Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis
While many research methods courses challenge students to make sense of their own researcher identities as they relate to research paradigms and perspectives, there is a lack of research that examines how students actually go about constructing theses identities, particularly at the level of discou...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Hipatia Press
2016-02-01
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| Series: | Qualitative Research in Education |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/1473 |
| _version_ | 1797800290415542272 |
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| author | C. Amelia Davis Jessica N. Lester |
| author_facet | C. Amelia Davis Jessica N. Lester |
| author_sort | C. Amelia Davis |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
While many research methods courses challenge students to make sense of their own researcher identities as they relate to research paradigms and perspectives, there is a lack of research that examines how students actually go about constructing theses identities, particularly at the level of discourse. In this study, we attended to graduate students’ talk in an introductory research methods course, taking note of how students used particular discursive resources to construct a research identity in online classroom discussions. We analyzed 93 discussion posts students were asked to make in response to a discussion board prompt after completing assigned readings related to research paradigms and researcher identity. We identified two discursive patterns through our analysis: 1) minimizing knowledge, and 2) justifying paradigmatic orientations. Our findings highlight how being asked to talk about one’s research identity is a potentially fragile task, as evidenced by disclaimers of ‘knowing’, and one that evokes justifications and connections to students’ everyday lives. We highlight implications for the teaching of research methodology, particularly qualitative methods courses.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:33:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4ddf600bb1cb4891a701571f7b22a2ec |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2014-6418 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:33:01Z |
| publishDate | 2016-02-01 |
| publisher | Hipatia Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Qualitative Research in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-4ddf600bb1cb4891a701571f7b22a2ec2023-06-19T08:32:59ZengHipatia PressQualitative Research in Education2014-64182016-02-015110.17583/qre.2016.1473Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse AnalysisC. Amelia Davis0Jessica N. Lester1Georgia Southern UniversityIndiana University While many research methods courses challenge students to make sense of their own researcher identities as they relate to research paradigms and perspectives, there is a lack of research that examines how students actually go about constructing theses identities, particularly at the level of discourse. In this study, we attended to graduate students’ talk in an introductory research methods course, taking note of how students used particular discursive resources to construct a research identity in online classroom discussions. We analyzed 93 discussion posts students were asked to make in response to a discussion board prompt after completing assigned readings related to research paradigms and researcher identity. We identified two discursive patterns through our analysis: 1) minimizing knowledge, and 2) justifying paradigmatic orientations. Our findings highlight how being asked to talk about one’s research identity is a potentially fragile task, as evidenced by disclaimers of ‘knowing’, and one that evokes justifications and connections to students’ everyday lives. We highlight implications for the teaching of research methodology, particularly qualitative methods courses. https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/1473discourse analysisresearch methodsqualitative researchresearcher identityonline discussionsgraduate education |
| spellingShingle | C. Amelia Davis Jessica N. Lester Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis Qualitative Research in Education discourse analysis research methods qualitative research researcher identity online discussions graduate education |
| title | Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis |
| title_full | Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis |
| title_fullStr | Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis |
| title_short | Graduate Students’ Construction of Researcher Identities Explored Through Discourse Analysis |
| title_sort | graduate students construction of researcher identities explored through discourse analysis |
| topic | discourse analysis research methods qualitative research researcher identity online discussions graduate education |
| url | https://hipatiapress.com/hpjournals/index.php/qre/article/view/1473 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cameliadavis graduatestudentsconstructionofresearcheridentitiesexploredthroughdiscourseanalysis AT jessicanlester graduatestudentsconstructionofresearcheridentitiesexploredthroughdiscourseanalysis |