Becoming a Scholar

Cross-cultural reflections on identity and agency in an education doctorate

Edited by Maria Savva and Lynn P. Nygaard

£40.00

ISBN: 9781787357686

Publication: March 01, 2021

Hardback £40.00 Paperback £20.00 Open Access PDF £0.00

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Becoming a Scholar provides a window into the lives of nine non-traditional doctoral students. As mature, part-time, international students enrolled in a professional doctorate programme, they reflect on the transformation process of becoming scholars, and their narratives provide breadth and depth to themes that represent a diverse cross-section of cultures, identities and communities.

Recognising that the process of becoming a scholar is as much internal as it is external, the book provides an opportunity to engage with authentic personal stories that remain firmly rooted in academic literature. By bringing the ‘human face’ behind the doctoral journey to the forefront, the narratives draw much-needed attention to the personal journey that inevitably parallels and intersects with the academic journey. Although the narratives are drawn from a professional Doctor in Education (EdD) programme based in the UK, the struggles are sure to resonate with a much wider range of doctoral students and academics, sparking lively discussion, debate and reflection. A must-read for students preparing to embark on the doctoral journey, and essential reading for doctoral programmes that wish to equip students with important knowledge about the challenges ahead.**

Praise for Becoming a Scholar

'Extremely relevant to any student looking to pursue a doctoral degree in a rapidly diversifying, expanding academia that is increasingly repurposed for the needs of the job market rather than those of blue sky research.' Nature Astronomy

'a refreshing, relatable and thought-provoking book about “becoming” and “belonging” as a scholar...The writing is lucid and compelling, delicately interweaving the authors’ personal narratives with critical discussion of the literature. The insights offered are also practical for scholars and scholars-in-the-making.'
Educational Review

'This book enriches the traditional academic discourse and contributes towards an increased understanding of the deeply personal and emotional aspects of the doctoral journey.'
Teacher Development

'This is an important book that contains points that are significant and stimulating for doctorate students and professionals getting ready for this journey, as well as for researchers, institutions, and policymakers.'
Journal of English for Research Publication Purposes

Maria Savva is Associate Professor and Director of International Studies, at the City University of New York’s LaGuardia campus.

Lynn P. Nygaard is a special advisor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), Norway.

List of contributors

Foreword
Bryan Cunningham

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Belonging and becoming in academia: a conceptual framework
Lynn P. Nygaard and Maria Savva
2 A tale of two languages: first-language attrition and second-language immersion
Barbora Necas and Susi Poli
3 I found my tribe online: belonging in the context of precarity
Muireann O’Keeffe
4 A view of the Western university through the eyes of a non-Western student
Mohammad Abdrabboh (Al-Batran)
5 Navigating the pass: distance, dislocation and the viva
David Channon, with Maria Savva and Lynn P. Nygaard
6 Understanding the personal significance of our academic choices
Maria Savva
7 Academic identity interrupted: reconciling issues of culture, discipline and profession
Rab Paterson
8 Into the fray: becoming an academic in my own right
Lynn P. Nygaard
9 The cultural encounters of women on the periphery
Safa Bukhatir and Susi Poli
10 The ‘peripheral’ student in academia: an analysis
Maria Savva and Lynn P. Nygaard

Index

'This book enriches the traditional academic discourse and contributes towards an increased understanding of the deeply personal and emotional aspects of the doctoral journey.'
Teacher Development

'a refreshing, relatable and thought-provoking book about “becoming” and “belonging” as a scholar...The writing is lucid and compelling, delicately interweaving the authors’ personal narratives with critical discussion of the literature. The insights offered are also practical for scholars and scholars-in-the-making.'
Educational Review

'The topics explored are extremely relevant to any student looking to pursue a doctoral degree in a rapidly diversifying, expanding academia that is increasingly repurposed for the needs of the job market rather than those of blue sky research.'
Nature Astronomy

Format: Hardback

Size: 234 × 156 mm

192 Pages

ISBN: 9781787357686

Publication: March 01, 2021