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ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Learning to write the candidacy examination: professors and students talking about academic genres and authorship

Lin, Hsing-I
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1061313464

Abstract Details

2003, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Educational Theory and Practice.
This dissertation contributes to the growing body of research on graduate students’ writing in specific disciplines. Two overlapping theories formed the study. Vygotsky’s activity considers how language mediates human activity to enhance cultural development; Bakhtin’s reaccentuating discusses the reciprocal and co-constructive nature of genres and authorship. This study explicates the significant aspects of the candidacy examination as a gateway experience into disciplinary enculturation as successful doctoral students learn to accomplish acceptable writing for this high-stakes examination. This study employed qualitative case study methods to understand the experiences of a group of L1 (n=2) and L2 (n=6) doctoral students, who successfully completed candidacy examinations, and their advisors (n=5) in various fields of education. Primary data sources included semi-structured interviews with the students and their advisors as well as questionnaires, artifacts, such as handouts, and written work were also collected as secondary sources of information. The data revealed that the students relied on their perceptions of good academic writing, social interactions with other community members, personal and professional goals for pursuing Ph.D. degrees, and their understandings of the purpose of the candidacy examination to complete their writing for this high-stakes examination. Furthermore, for all the participants, writing pragmatically enhances “professional visibility,” and intrinsically serves as a vital tool for self-inquiry in academic enculturation. However, there were occasional mismatches between the professors and the students in their expectations for “the candidacy examination” genres and authorship. These results suggest that social interactions help newcomers to achieve more “legitimate participation” (Lave & Wenger, 1991) in academic communities than those who are not aware of the significance of social interactions in disciplinary enculturation . Detailed road maps do not appear to be necessary for successful doctoral students, but individualized scaffolding and explicit guidance from mentors can help them and especially other less successful doctoral students to see the “big picture” of their fields and to obtain necessary social interactions in order to attain fuller legitimate participation in their academic communities.
George Newell (Advisor)
224 p.
academic writing; disciplinary enculturation; literacy; doctoral education

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Lin, H.-I. (2003). Learning to write the candidacy examination: professors and students talking about academic genres and authorship [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1061313464

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Lin, Hsing-I. Learning to write the candidacy examination: professors and students talking about academic genres and authorship. 2003. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1061313464.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Lin, Hsing-I. "Learning to write the candidacy examination: professors and students talking about academic genres and authorship." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2003. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1061313464

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1061313464
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.