Negotiating academic identity in supervision meetings

Developing an academic identity is fundamental to becoming and evolving as a scholar. While prior research highlighted the influence of supervisors on students’ academic identity, the specific mechanisms through which this influence unfolds remain underexplored. Given that meetings are key sites of sensemaking, this qualitative study investigates supervision meetings as spaces for academic identity construction. We interviewed twenty students at German universities. Using a critical realist framework and reflexive thematic analysis, we identified five themes: (1) meetings as structuring moments, (2) a hierarchical relationship, (3) feedback as a source of security and direction, (4) emancipation through competence and confidence, and (5) negotiating one’s fit to academia. Our findings suggest that supervision meetings are important sites for academic identity. The study offers actionable insights for improving supervision practices in doctoral education.