Navigating Uncertainty in Doctoral Education

Authors

Megan K. Mitchell, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia USAFollow
Audra Skukauskaitė, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida USAFollow
Lakelyn E. Taylor, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont USAFollow
Kathryn Babb, Capella University, Minneapolis, Minnesota USAFollow
Nicole Narkiewicz, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida USAFollow
Joseph E. Lloyd, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida USAFollow

Abstract

The shift to more virtual learning during and since the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted in-person doctoral education by limiting opportunities for face-to-face academic socialization, networking, and collaborative learning, prompting questions about how graduate students could sustain their scholarly development through online spaces. This study examines how graduate students who joined the Qualitative Research Club, a virtual interdisciplinary student organization, co-constructed a shared academic culture, or languaculture, through their interactions. Using an Interactional Ethnographic approach, we analyzed video and audio recordings, meeting artifacts, and discourse from club meetings to trace members' participation, identity development, co-construction of knowledge, and development of shared meaning over time. Our findings illustrate how club members engaged in connecting, expressing, collaborating, and leading as they negotiated shared practices, norms, and scholarly roles in a virtual setting. These findings suggest that virtual academic communities can serve as dynamic spaces for peer interaction, research engagement, and professional development, particularly in times of disruption. This study has implications for graduate students, faculty mentors, and academic institutions seeking to create and support inclusive and sustainable virtual learning environments that promote interdisciplinary collaboration, socialization, and professional growth.

Keywords

interactional ethnography, graduate student organizations, doctoral education, pandemic, virtual learning, graduate education

Author Bio(s)

Dr. Megan K. Mitchell is an assistant professor of research in the Dewar College of Education and Human Services, Valdosta State University. Please direct correspondence to megmitchell@valdosta.edu

Dr. Audra Skukauskaitė is a professor of qualitative methodologies in the College of Community Innovation and Education, the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Lakelyn E. Taylor is a postdoctoral associate in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont.

Dr. Kathryn Babb is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Family Therapy, Capella University

Dr. Nicole Narkiewicz is the Director of Academic and Research Strategy at the Institute of Internal Auditors and a graduate of the College of Community Innovation and Education, the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Joseph Lloyd is an instructional designer at the University of Central Florida.

Acknowledgements

We thank club member Patricia Cummings who assisted in conceptualizing this study. We would also like to thank all Qualitative Research Club members and attendees of the club for being involved in this study, and for making it possible to co-construct this research together.

Publication Date

7-13-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6662

Recommended APA Citation

Mitchell, M. K., Skukauskaitė, A., Taylor, L., Babb, K., Narkiewicz, N., & Lloyd, J. (2025). Navigating uncertainty in doctoral education: Lessons from a virtual qualitative research club study. The Qualitative Report, 30(6), 3820-3844. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.6662

ORCID ID

Mitchell: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6977-9302, Taylor: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7683-180X, Babb: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5549-1252, Skukauskaite: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1104-0510