Identity Mediation in Doctoral Education: Extending a Situated Framework of Scholarly Identity

This qualitative case study examines how two doctoral students in a Curriculum and Instruction program negotiated scholarly identity through sustained participation in a faculty-led Elementary Education Special Interest Group (SIG). Guided by a situated framework of scholarly identity, the study analyzes mentoring transcripts and participant reflections to examine how scholarly participation and positioning were mediated within a practice-based research context. Findings identify five themes across three domains: entry into scholarly practice, collaborative engagement, and evolving scholarly identity. The study offers implications for mentoring structures that support practitioner-scholars in non-traditional or part-time doctoral pathways.