Research groups promote research competency and professional identity development

What is it about?

Based on a longitudinal case study of members within an educational research group, this study examines the ways that graduate students develop research competencies and professional identities through team-based research experiences. Our findings show that graduate students increasingly consider themselves capable researchers by taking part in research and being valued as meaningful contributors to a research group. The findings also show that students’ professional identities evolve based on their interactions with and observations of the faculty research supervisor.

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Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Despite the important roles that research groups play in graduate students’ learning and development, only few scholars have examined students’ research group experiences in the field of education. This study finds that graduate students in education gain similar benefits and learning experiences to what students in STEM fields do by participating in a research group. We also show that certain practices and activities - intentionally and carefully designed by a faculty research supervisor - facilitate graduate students’ learning and professional identity development.