends (Ferguson et al , 2015; Satchwell et al , 2015); however, the context of having access to the web is essential (Shoemaker, 2011) because of the moral content of media, i.e. how, by whom and for what purposes media is created (Daly and Mansfield, 2014; Gibbons, 2012; Glover et al , 2011).…”