Officially PhinisheD

March 6 holds significant importance in my academic calendar for two key reasons: 

 

In 2014, I experienced a deeply emotional moment on this date. I was doing a presentation on a hands-on model that I developed to illustrate the law of mechanical energy conservation. Instead of assessing my model based on the marking criteria, one of the panelists mocked me with some personal criticism. Although she complimented the visual appeal of my model, she criticised that there is no criterion for grading its beauty. Her repeated comments stirred discomfort and embarrassment in the whole room, prompting me to flee the venue abruptly after my presentation was over. My supervisor consoled me when I expressed to her my thoughts of withdrawing from my studies. Fast forward to March 2, 2022, my perseverance paid off when the Department of Intellectual Property, Thailand, granted me a Petty Patent (18158) and certificate of invention for developing a novel, original, and innovative hands-on model.

 

Same day this year, after immersing myself religiously in pursuit of the answer to the research question I projected four years ago, I have officially reached the end of this quest. These past years of my doctoral voyage have been a rollercoaster, with days and nights engrossed in the iterative process of my daily rituals – reading, writing, eating, and sleeping. And repeat. In the process, I faced relentless trials, balancing academic work with other responsibilities, often feeling overwhelmed. I experienced an endless trial, challenging my endurance and grit to their limits, and testing the muscle of my resiliency and perseverance. Addressing my research question signifies more than just earning a title, qualification, or authorship of a 294-page monograph. It stands as a potent testament to the belief that I could do something big in my life without considering surrendering an option. 

 

Thesis Link: 

https://eprints.qut.edu.au/247168/1/Dumcho%2BWangdi%2BThesis%281 %29.pdf

 

However, I did not embark on this marathon of PhD journey alone. In the spirit of an African proverb, it takes a village to raise a child, I offer my gratitude to all who have encouraged, supported, and guided me along the way. I am afraid that I may be biased in mentioning only a few names because it has been way too long to remember all and countless invisible hands and prayers that have contributed during this extensive academic odyssey. This astonishing academic feat owes itself to scores of individuals and entities, both near and far, who have been part of my transformative journey. 

Supervisors

I count myself incredibly fortunate to have embarked on my studies under the doting supervision of caring supervisors: Assoc. Prof. Alberto Bellocchi (Principal Supervisor) and Assoc. Prof. James Davis (Associate Supervisor) whose supervisory assistance helped me to navigate till to completion of my PhD study. Assoc. Prof. Alberto has not only consented to be my Principal Supervisor but also directed me in exploring metacognition in the light of sociological perspectives. I thank him for his motivation, patience, intellectual and emotional support, and academic guidance throughout my studies. I immensely thank Assoc. Prof. James Davis for his intellectual prowess, scholarly attributes, critical thinking, and accessible mentorship. The construction of my thesis is the outcome of their magnificent scholastic engineering. 

 

Panels, Confirmation of Candidature

I thank Assoc. Prof. Denise Beutel and Assoc. Prof. Reece Mills, whose valuable insights helped me to refine the quality of the dissertation during my Confirmation of Candidature. 

 

Panels, Final Seminar 

I thank Prof. Karen Dooley (Chair), School of Teacher Education and Leadership, and Dr Natasha Arthars, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice, panels during my final seminar, for providing me with incisive comments on the earlier draft of my thesis. I offer my sincere gratitude to Prof. Karen Dooley for thoroughly reading my thesis draft and providing me with a marked-up hard copy that consisted of thought-provoking questions seeking clarification of ambiguities, as well as typos needing correction.

 

Anonymous External Examiners

I also thank the dynamic duo of external reviewers who delved into the depth of my thesis for their valuable comments. Realising that their insightful feedback could shape my thesis into a readable and impactful piece deepens my gratitude.

 

QUT Postgraduate Research Award Scholarship & QUT Tuition Fee Scholarship 

I am appreciative of the scholarship support I received from the QUT Postgraduate Research Award Scholarship and QUT Tuition Fee Scholarship. These scholarships offered me a great opportunity to focus on my studies without having to worry about the financial burden of sustaining myself. If it were not for this scholarship, my dream of pursuing PhD would have succumbed to immature tragedy in the first place. QUT scholarships enabled me to take advantage of the free academic events offered by the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), thereby advancing my knowledge, skills, and employability prospects.

 

QUT’s Faculty, Staff, & Management

A special thanks to QUT’s Faculty, HiQ, library, and other staff for helping make my PhD experience as simple as possible. I am particularly thankful to Ms Vanessa Callaghan, Ms Sara Romig, HDR Liaison Officers, Graduate Research Centre, and Ms Harriet Walsh, Disability Advisor, Student Services. The prompt assistance I received whenever I requested it allowed me to execute all the study requirements seamlessly, without a tinge of inconvenience. 

 

PhD Senior Colleagues 

Pursuing a PhD in the Learning Science and Innovation Laboratory (LeSIL) team was like driving with ambitious, wise, and inspiring colleagues. They showed me to drive on the right lane of PhD journey by sharing their research findings, providing experience-laden constructive criticisms, and devoting time to deliberate ideas that always transpired to knowledge co-elaboration. Thanks to Dr Sonam Choegyal, Dr Subashni Appanna, Dr Priscilla de Campos, and Dr Tshewang Namgyel (named in order of their graduation milestones). 

 

Research Assistance (Data Collection, Translation, & Assorted Tasks)

Mr Damcho Wangchuk (Physics) and Mr Ugyen Dorji (Chemistry), teachers, at Bajothang Higher Secondary School, Wangdue, deserve a special mention for assisting me in collecting data. It would not have been possible without their unswerving support and altruistic commitment because my travel to Bhutan was limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I also thank all the students who participated in my research, parents for consenting their children to be my research participants, and the school administration for granting me access to execute my study in the school. 

 

Special thanks to Lopen Sangay Dorji and Lopen Kinley Dorji, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, for the assistance in the translation of my data. 

 

Mr Tashi Wangchuk and Mr Sonam Wangdi (Scouts Division), Mr Karma Norbu (SEN Division), Ministry of Education and Skills Development,

 

Mr Sonam Yeshey, Mr Kinley Wangchuk, and Ms Pema Choden, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, and,

 

Mr Ugyen Phuntsho, Trongsa Primary School, is also acknowledged for helping me in assorted capacities.

 

Research Assistance (Establishment & Settlement)

I specifically thank Dr Sonam Choegyal and Ms Phuntsho Wangmo for generously accommodating us for several months during our arrival here in Australia. I appreciated Sangay Kuenchab Choegyal’s consideration in tolerating us converting his study room into our family’s mini home. It was all due to their genuine hospitality that my family experienced a home away from home, particularly at the time when the world was engulfed by the COVID-19 pandemic. I will never forget to remember them for their boundless love, compassion, and munificence. 

 

I am genuinely grateful to Mr Sonam Dorji M and his family, and Mr Kezang Norbu and his spouse for their immense assistance during our initial settlement period.  

 

I also thank Mr Tshering Chophel and Ms Dechen Wangmo for their advice, support, and guidance in my life, including throughout this PhD journey. 

 

The Royal Government of Bhutan

I thank His Majesty the King and the Royal Government of Bhutan for providing free education in Bhutan. Had it not been for free education, I never would have considered attending the school, much less finishing my studies at a renowned international institution such as the QUT, which has an international prominence in the domain of academia for the real world. 

 

Beloved Parents & Siblings

My sincere gratitude always extends to my beloved parents and siblings for supplying me with their unwavering love and steadfast support throughout my life. The consistency of grit to excel in my life has always been sustained by their organic and lavish emotional succour and faith, so this achievement is truly an offspring of their blessing.

 

My Family

I am always obliged to my lovely lady Sonam Tshomo for her sacrifices and commitments in support of whatever I do in my life. Putting the family first, she sacrificed her academic laurels for the sake of my professional development, believing in the decent advantage it would fetch for our family. Over the past 16 years, I have been fortunate to have a woman who continually inspired me with her sage wisdom, insightful ideas, genuine affection, and ingenious talents. Even for the accomplishment of this doctoral voyage, the secret recipe is one part my luck, hard work, and talent, and the other part, her authentic support. I celebrate this thesis in her honour and look forward to a similar boost. My beautiful little princess Tshering Choden Wangdi for enduring the erratic tsunami of annoyance due to venting my frustrations during the study period. I deeply regret that, in my relentless pursuit of academic commitments, I have inadvertently deprived her of the quality paternal love she deserves.  

 

My Students 

Eventually, the currency of inspiration to embark on my PhD journey began in the 2016 Year 9 class. I had the privilege of mentoring these students as their class teacher for two consecutive years. The bonds I forged with them were extraordinary – the more I embraced a friendly and approachable demeanour, the more profound our connection became. This connection had a ripple effect, shaping how they interacted socially and emotionally with each other. It was this bonding that deepened my desire to explore students’ social bonds. This piece is dedicated to each of them.