How Doctoral Students Understand Academic Identity in China: A Qualitative Study Based on the Grounded Theory

Abstract

The process of doctoral students transitioning from being knowledge learners to being knowledge researchers is beneficial for personal growth and career development. This study explores how doctoral students at Chinese research universities understand academic identity from a psychological perspective based on grounded theory. Understanding academic identity for doctoral students involves three psychological activities: situation recognition, psychological interaction, and reflective positioning. The sense of academic meaning and the sense of academic efficacy shape doctoral students’ understanding of academic identity, resulting in four patterns: Adeptness, Academic Pursuit, Alienation and Powerlessness, and Struggling for Meaning. Academic meaning serves as the internal driving force for developing academic identity, while academic efficacy acts as a psychological condition for maintaining academic identity. Therefore, it is crucial to enhance doctoral students’ recognition of academic meaning and academic efficacy.