Supervisory Relationships, Constructing Academic Identity, and Transition to the Researcher: An Interpretative Single-Case Study

The present interpretative case study aimed to explore constructing researcher identity through successful dyadic supervisory relationships. The only participant in the current single case study was Ako, a recently graduated doctoral student who published some papers with his supervisor and kept that intimate and fruitful relationship after graduation. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, journals, and narration. Thematic analyses (Braun & Clarke, 2006) were conducted to analyze the collected data. In line with Wisker’s (2012) framework, the findings generated four themes, including supervisor's qualities, supervisor’s affective expectations, supervisee’s journey, and relationship enhancement. The results revealed that a full-fledged and intimate supervisory relationship, in both formal and informal settings, contributed to developing researcher identity. This research enhances our understanding of the importance of a good supervisory relationship, both from a theoretical and practical perspective. It expands our knowledge of the qualities that should be present in a supervisor-supervisee relationship and the necessary exercises needed to foster an academic identity through such a relationship. The results have some implications for teacher educators, university managers, supervisors, and doctoral students. Given the absence of supervisor training courses in the Iranian context, this study highlights the need for universities to establish a platform for training supervisors. This platform would enable supervisors to become acquainted with various supervising models and reflect on their experiences. Moreover, it would create an environment for doctoral students to critically examine their perspectives and enhance their understanding of the potential outcomes that can arise during the supervision process.