Exploring ways in which identity shapes postgraduate student learning in an English university classroom

Figures & data

Table 1. Research project 2018–present.

Dates	Rationale & aim, research questions and methods
Winter 2018–Winter 2020	Rationale: Project prompted by researchers’ experiences teaching on a range of taught postgraduate programmes in one research intensive university. Aim: To gather a better understanding of what students needed from their learning to develop our own pedagogy and practice. Findings and recommendations were shared with the rest of the department.
	RQ1: What are students’ experiences of teaching and learning on their postgraduate programmes? RQ2: How and in what ways can the teaching and learning on the postgraduate programmes be developed to attend to students’ needs?
Winter 2018–Winter 2020	4 Focus Groups (FG) FG 1 = 8 participants FG 2 = 5 participants FG 3 = 5 participants FG 4 = 4 participants 9 one-to-one interviews Total number of student participants: 31
Spring 2022–Summer 2022	After initial data analysis from first phase, we reviewed the research questions. Revised RQs had a closer focus on student identity and belonging, as well as interactions with other students and staff. We also wanted to explore what happened in the classroom context between peers in discussion groups.
	(1) How and in what ways does the identity of postgraduate students shape their learning experiences on their MA programmes? (2) What effects do peer relationships and interactions have on students’ sense of identity and belonging?
Summer 2022	2 Focus Groups (FG) FG 1 = 7 participants FG 2 = 2 participants 5 one-to-one interviews Total number of student participants: 14

Table 2. Participant details: semi-structured interviews.

Pseudonym	Full Time (FT)/Part Time (PT) Home/International (Int)	Nationality (where self-identified)
Priya	FT/Int	American
Sonal	FT/Int	Indian
Kate	PT/Home	British
Maya	FT/Int	Lebanese
Sunita	FT/Int	Indian

Table 3. Participant details: focus group 1.

Pseudonym	Full Time (FT)/Part Time (PT) Home/International (Int)	Nationality (where self-identified)
Serena	PT/Home	Unidentified
Elif	FT/Int	Turkish
Zixin	FT/Int	Chinese
Bo	FT/Int	Chinese
Chyou	FT/Int	Chinese
Daxia	FT/Int	Chinese
Hai	FT/Int	Chinese

Table 4. Participant details: focus group 2.

Pseudonym	Full Time (FT)/Part Time (PT) Home/International (Int)	Nationality (where self-identified)
Junko	FT/Int	Japanese
Hua	FT/Int	Chinese