Khan, Marion Jane (2025) An interpretative phenomenological enquiry into imposter syndrome and transition shock in clinical educators. Doctoral thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

This thesis is comprised of two studies, and explores the imposter syndrome experiences of clinical educators transitioning from professional healthcare disciplines into teaching roles. Imposter syndrome is characterised as persistent self-doubt, fear of being exposed as a fraud, and difficulty internalising success, and was examined through the lens of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Study 1. Semi-structured interviews explored the experiences of clinical educators who believed they had imposter syndrome. Themes identified in the data analysis unexpectedly revealed the possibility that what participants may have experienced during role transition was transition shock, rather than imposter syndrome, and an hypothesis was formulated to that effect.

Study 2 tested this hypothesis through semi-structured interviews with most of the same participant group. Deductive phenomenological analysis examined their reflections on the role transition experience and whether it was imposter syndrome, or the concept of transition shock, which offered a more accurate framing for their feelings.

The hypothesis was neither accepted nor rejected in full because results were mixed. This led to the development of an overarching theory that in the role transition experience of clinical educators there may be confusion between longer duration imposter syndrome, and shorter duration transition shock. Awareness of this confusion was identified as helpful to clinical educators in that transition shock feelings would not continue indefinitely.

The thesis concluded with recommendations for organisational support such as discussions in clinical educator induction programmes on imposter syndrome and transition shock, and proposals for post-doctoral research.

This thesis contributes to the growing discourse on the complexities of role transition in clinical educators, and highlights the need for organisations to recognise, and respond to, the challenges faced during this role transition experience.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General)
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/14814

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