Part-Time Doctoral Students

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the socialization experiences of part-time doctoral students as a result of peer mentorship. Part-time doctoral students are identified as students who are maintaining full-time employment or obligations outside of the university. The 21 participants in this study were all enrolled in a large university at the time of the study. A composite description including themes of collegiality and isolation in the participants’ experiences with peer mentorship are developed. Participants experienced collegiality through nurturing mentoring, educative mentoring, dyadic co-mentoring with peers, workplace colleagues and personal friends who provided efficacious experiences as they negotiated their scholarly identity. Isolation includes feelings of being second-tier doctoral students and life getting in the way combined with feelings of negative self-efficacy. Interrelationships between the themes and subthemes are delineated. Suggestions are provided for both part-time doctoral students and their faculty in order to facilitate the process of socialization to the academy through peer mentorship.

Dr. Bircher completed her Ph.D. as a part-time doctoral student while working as a secondary science teacher. Her interest in doctoral students' experiences resulted from her work with the Kent State University's College of Education, Health and Human Services Doctoral Student Forum. Her research interests also include science education.