Difficult transitions: exploring feelings of doctoral students in education as they leave the PK-12 classroom

This article explores the often-overlooked emotional experiences of doctoral students in education as they transition from PK-12 classrooms into research-based doctoral programs. While programmatic induction typically focuses on academic skills and knowledge, this study delves into the complex shifts involving identity, responsibility, and ’difficult knowledge“. Using qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 13 participants in the New York metropolitan area, the researchers identified three central categories of experience: Time and Structure (Students navigate a new relationship with time, moving from the rigid, demanding schedule of a classroom to the liberating yet isolating flexibility of doctoral studies; Conflicting Identities (The transition involves mourning the loss of the ”expert“ and ”noble“ teacher identity while grappling with the perceived ”selfishness“ or ”noviceness’ of being a researcher; and Gratitude, Responsibility, and Pressure (Participants feel a deep sense of gratitude for their past classroom experiences and their current opportunities, which often translates into intense pressure to succeed and justify their shift in career). The study analyses those categories through a curricular lense, exploring the consequences of marginalizing the knowledge produced in this transition, and advocating for curricular reforms in doctoral programs.