A trio-autoethnographic analysis of the experiences and wellbeing of part-time doctoral students with full-time academic roles

This study highlights the needs and potentialities of an often-overlooked group: Part-Time Doctoral Students who are Full-Time Academics at their institutions (PTSFTAs). Such students are rarely considered in the research literature, yet they face a unique set of tensions as their roles and identities evolve. This study contributes fresh understanding of PTSFTAs' experiences and wellbeing through a thematic analysis of a series of five open conversations reflecting on the supervisory process. Three PTSFTAs who studied and work at the same institution engaged in a series of trio-autoethnographic dialogues. These dialogues were structured around five doctoral supervision concepts. Tensions are identified that have the potential to affect PTSFTA wellbeing and identity. The study concludes that a student-centred doctoral supervision process can enable PTSFAs to develop multifaceted personal and professional identities and rich personal epistemologies.