The Overlapping Truth: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Graduate Students in Research Writing

As the apex of the educational system, graduate education is one of the most effective means of developing capacities related to research that will improve educational theory and practice in the many different aspects of the educational process and of life in general. Utilizing a qualitative research design, this study used the phenomenological approach to explore the meaning of the experiences in research writing among graduate students. The data were collected from the participants using the focus group discussion with three groups of 6 members each. These participants are students officially enrolled in a research writing course. The researcher used an unstructured in-depth interview in gathering data and observing the iterative process until the researcher reached the saturation point, that is, no new insights can be developed from the participants. The data explication was done using Lichtman’s (2013) three Cs: coding, categorizing, and forming concepts. The study revealed that research writing requires one’s experiences and continuous practice with self-concept and motivation. The participants believe on the importance of the past including the knowledge gained in their previous experiences, considering the untaught skills, and their wrong perceptions about research. The influence of teachers is also seen to be significant in their experiences including teachers’ motivation, approaches, and quality instruction. Self-concept also plays an important role in the experiences of the participants, including their attitude, interest, self-direction, and confidence, and being able to overcome conflict.