Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the reflections of Iranian students on Ph.D. entrance exam interviews held virtually nationwide during the Pandemic. Two hundred thirty-one Ph.D. applicants were invited to fill out an anonymous online survey designed in Google Forms, 36 out of whom volunteered to participate in follow-up semi-structured interviews. Two ANOVA measures were used to investigate the possible influences of gender and prior virtual interview experience on the applicants’ perceptions. Thematic analysis was also adopted to explore the participants’ attitudes and perceptions toward virtual interviews (VI). Quantitative findings showed that Iranian Ph.D. applicants perceived VI as a flexible and helpful procedure that provided them with satisfactory interpersonal treatment. Still, they did not favor the procedure’s perceived behavioral control and ability to communicate information to perform procedural justice. Moreover, neither their gender nor their prior experience of the virtual interview was a predictor of their perspectives’ discrepancies. The thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed that despite having some cognitive, personal, and financial benefits, VI posed some technical, communicative, and personal challenges. This study provides implications for universities and applicants who will use VI for different purposes in higher education.
Highlights
Based on higher education standards, the nationwide written exam
As a part of the recruitment process, the summoned applicants had to recourse to the particular city(s) and university(s) for which they were qualified based on the norm-referenced written exam to participate in on-site interviews
Research question one concerned how Ph.D. applicants perceive the online interview as a Ph.D. student selection medium
Summary
Based on higher education standards, the nationwide written exam (called Ph.D. Konkur) is annually administered as the main criterion to enter Ph.D. programs in all fields of study in Iran. As a part of the recruitment process, the summoned applicants had to recourse to the particular city(s) and university(s) for which they were qualified based on the norm-referenced written exam to participate in on-site interviews. Interviews generally provide the universities with multiple lines of information on the applicants’ previous research experience and their interests to conduct future studies. They allow both applicants and the Ph.D. programs to get the most information and find the most qualified applicants (Al Saiegh et al, 2020). Transiting to web-based platforms for holding interviews (Robinson et al, 2020) in response to the pandemic was the most efficient decision made by most Iranian universities to recruit
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