Date of Award
5-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Educational Leadership - Higher Education
Committee Member
Dr. Pamela Havice, Committee Chair
Committee Member
Dr. Tony Cawthon
Committee Member
Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward
Committee Member
Dr. Joseph Mazer
Abstract
This phenomenological study aimed to understand how doctoral students perceived the influence of social media engagement, through Twitter, on their socialization and sense of belonging within academia. Eight participants were recruited from #sadoc on Twitter. Data from a participant selection questionnaire, in-depth, semi-structured interview, and posts to Twitter were used to understand their lived experiences in #sadoc. Thematic coding was employed to identify six common themes: (a) community of shared doctoral experiences; (b) exposure to doctoral education process; (c) celebration of doctoral student experiences; (d) expansion of boundaries; (e) doctoral student identification; and (f) visibility and authenticity of expression. The results of this study provided insight into the lived experiences of doctoral students engaging in #sadoc. Any information gained about how social media influence socialization and sense of belonging among doctoral students contributes new information to the body of knowledge about doctoral student persistence. Additionally, the results of this study have implications for how doctoral programs can support student persistence through the integration of social media.
Recommended Citation
Owens, Jessica G., "Doctoral Student Experiences of Engagement in Social Media: An Exploration of #SADOC" (2019). All Dissertations. 2310.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/2310