Epistemological frameworks of thesis proposal defence: Students’ positionality

Sakina Afrakoma; Justice Abakah-Korsah; Emmanuel Boateng; Nana Abena Kyem Ampomah; Francis Tabiri

doi:10.51867/scimundi.6.2.4

Authors

Sakina Afrakoma University of Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1263-5589
Justice Abakah-Korsah University of Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0003-3505-1959
Emmanuel Boateng University of Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0001-2663-5077
Nana Abena Kyem Ampomah University of Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3815-9232
Dr. Francis Tabiri University of Cape Coast, Ghana https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1089-7638

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51867/scimundi.6.2.4

Keywords:

Academic Identity, Epistemology, Proposal Defence, Positionality, Postgraduate Education, Sociocultural Theory

Abstract

This study examined the epistemological underpinnings of thesis proposal defence, with particular attention to how postgraduate students construct and negotiate their positionality within evaluative academic contexts. Rooted in an interpretivist paradigm and employing a qualitative phenomenological design, the study was informed by sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978) to explore how social interaction, institutional support, and evaluative practices shape students’ experiences during proposal defence. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with four second-year Mphil and three first-year PhD students who had undergone proposal defence at a public University in Ghana. The findings suggest that proposal defence is a socially mediated process shaped by institutional expectations, interpersonal interactions, and power relations rather than a straightforward assessment of research competence. Participants’ experiences of progression, preparedness, and academic legitimacy were influenced by the quality of supervisory support, their ability to engage effectively with evaluative interactions, and their familiarity with academic expectations. The study further suggests that students’ positionality is dynamic and develops through participation in academic practices and interactions with supervisors and evaluators. Based on these findings, the study proposes a sociocultural understanding of postgraduate proposal defence, emphasizing the role of social mediation, academic participation, and institutional support in shaping students’ experiences and identity development. The study recommends more transparent, equitable, and development-oriented evaluative practices that support postgraduate students’ academic growth within higher education contexts.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Sakina Afrakoma, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Sakina Afrakoma is MPhil student at the Department of Arts Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, offering English Language education.

Justice Abakah-Korsah, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Justice Abakah-Korsah is a Ph.D. student at the Department of Business and Social Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, offering Curriculum and Teaching

Nana Abena Kyem Ampomah, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Nana Abena Kyem Ampomah is anMPhil student at the Department of Arts Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa, offering English Language education.

Dr. Francis Tabiri, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

Dr. Francis Tabiri is a lecturer of English Language at the Department of Arts Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana, West Africa. His areas of specialization includes second language curriculum, assessment, and literacy.

References

Adu-Ampong, E. A., & Adams, E. A. (2020). "But you are also Ghanaian; you should know": Negotiating the insider-outsider research positionality in the fieldwork encounter. Qualitative Inquiry, 26(6), 583-592.

https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800419846532

Bastola, M. N., & Hu, G. (2023). From the other side of the desk: Supervisors' perceptions of supervisory feedback. Journal of Second Language Writing, 59, 100965. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2023.100965

Bastola, M. N., & Hu, G. (2024). Engagement with supervisory feedback on master's theses: Do supervisors and students see eye to eye?. Assessing Writing, 60, 100841. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2024.100841

Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). Greenwood Press.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE Publications.

https://doi.org/10.4135/9781036232078.n9

Chen, L. H. (2025). Doctoral students' academic identity development under supervision: Issues, challenges, and suggestions. International Journal of Educational Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-03-2025-018 https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-03-2025-0189

Choi, Y., Bouwma-Gearhart, J., & Ermis, G. (2021). Doctoral students' identity development as scholars in the education sciences: Literature review and implications. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 89-125.

https://doi.org/10.28945/4687

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education (8th ed.). Routledge.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315456539

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Sage.

Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design (4th ed.). Sage.

Crotty, M. (1998). The foundations of social research: Meaning and perspective in the research process. Sage.

Edu-Buandoh, D. F. (2020). Thesis defense discourse in a Ghanaian university: A show of power or an examination of ideas? LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 17(3), 1-19.

Holmes, A. G. D. (2020). Researcher positionality: A consideration of its influence and place in qualitative research-A new researcher guide. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 8(4), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.34293/education.v8i4.3232

Kemoli, A. M., & Ogara, W. O. (2016). PhD thesis defense. East African Medical Journal, 93(1), 43-49.

Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511815355

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Sage Publications.

https://doi.org/10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8

Ma, Y., Yu, A., Ma, H., Zhao, Y., Liu, X., Zhai, H., & Gao, Y. (2024). A narrative review of anxiety regulation in PhD students based on Green model. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1351386.

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1351386

Mafumbate, R. (2025). Experiences of postgraduate students during proposal writing and defence period: A wellness perspective. Eswatini Education Research Journal, 1(1), 148-157.

Morrissey, B., King, F., Lake, G., Markos, A., & Marsh, J. (2026). Between, beside and beyond the binary: Navigating positionality dilemmas in doctoral research. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 49(3), 275-296. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2026.2634337

Schneijderberg, C. (2021). Supervision practices of doctoral education and training. Studies in Higher Education, 46(7), 1285-1295. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1689384

Schwandt, T. A. (2000). Three epistemological stances for qualitative inquiry: Interpretivism, hermeneutics, and social constructionism. In Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 189-213). Sage Publishing.

Tian, Y., & Liu, D. (2024). A bibliometric study of identity construction in English writing for academic purposes. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1499917. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1499917

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner, & E. Souberman, Eds.). Harvard University Press.

Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932