Speaking the language of defence: narratives of doctoral examiners on the PhD viva

The oral examination, or the viva voce, is the culmination of the doctoral examination process in many traditions. In these traditions, the chair or convenor facilitates the viva. The idea of convenors is one that has not been discussed at length within the literature of higher education. In this paper, we explore the findings of a qualitative survey that aimed to gain insights into the role of convenors in an oral examination and their views of the oral examination process at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. 55 convenors responded to the survey. The key findings of the survey indicate that convenors’ practices are embedded with ideas of pastoral care for the candidates through four key strategies: 1) preparing candidates by setting expectations, 2) making the candidate feel at ease, 3) inviting a support person to attend and 4) building the candidate’s confidence. These strategies have rarely been discussed in studies about vivas, and this study provides key insight for candidates, doctoral examiners, supervisors and policymakers.

Despite the importance of the PhD viva in assessing the quality of doctoral research, how examiners approach the PhD viva remains underexplored in the Global South. This study fills this gap by investigating the conceptions of doctoral examiners in Malaysia, shedding light on how they approach the PhD viva and what they believe its key purposes are. Through qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with twelve examiners, this study reveals that examiners place a significant emphasis on the quality of the research thesis, empower candidates to demonstrate mastery of the research subject, initiate dialogue for research engagement, and foster socialisation within the disciplinary community. The study contributes to the conceptualisation of the purposes of the PhD viva, encompassing gatekeeping, empowerment, dialogue, and enculturation, which can provide valuable guidance for examiner practices. The implications of these findings are discussed, highlighting the facilitative role of examiners in the examination process.

This research investigates a situation specific anxiety: oral examination anxiety in a foreign language learning situation. It examines how a particular type of language anxiety - anxiety in oral communication - impacts on the learner’s oral performance. The subjects are first year Japanese language students at tertiary level in Australia. Questionnaire surveys were conducted to measure the students’: a) anxiety in foreign language classes, b) their anxiety toward oral examinations, and c) the anxiety they actually felt in an oral examination. The objectives of the study were to investigate relations between anxiety and scores in oral examinations. The results indicated that state anxiety can be a strong predictor of learners’ performance in an examination. However, the subjects’ trait anxiety had also both direct and indirect influence over their oral performance. A cause-effect relation among trait anxiety, oral performance, and state anxiety (MacIntyre and Gardner 1989) was also observed in this study.

The paper discusses the problem of assessing spoken English production starting from the theoretical deliberations on testing the communicative ability. In the empirical part, the author reports on the two approaches to testing the students’ oral performance at the final oral examinations in the Departments of English Studies at the University of Wrocław and the Higher Vocational School in Nysa, both located in the south­-west of Poland. The impact of preparation time, the examination format, and testing techniques on the students’ oral performance were investigated in a qualitative study. Being an examiner the author examined the oral material collected during the two final examinations in the above mentioned Departments. The findings show that the two approaches to oral performance testing have an influence on the students’ productions. The paper concludes with some recommendations for the examiners related to the introduction of a more complex testing system in which a versatile student­-student and student-­teacher format and at least two different testing techniques are used. Additionally, the allocation of a relatively short time for students to prepare at an oral examination is advocated for enhancing natural everyday communication which is a priority in the currently dominant communicative approach to foreign language learning and teaching.

Research universities in Malaysia are striving to transform into world-class institutions. These universities have the capacity to attract the best students to achieve excellence in education and research. It is important to monitor the psychological well-being of students during the transformation process so that proactive intervention can help students cope with the learning and research demands. This study profiled and monitored the personality traits of postgraduate and undergraduate students in a selected Malaysian research university using a quantitative research method. The researchers profiled personality traits using an online assessment, the Behavioral Management Information System (BeMIS), and tracked real and preferred personality traits and positive changes during rapid institutional transition.Keywords: personality traits, BeMIS, undergraduate students, research universities, psychological well-beingMalaysia is advancing toward a knowledge-based economy and relies heavily on its universities to educate and train the much-needed human capital for the country (Fernandez, 2010). Research universities have the capacity to attract the best students and have the autonomy to select students who excel in education and research. Various measures are being implemented to transform universities into world-class institutions (Wan, 2008). The institutional transformation at Malaysian universities focuses on critical areas such as governance, leadership, academia, teaching and learning, as well as research and development (Ministry of Higher Education, 2011). Educational institutions must monitor the psychological profile and well-being of their students, especially those who are potentially at risk of mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as substance abuse, in order to promote optimum human capital development (Wynaden, Wichmann, & Murray, 2013). Moreover, during the institutional transformation process, all levels of the university community, including students, may experience changes driven by higher standards and demands in teaching and learning as well as research performance (Schraeder, Swamidass, & Morrison, 2006) that might result in stress (Becker et al., 2004; Gladstone & Reynolds, 1997; Smollan & Sayers, 2009). Certain personality traits may build the community's resilience in coping with psychological stress (Lievens, Ones, & Dilchert, 2009; Nelson, Cooper, & Jackson, 1995). A detailed personality profile of university students can help research institutions put in place necessary support systems to strengthen students' well-being during institutional transformation.The Impact of Institutional TransformationInstitutional transformation at research universities in Malaysia can result in stress, anxiety and uncertainty for students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Successful coping with new demands is integral to the process of transformation. Failure to cope with stressors may lead to fatigue and depressive mood. Such physical and psychological symptoms may impair daily living, work and school performance, and learning ability (Goretti, Portaccio, Zipoli, Razzolini, & Amato, 2010; See, Abdullah, Teoh, & Yaacob, 2011). Organizational change may affect personality changes in students and impact academic performance (Homg, Hu, Hong, & Lin, 2011; Nelson et al., 1995; Oreg & Sverdlik, 2011; See et al., 2011). Ongoing research including profiling and monitoring the personality traits and psychosocial behavior of students can assist students in adapting successfully (Marshall, 2010). Counselors and psychologists at the university can help students develop positive coping strategies during stressful transitional periods.Personality CharacteristicsConnor-Smith and Flachsbart (2007) have defined personality as characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors over time and across situations. Some theorists have described coping as a process of the personality responding to stress (Connor-Smith & Flachsbart, 2007). …

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop a career success model for academics at the Malaysian research universities.Design/methodology/approach– Self-administered and online surveys were used for data collection among 325 academics from Malaysian research universities.Findings– Based on the analysis of structural equation modeling, the proposed model explained 48 per cent of the variance of academics’ career success. Specifically, the result shows that there are positive significant effects between organizational support, extraversion personality, person-job fit and academics’ career success. A full mediation effect of proactive behavior was established on the relationship between organizational support and career success. Overall, the results confirmed that the proposed model succinctly explains career success among academics in Malaysian research universities.Research limitations/implications– The authors present a career success model for academics at Malaysian research universities. The study represents an important extension of previous research of which it tested the applicability of the career success theories and identified the key factors related to career success of academics based on the context of Malaysian research universities. Most current career success studies were conducted in the context of the Western culture or developed countries; therefore, the results based on the Malaysian sample provide strong evidence of cross-cultural comparability of the career success construct and model.Practical implications– The findings provide implications to both individuals and human resource development practitioners on career success among academics. Practical interventions are suggested to assist individuals and organizations toward achieving career success. This study sheds some light on the effective management of the academics.Originality/value– The authors propose a model of academics’ career success based on the context of Malaysian research universities.

Funding Trends of Research Universities in Malaysia

The PhD viva has been described as mysterious (Burnham 1994; Morley et al. 2002), unpredictable (Rugg & Petre 2004) and potentially frightening for students (Delamont et al. 2004), with its form and duration a function of the predilections of individual examiners as well as a function of differences across disciplines. Despite its myriad manifestations, the PhD viva voce (live voice), as oral examination of the doctoral thesis, constitutes the final ‘test’ of the PhD endeavour. In the UK, this is a private event, though in some countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands, for example, the viva is conducted in a public arena (Delamont et al. 2004). Although there is no standard or prescribed format, students across all disciplines can expect to defend their thesis through a process involving questioning, clarification and discussion of key elements. This critical commentary discusses a number of issues that inform the preparation of students, focusing on the role of the internal and external examiner, the viva voce process, guidance for students and some practical suggestions for supervisors and students, particularly the value of full role-play in building students’ confidence. The extent to which the doctoral viva, in its current ‘secret’ form, can be seen as a fully accountable and independently rigorous process is taken up in the conclusion that highlights the phenomenon of ‘cosy’ reciprocal examining arrangements, the spectre of litigation when things go wrong and the need to consider a fundamental review of both the purpose and conduct of the viva.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of antecedent factors on collaborative technologies usage among academic researchers in Malaysian research universities.Design/methodology/approachData analysis was conducted on data collected from 156 academic researchers from five Malaysian research universities. This study employed an extensive quantitative approach of a structural equation modeling method to evaluate the research model and to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe main findings of this study are that personal innovativeness, task-technology fit, and perceived peer usage are significant predictors of individual usage of collaborative technologies; perceived managerial support and subjective norm were found not to be significant predictors to perceived usefulness and individual usage; and perceived usefulness is a significant mediator to individual usage in that it had fully mediated personal innovativeness whereas partially mediated peer usage.Practical implicationsThe results provide practical insights into how the Malaysian higher education sector and other research organizations of not-for-profit structure could enhance their collaborative technologies usage.Originality/valueThis research is perhaps the first that concentrates on collaborative technologies usage in Malaysian research universities.

Time to end the vagaries of PhD examining?

Institutions of Higher Learning in Malaysia had been viewed as the source for new innovation. Hence, few universities in Malaysia had been upgraded to the status of Research University to reinforce the nations New Economic Model via research, development and commercialization of new innovation. As such, Technology Driven innovation model that traditionally used by academic in Institutions of Higher Learning is now insufficient to support the innovation work within the scope and definition of Research University, this is due to it is lack of focus on commercialization element. Therefore, this paper aims to propose an innovation model devotes to Research Universities in Malaysia. In line with this, the paper reviews the important elements of innovation, followed by comparison of elements in corporate and academic innovation models. Finding from this paper suggested that building-up innovation competency in Research University requires an innovation model that integrates all innovation elements from holistic business points of view. The paper proposed an integrated innovation model based on Total Innovation Management paradigm. The proposed model has descriptive value in terms of studying, classifying and defining the important elements and relationships that govern innovation process and management aspects in Research universities within Malaysia.

This study identified the fundamental lifestyles adopted by a university community in Malaysia. Rapid growth and expansion of higher education in Malaysia is inevitable as the country moves from a production-based economy to one that is innovative and knowledge-based, requiring the development of a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce. Research universities in Malaysia are leading the way in the generation of intellectual property and wealth for the country, as well as enhancing the quality of life of its people. A case study approach found that the university community's lifestyle is focused on recognitions. Implications for university personnel are discussed.Keywords: Malaysia, higher education, university community, lifestyle, transformation, BeMISHigher education is one of the most dynamic and rapidly growing service sectors in many parts of the world (Kapur & Crowley, 2011 Lee, 2004; Ministry of Higher 2011a; Transform Higher Education, 2011 UNESCO, 2005; Varghese, 2009). In fact, the rapid growth and expansion of the higher education sector in Malaysia is inevitable as the country is currently moving from a production-based economy to one that is innovative and knowledge-based and requires the development of a highly skilled and knowledgeable workforce (Arokiasamy, 2012). The shift towards a knowledge-based economy in the era of globalization also has contributed to the increasing demand for more and better quality graduates (Lee 2004; Varghese 2009). In order for higher education in Malaysia to remain relevant locally and competitive globally, it must undergo transformation (Levin 2001; Transform Higher Education, 2011). The push for excellence in research, innovation and commercial activities is particularly crucial to achieve the national agenda in Malaysia. As a matter of fact, research universities in Malaysia are now leading the way to generate intellectual property and wealth for the country and to enhance the quality of life of the people (Ismail, 2007). With the changing landscape of higher education in Malaysia, local universities have imposed stricter key performance indicators (KPI) targets on the staff (Azizan, Lim, & Loh, 2012). KPI measures the performance of academic and non-academic staff and also gauges their eligibility for promotion. The pressure to publish research papers, particularly in top-ranked journals, is an important facet of KPIs as it reflects recognition received by academics in local and international arenas. In addition, academic staffare encouraged to work together with industry and the community to leapfrog multi-disciplinary knowledge creation to address social, economic, environmental and health-challenges of the nation or region (Gill, 2012). At the same time, student and staff mobility can be promoted via exchange programs and collaboration with international institutions, which is in line with the internationalization policy outlined by the National Higher Education Strategic Plan (PSPTN) in Malaysia (Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, 2011b). This implies that engagement with the local and international community through mobility, research and outreach activities are crucial.Fundamental LifestyleFundamental lifestyle is a way to segment people into groups based on three things: opinions, attitudes and activities (Harcar, Kaynak, & Kucukemiroglu 2004). As such, it measures peoples' activities in terms of how they spend their time, interests, where they place importance in their immediate surroundings, and their views of themselves and the world which may differ according to socio-demographic factors (Plummer, 1974). According to Khan (2006), there are four main characteristic lifestyles:* a group phenomenon that influences society* influence on all life activities* implies a central life interest* affected by social changes in societyStudies have shown that lifestyle affects the performance of over 80% of employees in organizations (Robertson, 2012) and is a factor that should not be overlooked. …

<p>Research Universities in Malaysia are continually strengthening the innovation process with the ultimate aim to improve innovation performance. However, innovation improvement effort requires prior recognition by individual involved that there is need for improvement prior to the execution. Hence, based on performance indicators released by one of Research University in Malaysia, the study identified a Faculty with a relatively low innovation performance, and assesses the innovation performance level perceived by the members of the Faculty. As such, 5 innovation performance measures are identified from literature review and transformed into a survey questionnaire which responded by 62 respondents. Descriptive analysis is performed to rank the perceived innovation performance level and subsequently compared with performance indicators. The research findings present an interesting managerial implication; respondents perceived that innovation performance is maintained at the same level for last 2 years despite performance indicator reflected a decline trend. This issue needs to be addressed for the reason that to achieve desired innovation performance, it is important to have the right employee perception.</p>

Universities need to be aware of the impact of knowledge management (KM) in order to become world-class academic institutions. This research fills an unexplored gap in regards to the impact of KM enablers (i.e. trust, knowledge self-efficacy, reciprocal benefits, top management support, organizational rewards, organizational culture, KM system infrastructure and KM system quality, openness in communication, and face-to-face (F2F) interactive communication) on knowledge sharing (KS) that supports research collaboration by faculty members. No prior research has focused on the impact of KM enablers that influence research university members to share knowledge. A self-administered questionnaire was employed on members of five research universities in Malaysia to collect data; subsequently, 421 usable responses were analysed using partial least squares path modelling. KS by members was influenced by trust, organizational rewards, organizational culture, KM system quality, openness in communication, and F2F interactive communication; in addition, research collaboration was strongly influenced by KS. The KM–KS–collaboration model shows a KM influence of individual–organizational–technological–communication constructs that encourages KS by members to support research collaboration.

This case study sought to determine the way in which different actors perceive the impact of anxiety markers on the quality of EFL students’ performance on oral examinations. The group of participants was made up of 17 students, two teachers, and seven external observers from an undergraduate English teaching program in Colombia. The data collection process involved structured observations during students’ presentations and semi-structured interviews to both teachers and students. The results showed that presenters focused on avoiding notorious anxiety markers, but, from the observers’ point of view, these did not affect speech quality as much as intermittent and sustained markers did. Moreover, although anxiety affected students’ oral performance, teachers filtered it out when grading students’ language ability. Teachers and students are therefore invited to reflect upon anxiety’s actual impact on public speaking in test situations, particularly in contexts other than the classroom.