“Now you can stand on your own”: Experiencing international doctoral students in science education through autobiographical research: Research Article

Nadi Suprapto; Chih-Hsiung Ku

doi:10.36681/

Authors

Nadi Suprapto Universitas Negeri Surabaya https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8990-7412
Chih-Hsiung Ku Graduate Institute of Science Education, National Dong Hwa University, Taiwan https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4728-0583

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36681/

Keywords:

autobiography research, doctoral degree, science education, reflective practice, Taiwan

Abstract

This paper is focused on the use of autobiography in science education that contains first-hand accounts of doctoral student narratives and the further step after graduation. The study utilized personal stories, incorporating telling one’s story from the first author and sharing it to use difference productively. The story reflected his experiences pursuing a doctoral degree at a public university in Taiwan and returning to his home university in Indonesia. The space of the story is simplified into three themes: ‘I am in the space of Taiwan’ as the stage of exploration and engagement, ‘I am part of East-Asian science education community’ as the stage of consolidation, and ‘I become a member of Indonesian science education community and my future progress’ as the stage of entry. The study recommends best practices and features of a science education doctoral program that supplement doctoral student success. The study has also provided an overview to prospective doctoral students on making academic adjustments, especially for those from developing countries who plan to study abroad.

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