A Transforming Researcher: How Did I Get Here? The Life of a First-Year Student Undertaking the Doctor of Education

Abstract

In the early stages of my studies of the Doctorate of Education, I share my journey, asking and answering questions, making mistakes, making the most of every opportunity and learning from experiences. I have come to see that learning involves all of life encompassing that which is about life and learning “to Be” and “Becoming”—transformative. I present a critical reflection that provides a deliberate, systematic and thoughtful autoethnographic study as a first-year student. Looking at authentic critical moments and incidents in my life in context as a doctoral student, I examine transformative learning telling about my identity, method and theory. In sharing my story, there is the hope to provide understanding of what it is like to learn as a first-year doctoral student.