Penumbra: Doctoral support as drama: From the ‘lightside’ to the ‘darkside’. From front of house to trapdoors and recesses

Abstract

Much international doctoral learning research focuses on personal, institutional and learning support provided by supervisors, managed relationships,‘nudging’ robust, conceptual, critical, creative work. Other work focuses on stresses experienced in supervisor-student relationships and doctoral journeys. Some considers formal and informal learning communities supporting students on research journeys, and roles played by families, friends and others, sometimes offering encouragement and sometimes added stress. However, little has been explored concerning often unofficial, largely unrecognised meaningful others in students’ ‘life-worlds’, variously supporting doctoral learning journeys in terms of research, writing and editing. Research, based in experience and interviews with doctoral students and supervisors from UK and international contexts, reveals support (‘the penumbra’), university sanctioned (‘lightside’), and less well recognised often unsanctioned (‘darkside’) on doctoral research and writing learning journey, instigating questions about doctoral student needs, and the range of support provided, both legitimate, well known, less legitimate. This work concentrates on the ‘darkside’.

Keywords:

• Doctoral education
• supervision
• doctoral writing
• learning communities
• resilience
• bad practice