LEARNING THROUGH TEACHING:ADVANCING PEDAGOGICAL INSIGHT VIA PEER-FACILITATED INSTRUCTION IN DOCTORAL EDUCATION

Abstract

Peer-facilitated learning in doctoral education has emerged as an effective approach to nurturing collaboration, pedagogical growth, and scholarly identity among advanced learners. Yet, little is known about how doctoral students experience and negotiate the complexities of leading instruction among academic peers within higher education settings. This study adopts a qualitative phenomenological design rooted in Husserl’s (1970) descriptive phenomenology and guided by Moustakas’s (1994) structured method to explore the lived experiences of fourteen Doctor of Education candidates. Data were gathered from three reflective classroom narratives per participant and six bi-weekly instructor observations, utilizing a refined peer-facilitation checklist. Through thematic analysis and cross-data triangulation, the study uncovered nuanced insights into confidence development, facilitation approaches, and strategies for managing peer engagement. The results show that peer-led sessions cultivated pedagogical flexibility, inclusive dialogue, and stronger theory-to-practice connections, yet challenges persisted in moderating group dynamics, sustaining analytical discourse, and implementing formative feedback. Six major themes were identified—three illustrating participants’ experiential dimensions and three outlining how they navigated pedagogical challenges. The study concludes by proposing structured mentorship, reflective feedback loops, and longitudinal inquiry to strengthen doctoral students’ teaching identity and leadership capacity.