Phenomenology of scientific identity of PhD students based on the concept of Academic Aspiration

The aim of the this study is to identify the meaningful experiences of Ph. D college students in city of Tehran based on their academic identity based on the concept of academic aspiration. The meaning of academic identity is a collection of views, thoughts, decisions, behaviors and motivations through academic content and in connection with the elements of higher education such as professors, students, issues related to activity is teaching-learning. The meaning of the concept of academic aspiration is a characteristic or ability through which students and graduates have stepped beyond what is designed for them in the curriculum of higher education, whether hidden or overt. And they discover and cultivate new dimensions of themselves.Method This research was conducted with a qualitative approach and using interpretive phenomenology method. A semi-structured interview was conducted with sixteen PhD students and graduates who were selected by the criterion sampling method. In line with data analysis, interpretive phenomenological method adapted from Ricoeur and MAXQDA2020 software was used.ResultsIn the results section, two types of academic identity were obtained: The academic identity that is forming and the academic identity has been formed.Discussion and Conclusions The findings show that the most influential experiences on the formation and emergence of the academic identity of the participants were the result of their placement in extracurricular situations and in a place other than the university. Especially when there was an opportunity to do things related to the responsibility assigned to them or accepted by them. The reason for this is explained in the way that they felt powerless and confused in converting the learned knowledge into action. But the existence of academic aspiration features that gives the ability to cross the set limits has started to create and additional learning along with responsibility.