Doctoral students’ identity positioning in networked learning environments

Abstract

In this study, the authors explored identity positioning as perceived by doctoral learners in online, networked-learning environments. The study examined two distance doctoral programs at a Canadian university. It was a qualitative study based on methodologies involving open coding and discourse analysis. The social positioning cycle, based on social positioning theory, was used as a theoretical lens guiding the analysis and organization of the data. The results indicate that distance doctoral students experience identity positioning across multiple aspects of their lives including, but not limited to, their social, intimate, professional, and academic contexts. The participants’ descriptions of their experiences highlight their ways of managing their relationships—through degrees of sharing, withdrawing, prioritizing, rationalizing, and changing practices. The results of this research suggest a need for additional studies of the distance doctoral experience and how institutions can better support learners and increase completion rates.

Keywords:

• Doctoral education
• networked learning
• online study
• distance learning
• e-learning
• social positioning

Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the research participants who volunteered to share their insights for this project. Your contributions will help those who follow in your footsteps.