Chapter 11
In: Different Perspectives, Different Cultures, Different Places
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Abstract
I travelled my doctoral journey as a part-time student while working full-time as a high school teacher. I started the journey to find answers to the questions I had, but the experience has been more than I had expected, shifting my perspectives of research and who I am and what I believe. While my research study was based on what I valued and an inherent desire to contribute to the teaching profession, facing the challenges I encountered along the way meant facing aspects of myself and tapping into a deepening inner strength. The greatest challenge I experienced was exploring research methodologies and approaches to share the stories of lived experience which I had collected. Writing as method became an intrinsic part of my journey and I found myself challenged to depart radically in academic writing (DRAW), finding a new space to research and write, finding my voice and telling my story as well as those of my teaching colleagues.
My doctoral journey has been characterised by change—changing supervisors, changing schools, changing methodologies, and changing personal beliefs, values, and worldview. The journey has disrupted my understanding of research and academic writing. It has been a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns, highs and lows, but ultimately it has been the most rewarding journey I have embarked upon. For those considering, starting out, or questioning the doctoral journey, I encourage you to give it a go, hang in there, explore options and different ways of approaching research, and discover those hidden, unknown aspects of yourself.