Phenomenology Of Academic Identity Of Phd Students Based On The Concept Of Academic Aspiration

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Fatemeh Abadi 1
Mohammad Javadipour 2
khosrow bagheri 1
rezvan hakim zadeh 3
1 University of Tehran
2 Associate Professor, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran÷
3 University of Teahran
10.22070/tlr.2024.18659.1535
Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: The aim of the this study is to identify the meaningful experiences of Ph. D college students in city of Tehran based on their academic identity based on the concept of academic aspiration. The meaning of academic identity is a collection of views, thoughts, decisions, behaviors and motivations through academic content and in connection with the elements of higher education such as professors, students, issues related to teaching-learning. The meaning of the concept of academic aspiration is a characteristic or ability through which students and graduates have stepped beyond what is designed for them in the curriculum of higher education, whether hidden or overt. And they discover and cultivate new dimensions of themselves. Researchers have presented three concepts as factors that shape academic identity: a) Social feeling and affiliation, b) compatible external and intrinsic attitudinal factors and c) Competition between science in the space of education and real science. A person with academic identity has a passion for learning and producing science, instead of document orientation and profiteering from scientific degrees. Such people have high levels of emotional well-being, inner satisfaction and happiness.The meaning of the concept of academic aspiration is a characteristic or ability, through which students travel beyond what is designed for them in the curriculum of higher education, both hidden and obvious, and discover and cultivate new dimensions of themselves.
Aspiration can be likened to a tool or a guide for the educational and post-educational path. In this situation, the student's concern is not only to get a degree or even to find a job, but to make an impact. It means that it answers the question: who am I and what is my true effect? The concepts and interpretations in this concept are closely related to the concept of academic identity. Because the lived experience of students from the curriculum of higher education is closely related to what they do as a scientific, academic or university person and in the context of the curriculum. this experience is constructed and reconstructed in a narrative form and through interpretive representation. academic identity can be one of the constituent components of academic idealism, through which a person expands his scientific and academic experiences and increases its generalizability. The main question of this research is: What are the components and characteristics of that academic identity that is based on the concept of academic aspiration (according to its definition) and what are their differences?
Method: This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and using interpretive phenomenology method. A semi-structured interview was conducted with sixteen PhD students and graduates who were selected by the criterion sampling method. Phenomenological research seems to be the best method to understand these experiences and describe their meaning from the language of the study participants. Phenomenological study tries to describe and interpret these meanings with more richness and depth. In line with data analysis, interpretive phenomenological method adapted from Ricoeur and MAXQDA2020 software was used. 16 interviews including 7 interviews of higher education graduates and 9 final year doctoral students were obtained. Characteristics of contributors:

The participants must be among doctoral students or graduates.
They show interest in the research topic and the research questions are concrete and important for them.
From their own point of view, they should have rich and diverse experiences in the higher education environment and in relation to the concepts and goals of research.
They are willing to provide me with their lived experiences in the university.
Have enough time and patience to answer the questions during the interview and subsequent supplementary steps.
Have a relatively good narration ability.
Have the necessary trust in expressing their experiences to the researcher.

Results:In the results section, two types of academic identity were obtained: The academic identity that is forming and the academic identity has been formed
Discussion and Conclusions:The findings show that the most influential experiences on the formation and emergence of the academic identity of the participants were the result of their placement in extracurricular situations and in a place other than the university. Especially when there was an opportunity to do things related to the responsibility assigned to them or accepted by them. The reason for this is explained in the way that they felt powerless and confused in converting the learned knowledge into action. But the existence of academic aspiration features that gives the ability to cross the set limits has started to create and additional learning along with responsibility. In order to summarize the results of this research and its innovation, it is pointed out that until now there is no research about academic identity that presents steps in the direction of its formation and creation and the concepts contained in it with this view and beyond the curriculum. And the established frameworks had not been done. The results of this research will not only help those involved in designing and compiling curricula and teaching-learning activities, but also students who are looking for building their scientific identity to make their effectiveness meaningful and unique and to play an effective role not only In the scientific community, but also in the development of science in businesses and creating new links between science and industry, it also provides new and useful information.
Keywords
Academic identity
academic aspiration
higher education curriculum
interpretive phenomenology
identity
self-efficacy
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