Narrating Critical Events Through OCER: A Narrative Inquiry Into Researcher Identity Construction Among MA Graduates in Thailand
Keywords:
narrative inquiry, researcher identity, critical events, OCER framework, institutional identityAbstract
Despite growing interest in researcher identity formation in higher education, limited research has examined how master’s students form researcher identities through critical academic events within specific institutional contexts. This study employed narrative inquiry to examine how master’s students in an English programme at a Thai university formed researcher identities through critical academic events. Drawing on Gee’s (2000) concept of institutional identity and McCabe’s (2002) Orientation–Complication–Evaluation–Result (OCER) framework, the study explored how participants interpreted their experiences over time. The findings indicated that participants initially positioned themselves as postgraduate learners (Orientation), subsequently encountered challenges such as topic uncertainty, workload pressure, academic English, and research methodology (Complication), and ultimately engaged in reflection and strategic adjustment (Evaluation). These processes led to increased autonomy and identification with the researcher identity (Result). Supervisory feedback, coursework, peer interaction, and family encouragement functioned as key supports that sustained engagement and legitimized emerging identities. The study highlighted researcher identity formation as a gradual process shaped by the interaction between challenge and support. These findings suggest that graduate programmes should balance rigorous research demands with sustained academic and interpersonal support.
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