Women in Distance Doctoral Programs: How They Negotiate Their Identities As Mothers, Professionals, and Academics In Order to Persist

Abstract

Aim/PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explain how Distance Education women EdD students who are mothers balanced and integrated their multiple identities (e.g., mother, student, professional) to persist. Background It is well documented that parenting students experience higher levels of stress and pressure during their degree pursuit than their non-parenting counterparts. It is also well documented that doctoral attrition is a persistent problem across decades and disciplines, and examination of specific populations was necessary to better understand how to foster doctoral persistence. Methodology Data were collected from 17 women via questionnaires, life maps, and interviews and were analyzed in accordance with grounded theory procedures. ContributionThis study generated a novel theoretical model to explain women EdD students' academic identity progression from students to scholars and its intersection with other salient identities, especially mother, and the core sense of self in alignment with other identity theories. Findings Academic identity development from student to research scholar is complex and challenging, but follows a unique progression that begins with gaining competence in research, followed by a confidence to conduct research. This positive attitude toward research is often shaped by an influential advisor or mentor, a relationship that enables a student mother to envision herself as a scholar and mother. However, it is a woman's social conditions (e.g., supportive spouse, friends, or employer) that provide her the confidence and space to difWomen in Distance Doctoral Programs 50 ferentiate, develop, and intersect multiple identities, a process that allows for successful negotiation and integration of identities, and ultimately, persistence and attainment of the doctorate. Recommendations for PractitionersFindings highlight the need for more women faculty role models in higher education. To increase the number of women faculty mentors in academia, program administrators can recruit, retain, and support and encourage parental visibility through developing structures and supports for faculty with families. Given the women candidates' emphasis on stewardship, faculty should design coursework to allow students to intersect assignments with professional goals and practices, and support empirically and theoretically grounded dissertations aimed at not only solving problems of practice but also aimed at advocacy. Recommendation for ResearchersResearch is needed with women doctoral candidates in other disciplines from other institutions and regions of the country, including those without children and individuals in non-heterosexual relationships. Impact on Society This study is an important first step in better understanding female identity development through the doctoral process. Future ResearchThemes uncovered in this research need further investigation. Ruptures in relationships were uncovered but not fully explored or saturated. More research is needed to understand the specific co...

Doctoral students’ professional identity: Psychosocial antecedents of those who work in practice

“…However, doctoral students perform many roles, and each role is associated with different contexts, responsibilities, values and expectations. The multiplicity of identity in doctoral journey was highlighted by many authors (e.g., Austin & McDaniels, 2006;Bereznicki, Sutherland-Smith & Horwood, 2014;Colbeck, 2008;De Simone, 2001;Jazvac-Martek, 2009;Lovitts, 2005;Rockinson-Szapkiw, Spaulding & Lunde, 2017;Svyantek, Kajfez & McNair, 2015;Whitchurch, 2010). Teacher, researcher and practitioner (or service provider for community, such as a psychologist) are the main professional roles of doctoral students.…”

“…From one (person's) side, professional identity is seen as a relatively stable set of traits, attitudes, values, motives, experiences and relationships which allows people to define their professional role (Dobrow & Higgins, 2005;Ibarra, Kilduff & Tsai, 2005), From another side, the professional identity includes the knowledge of person's membership as well as evaluation and feelings in regard to it (Tajfel, 1982). Hence, a doctoral student's professional identity is a complex multidimensional construct that expresses identity with professional roles performed in an academic environment (Austin & McDaniels, 2006;Colbeck, 2008;Lovitts, 2005;Rockinson-Szapkiw et al, 2017).…”

“…External support may also play an important role in the formation of doctoral students' professional identity. For example, supportive spouse and friends (Maher, Ford & Thompson, 2004) or supportive employer for those who work in practice (Malfroy & Yates, 2003) provides the confidence and space to differentiate, develop and intersect multiple identities, a process that allows for successful negotiation and integration of identities ( Rockinson-Szapkiw et al, 2017).…”

Abrindo caminhos: a construção das identidades docentes de mulheres pelas trilhas, pontes e muros da pós-graduação em Contabilidade

“…A mentoria foi apontada, em alguns estudos, como uma ação que contribui para o desenvolvimento das identidades docentes de mulheres, principalmente ao se considerar a trajetória no doutorado (Maunula, 2015;Rockinson-Szapkiw, Spaulding, & Lunde, 2017;Stroude et al, 2015), o início da carreira (Devos, 2004;Marine & Alemán, 2018), bem como a experiência de professoras negras e latinas (Diggs et al, 2009;Murakami-Ramalho et al, 2010;Nganga & Beck, 2017). Stroude et al (2015) analisaram a experiência de um grupo de mentoria para doutorandas, com seis estudantes e uma professora mentora, parte de um programa mais amplo chamado StartingDoc, no âmbito de universidades suíças.…”

“…Entendo, assim, que a presente revisão pode nos auxiliar a compreender a complexidade inerente ao processo de construção identitária de mulheres acadêmicas que estão atuando ou atuarão como docentes diante de um ambiente genderificado, principalmente se atribuirmos a influência dos papéis sociais de gênero na academia, e as demais identidades que uma mulher pode possuir, tais como mãe, filha, esposa, dentre outras (Rockinson-Szapkiw et al, 2017;Wiley & Crittenden, 1992…”