"I felt like I did not belong": A case study investigation on doctoral students' validation, engagement, and socialization experiences

Abstract

This case study examines the role of an academic department in aiding doctoral students' success with a focus on socialization, engagement, and validating experiences. Research has shown that some attrition at the doctoral level can be mitigated by adopting systems similar to those already occurring in undergraduate populations, yet implementation continues to lag. Exploring the effects of programming and support in an academic unit may be the key to leading a campus integration strategy. To investigate this, the study utilized doctoral students within the Department of Education at Montana State University to consider their experiences with an implemented retention method, specifically unique courses geared towards student success. This research aimed to uncover the system's efficacy from the students' perspectives by understanding the students entering post-graduate work and exploring their experiences throughout their journey. The project involved interviews with 25 current and past doctoral students within the Department of Education. Students were selected from all doctoral students admitted by the department over seven years, covering Fall 2014 through Fall 2021. The students who responded self-selected to participate in a semi-structured interview or to complete an open-ended Qualtrics survey. A key finding was that the initiatives were mostly successful and provided validation, community, and social connections, which were aspects surrounding effective student retention. Conversely, the retention initiatives were somewhat problematic when the courses were not taken at the most opportunistic time or were found partially ineffective based on differing student needs. Ultimately, the study underscored the need for programming to support student success through programmatic changes to bridge social, cultural, and academic knowledge gaps, also known as insider knowledge, that some students may be lacking when entering doctoral programs and to address continued socialization, engagement, and experiential validation throughout a doctoral journey.