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SCHOOL OF EDUCATION, NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY
Presenters: Robin Throne, PhD; Daniel Ferreira, EdD Candidate; Stephanie Maddox, EdD
Contributors: Brian Oddi, PhD
PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS OF ONLINE DISSERTATION RESEARCH SUPERVISOR AGENCY TO FOSTER DOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITIONALITY
KEY REFERENCES
Maddox, S. (2018). A qualitative action research
study of social capital for tutoring and technology
with Caucasian first-generation Alabama community
college students. (Doctoral dissertation). (Order No.
10980882).
Throne, R. (2012). Positionality. In Practitioner
research in doctoral education (pp. 55-77).
Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
Throne, R., & Oddi, B. (2019). Positionality meets
agency: Dissertation research supervisor agency, A
necessary construct for U.S. online doctoral
research supervision. In A. Elçi, L. L. Beith, & A. Elçi
(Eds.), Faculty development for digital teaching and
learning. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Throne, R., Bourke, B., Bowlin, L., Hailey, V.,
Joseph, S., & Yedgarian, V. (2018). Insider/outsider,
betwixt and between: Post-doc perspectives of
researcher positionality after dissertation research.
2nd annual Conference on Academic Research in
Education, Las Vegas, NV.
doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.30924.31365
Throne, R., Oddi, B., Fore, C., Akagi, C., Bloomberg,
L., Clowes, M., . . . Wardlow, R. (2017). The Situated
Dissertation Advising Framework for improved
doctoral completion in a School of Education. 1st
annual Conference on Academic Research in
Education, Las Vegas, NV.
doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.17302.65606
DOCTORAL RESEARCHER POSITIONALITY
Researcher positionality (noun) A necessary
process of a principal investigator for critical
self-reflection and a determination
of self within the social constructs, biases,
contexts, layers, power structures, identities,
transparency, objectivity and subjectivities
for the viewpoint assumed within the
research (Throne & Oddi, 2019).
ABSTRACT
This poster session continues our critical
review of dissertation research supervisor
agency as a necessary construct to foster
doctoral researcher positionality. The session
illustrates practice-based considerations for
online doctoral candidates in the final phases
of the dissertation manuscript through oral
defense and the concurrent evolution of
researcher positionality. While the literature
has expanded in the exploration of student
agency, little focus has been given to the
construct for research supervisor agency.
The relationship between the research
supervisor and dissertation researcher is
critical to persistence and completion, and
this session illustrates the importance of how
research supervisor agency can foster
awareness and the articulation of dissertation
researcher positionality to further the
development of new investigators. This
practice-based approach is specific to online
or hybrid doctoral education where doctoral
students and research supervisors are
remote in time and space.
PRACTICE-BASED IMPLICATIONS
▪Void exists for training new and emerging
online graduate-level researchers around
the issues related to positionality
▪Negative views of situating researcher
self within dissertation proposal
▪Fears of violation of ethical assurances if
researcher positionality disclosed
▪Fears of data contamination by
subjectivity
▪Readings on researcher positionality
facilitated consideration for positionality;
yet, leave an action gap in development
▪Enhanced doctoral community
engagement needed
▪Fear of loss of objectivity with participants
who were aware of researcher dual roles
▪Lack of clear instruction for “how to”
situate researcher positionality within
doctoral research
▪Assumption of necessity to negate all bias
▪Confusion between agency and
positionality
▪Researcher positionality evolves
throughout dissertation journey
▪Objectivity vs. subjectivity dichotomy
needs suspension
NEXT STEPS
▪Offer more instruction on the definition of
researcher positionality and its purpose
within qualitative inquiry
▪Require explication of researcher
positionality in Dissertation Methods
chapter
▪Explore professional development to
enhance understanding of the
relational/transformative aspects of the
supervisor-candidate interaction for
research supervisor agency and candidate
researcher positionality
▪Develop centralized repository of research
& tech resources for doctoral students
Figure 1. Situated dissertation researcher positionality
(Throne & Oddi, 2019; Throne et al., 2018).
SUPERVISOR-RESEARCHER RELATIONAL
CONSIDERATIONS
▪Fosters researcher positionality
▪Fosters doctoral student agency
▪Offers positionality required reading list
▪Transformative researcher development
▪Fosters doctoral community engagement
▪Resource driven not supervisor driven
▪Trust, honesty, and fairness expected
▪Consistent iterative documental feedback
▪Incremental scholarly writing development
▪Incremental research skill development
▪Meaningful suspense dates remain flexible
▪Facilitates interactive learning forum among
doctoral researchers
▪Celebratory dissertation culmination
RESEARCH SUPERVISOR AGENCY
Research supervisor agency (noun)
Characterized by efficacy, strong mentoring
ethos, healthy and diverse communication
style, empathy, and non-hierarchical
relational trust between the research
supervisor and new independent investigator
(Throne & Oddi, 2019; Throne, Oddi et al.,
2017).
