THE DOUBLE BURDEN OF PERFORMANCE: AN INTERPRETATIVE PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION AMONG VIETNAMESE UNDERGRADUATES IN A RESEARCH METHODOLOGY COURSE

Abstract

Undergraduate research is increasingly recognized as essential in higher education. However, conducting research in a foreign language presents significant psychological and linguistic challenges. This study uses interpretative phenomenological analysis to examine how ten Vietnamese fourth-year undergraduates experience a challenging Report Writing course requiring a 50-page thesis and a viva voce examination in English. Drawing on communities of practice and the concept of investment, the study explores the dual burden of mastering research while coping with linguistic insecurity. The findings reveal three group experiential themes, including (1) the double burden of linguistic research, where English becomes a potential barrier for students’ intellectual voice; (2) the performance of identity, marked by performativity; and (3) negotiating membership in the community, as students oscillate between resisting and embracing the researcher identity. The research process emerges as a liminal crisis that compels students to reconstruct their professional identities. The study concludes by recommending a shift from performative output to more supported research processes in English as a foreign language (EFL) curricula.