Doctoral students’ academic identity development under supervision: issues, challenges, and suggestions

Purpose This study aims to unveil the shaping process of doctoral students’ academic identity under supervision, the impediments that constrain it, and the factors that facilitate it. Design/methodology/approach Supported by an integrated conceptual framework of supervision and communities of practice (CoPs), a systematic review was performed to examine studies from 2006 to 2025. Findings Doctoral students develop their academic identities through academic participation and learning from and utilising their supervisors as role models, catalysts, and gatekeepers. Their identity-developing endeavour is constrained by personal limitations, supervisory relationships, and challenges in the academic community. Noticing the challenges facing doctoral students in developing their academic identities, scholars proposed that changes can be made by Ph.D. candidates, supervisors, and institutions. Originality/value This study contributes to explicating doctoral students’ academic identity formation under supervisory interactions. It advances higher education scholarship in doctoral education, empowerment of academics, and improvement of supervision mechanisms.