The socialisation of engineering postdoctoral scholars

A descriptive phenomenological research design using a socialisation theoretical framework is employed to describe the lived experience of socialisation and its influence in the career pathways of 16 engineering postdoctoral scholars. Descriptive phenomenological data analysis strategies resulted in four constituents regarding effective postdoctoral socialisation: (1) academic identity is nurtured, (2) disciplinary belonging is reinforced, (3) scholarly performance is strengthened, and (4) career development is essential for pursuing the professoriate. The essential structure was conceptualised as follows: Effective socialisation of engineering postdoctoral scholars includes the enhancement of their academic identity, disciplinary belonging, and scholarly performance, as well as attention to the career development needs of those aspiring to be a professor. These findings shed light on the importance of the supervisor-supervisee relationship in the socialisation process and the role of supervisors in shaping postdoctoral scholars’ career trajectories.