I am stuck in this place where I keep seeking more and more research. I keep questioning my search terms and the relevance of the results. I thought I was sure about my research topic, but the more I read, the more lost I felt. Every article appeals to me because I do this as my career and for personal interest in graduate school. The topic of advising is a personal passion—making the connection between research and my belief that flipping advising can improve the prescriptive aspects (terminology picked up in the research process). As a result of flipped advising, additional time becomes available to dig into developmental aspects (more understanding learned through research) of the advising relationship.
I can tell that the advising relationship is important to me. My innovation is about creating a stronger advising relationship. My frustration with the prescriptive aspects of my role drives desperation to find an effective alternative solution. I am searching to find ways that creating space by limiting information transfer components will improve advising interaction through student empowerment. Relationships and empowerment are the answers to why I am doing this research. I am proposing this innovation, and why my initial step of action research has to focus on the first prescriptive step of course registration as the example of student agency. The administration is always going to focus on enrollment. Advisors want to help students get enrolled to begin fostering an advising relationship that can guide them through their educational pursuits and also help them explore their goals and aspirations.
I struggle to find specific sources for advising’s impact on student agency. Still, several sources reference student ownership and self-efficacy, making the connection clear enough to support the literature review and my research.
When I was initially researching what a literature review is, the Smart Student suggested that writer’s block indicates the need to do additional research, so then I go and read more literature. The cycle begins again!
I’m blogging through this process because I am determined not to let it break me (this time). I am determined to see through the purpose and meaning of this research process. I feel like I’m right on the cusp of understanding the point of this torturous exercise… errr I mean, I am embracing this authentic learning opportunity.
The Advisor That Cares 