Experiences Of Doctoral Students Research Articles

‘I Just Filled Out a Form’ Experiences of Doctoral Students with Disabilities, Long-Term Health Conditions and/or Additional Study Needs

‘I Just Filled Out a Form’ Experiences of Doctoral Students with Disabilities, Long-Term Health Conditions and/or Additional Study Needs

Mindfulness Practice and Expressions of Wellness: Experiences of Doctoral Counselor Education and Supervision Students

ABSTRACT Researchers advocate for wellness as part of counseling practices to minimize stress, improve quality of life, and promote well-being. Furthermore, mindfulness may play a critical role in the cultivation of wellness, particularly among counselor education and supervision (CES) students. This study aimed to capture the lived experiences of wellness practices among CES doctoral students who received formal mindfulness training. The following four themes emerged: (a) self-discovery through awareness, (b) practices of presence, (c) wellness as a whole person, and (d) resistance and challenges. Participants identified awareness as central to the intersection of mindfulness and wellness. Implications include using mindfulness as a vehicle to identify and engage in wellness practices that best serve students’ needs and ways to skillfully integrate mindfulness into CES curricula. Examining the in-depth stories of wellness cultivation and the influence of mindfulness could lead to new insights and practical steps to enhance counselor training and whole-person development.

Support without Status: Inequities in Student–Advisor Relational Dynamics between First-Generation and Continuing-Generation Doctoral Students

One of the most important developmental relationships in the doctoral student experience is that of the faculty advisor, and yet we know little about whether and how advisor relationships vary between first-generation and continuing-generation doctoral students. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 83 late-stage doctoral students in biological sciences, we explore differences in student perceptions of their relationships with advisors. Narratives reveal a continuum of relationship types, including strained, evolving, supportive, and equal. In equal relationships, doctoral students feel more like collegial partners working alongside their advisors. While continuing-generation and first-generation students are similarly represented among strained and evolving relationships, first-generation students rarely attain equal relationship status. The presented findings offer implications for understanding how inequality shapes student–advisor relationships, the role of collegiality in doctoral education’s hidden curriculum, and the supports needed to foster equity for first-generation students in graduate programs.

Navigating educational trajectories and transitions: A qualitative systematic literature review on international STEM doctoral students

AbstractTo date, much of the research on international science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) doctoral students has focused either on international academic mobility or on students' acculturation and adjustment challenges and coping mechanisms in foreign academic contexts. In comparison, very little attention has been paid to Asian doctoral students and their personal experiences from a life course perspective.Based on a qualitative literature review, this article sheds light on the experiences of Asian doctoral students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines within a life-course theoretical approach, paying particular attention to their agency, socialisation, and educational trajectories and transitions. The process of migration/mobility and transition between academic institutions requires a reassessment of cognitive patterns, behaviours, learning mechanisms, and the exercise of agency and response. The findings highlight how the complex dynamics between agency, socialisation, cultural norms and values, economic factors, academic performance, and institutional parameters influence the educational trajectories and transitions of Asian STEM doctoral students abroad. The result contributes to a synthesis of research findings that could inform doctoral education policy.

Exploring the experience of entry-level occupational therapy doctoral students on the use of Anatomage Table to learn anatomy - A survey

Exploring the experience of entry-level occupational therapy doctoral students on the use of Anatomage Table to learn anatomy - A survey

Balanced-integration: A dimension of supervision to support students navigating parenthood in pursuit of a PhD

This article explores the experiences of doctoral students juggling parental and professional roles. It proposes a balanced-integration approach in the reflective supervisor framework to tailor support. The research focuses on identifying challenges and evaluating the approach’s effectiveness, suggesting supervisors should serve as advocates for well-being and motivation. With the South African government’s National Development Plan aiming for a higher education sector that can produce more than 100 doctoral graduates per one million of the population by 2030, it is imperative to understand PhD student’s simultaneous identities as parents and professionals who must balance the demands of their studies, families and careers. The study advances a balanced-integration approach for supervising this demographic, with supervisors serving as advocates for the holistic well-being of these students, architects of personalised academic pathways, and catalysts for motivation inspired by family commitments. This approach adds a fifth dimension to Pearson and Kayrooz’s four factors of facilitative supervisory practice. The methodology is a descriptive quantitative study research design and a cross-sectional approach based on online surveys completed by 47 respondents from 13 South African higher education institutions and eight from abroad (n = 55).

Navigating Cultural and Academic Tides: A Systematic Literature Review On The Supervision Experiences Of International Chinese Doctoral Students In Malaysian Universities

This article embarks on a comprehensive literature review to explore the unique experiences of international Chinese doctoral students under the supervision of faculties in Malaysian universities. The study aims to identify the challenges, coping strategies, and academic dynamics encountered by these students, considering the cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds that influence their doctoral journey. It also seeks to understand the role of supervisors in facilitating a supportive and effective learning environment for these international students. The review synthesizes findings from existing academic papers, doctoral theses, and institutional reports, providing a multi-dimensional analysis of the supervisory relationship, adaptation processes, and academic achievements. This article contributes to the broader discourse on international education, cross-cultural supervision, and the specific needs of Chinese doctoral students abroad, offering valuable insights for academic institutions, educators, and policymakers aiming to enhance the doctoral experience for international students.

Collaboration, Socialization, and Support: Accountability Partners in an Online Doctoral Learning Environment

Non-traditional doctoral students encounter numerous challenges seeking a doctoral degree in an online learning environment. Non-traditional online doctoral students tend to be working adults who are integrating their online doctoral studies with the existing challenges of work and family. Effective online accountability partners must work within a framework of virtual mentoring competencies for online doctoral students to successfully collaborate, communicate, and learn together. The qualitative exploratory study explored the experiences of successful online doctoral students at working with accountability partners during their doctoral journey. The research question guiding the study was: How can accountability partner relationships be effective for online doctoral students when almost no face-to-face and in-person interaction takes place? The three themes emerging from the study addressed the online doctoral student's need for (1) collaboration, (2) socialization, and (3) support from their accountability partners. Study participants emphasized the many characteristics of a successful accountability partner relationship, including bidirectional support, feedback, communication, encouragement, cooperation, and collaboration. The study findings aligned with existing literature and illustrated the many challenges faced by online doctoral students that their more traditional student counterparts studying in a more traditional brick-and mortar university environment do not encounter. Numerous practical implications and recommendations resulted from this study. The researchers created the Collaboration, Socialization, and Support (CSS) framework using the thematic analysis of the coded interview results. The CSS framework is a practical model for creating and maintaining successful accountability partner relationship between online doctoral students.

Correction: Experiences of doctoral students enrolled in a research fellowship program to support doctoral training in Africa (2014 to 2018): The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa odyssey

Correction: Experiences of doctoral students enrolled in a research fellowship program to support doctoral training in Africa (2014 to 2018): The Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa odyssey

The Experience of Multilingual Doctoral Students Related to Academic Success: A Descriptive Qualitative Study

When multilingual students face the challenge of writing a doctoral capstone or dissertation, delays in academic progress may occur. The aim of this study was to identify writing challenges multilingual doctoral students face and provide recommendations regarding learner-centered resources to support timely academic success, as literature regarding multilingual students and language diversity in the doctoral environment is limited.<em> </em>A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study, and six multilingual DNP and PhD alumni participated. Data were collected using semi-structured audio interviews and analyzed using iterative content analysis.<em> </em>The findings support the need for community and culture to support language identity and doctoral writing development. Findings also support that early diagnostics of writing issues and opportunities for editorial feedback help support multilingual doctoral students.<em> </em>Findings also suggest a need for faculty and academic team development regarding the impacts of language diversity and culture on academic writing. Ultimately the goal is to help all graduate students preserve and share their identity in their writing.

Doctoral Student Experience: The Supervisors’ Perspective

This research considers the perceptions of doctoral supervisors relating to their experience of supervising students within a single case study university in the United Kingdom (UK). A survey of supervisors was undertaken that elicited quantitative and qualitative data, which were analysed and compared with the responses from postgraduate research students from the same institution, obtained through the annual national postgraduate research experience survey. This new understanding was important to elicit as it provided us with valuable insights into various aspects of the doctoral students’ experience from a supervisory viewpoint, highlighting both strengths and areas that require improvement. By addressing the identified areas of concern, and building upon the areas of strength, the university will be able to enhance the doctoral supervision process, and so create a more positive and supportive postgraduate research environment in the future. One of the most interesting aspects to emerge from this research is the gap in perception between the supervisors’ own views and those of their doctoral students, for example regarding communication. To greater understand the identified phenomena, it is recommended that this research should continue as a longitudinal study with the survey being repeated on a biennial basis.

Gaining by losing: The daily living experience of international female doctoral students in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT This Straussian grounded theory study explored how female doctoral students from South East Asia managed their daily occupations while studying in Aotearoa New Zealand. Twenty-three participants who were living or had lived in Auckland, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s metropolitan cities, completed semi-structured, in-depth interviews on their experiences of occupation in that context. Data were also collected via participant observations. The analysis of data through open, axial, and selective coding yielded a substantive theory: Gaining by Losing , which entailed a three-stage process of Choosing to be International Students, Meeting Challenges, and Returning Transformed. Each stage was characterised as being in dynamic tension of initially exploring opportunities/making sacrifices, then encountering difficulties/making adjustments to daily occupations while studying, and ultimately living with their choice/experiencing changes. The findings revealed that temporarily moving to a city with a high cost of living elicited changes in the way they performed daily occupations, such as studying, cooking, shopping, caring for children, and so forth.

Difficulties Encountered by Social Studies Graduate Students in the Thesis Preparation Process

It is essential to identify the challenges encountered by graduate students who play a significant role in the continuity of higher education during the thesis preparation phase. If students do not cope with the difficulties encountered at this stage, their education may have to end. This study aimed to determine the problems and obstacles encountered by graduate students in the field of social studies education during their thesis work. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 students pursuing a graduate degree in social studies education. The data of the study, which is a qualitative research, were analyzed with descriptive analysis and the identified difficulties were thematized. Additionally, the participants were asked to assess the level of difficulty associated with these challenges. Based on the findings, students expressed that they encountered challenges, such as determining the topic of study, selecting appropriate methods and techniques, establishing effective collaboration with their supervisors, encountering conventional obstacles, accessing necessary resources for their theses, gathering information, following university-related procedures, and getting stuck in formal processes in the field study. Given these obstacles, it is imperative for academic institutions and relevant organizations to take preventive measures. It is also crucial to conduct research to offer solutions to these difficulties. Just as highlighting the issues encountered by graduate students sheds light on their difficulties, a similar investigation of the experiences of doctoral students during the thesis preparation process can provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges within graduate education.

Doctoral Student Experiences in Indonesian Postgraduate Programs: A Phenomenological Investigation of Challenges

This research answers academic anxiety that departs from a study of the complexity of the problems faced by doctoral students in Indonesia. The existing phenomenon is that doctoral students in Indonesia who are scattered in various public and private universities with various fields of knowledge still face many technical and non-technical problems caused by problems that are both academic and non-academic in nature. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach with the phenomenological study method developed by Edmund Husserl. Data collection techniques use literature and field studies through interviews, documentation and observation. The primary data source is postgraduate students, and the secondary data source is the Postgraduate Director, Head of Study Program and administrative staff. Data analysis in this qualitative research consists of three streams of activities that occur simultaneously, namely data reduction, data presentation, drawing conclusions or verification. Data checking in this research is based on four criteria, namely, degree of trustworthiness, transferability, dependability, and certainty. The findings from this study include the theoretical level regarding the conceptualization of the Portrait of Doctoral Programs in Indonesia as an Educational Phenomenon and dissertation as Research Identity of Doctoral Programs (Standards and Characteristics). This research also found academic and non-academic problems for doctoral students in Indonesia. The implications of the results of this research are to provide recommendations for ideas for the academic community for making decisions and academic policies as well as formulating a quality education system and improving the quality assurance of postgraduate doctoral education in Indonesia.

Retaining Respect as a Scholar While Pregnant: Experiences of Pregnant Doctoral Students

Using Acker’s theory of gendered organizations, this study explored the experiences of pregnant doctoral students, the organizational processes that influenced their experiences, and the ways students perceived pregnancy impacting career development and trajectory, if at all. Using a mixed methods survey of women who were pregnant during their doctoral program (n = 733), the study found that 52% of participants reported that being pregnant as a doctoral student impacted their academic career. Participants identified the following themes as challenges with being a pregnant doctoral student: negative interpersonal interactions; decreased productivity; organizational policies, procedures, and supports; fewer professional development opportunities; and the emotional impact of being pregnant as a doctoral student. These findings illustrate the ways that organizational processes sustain gender inequities in doctoral programs by decreasing professional development opportunities, negatively impacting mentoring relationships, and causing emotional distress. Policy and practice implications for programs and universities are discussed.

Constructing Academic Identity Through Critical Argumentation: A Narrative Inquiry of Chinese EFL Doctoral Students’ Experiences

This study aimed to explore the experiences of Chinese EFL doctoral students in constructing their academic identities through critical argumentation in their thesis writing in an English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) context. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Narrative analysis was used to examine participants’ thesis writing to gain insights into their experiences of academic identity construction. The results revealed that Chinese EFL doctoral students face challenges in developing a critical voice and authorial position, synthesizing multiple sources, and positioning themselves rhetorically in their writing. Furthermore, the results open possibilities for a broader understanding of academic writing that values international graduate student’s educational background and cultural diversity in target English language discourse communities. While the narrative inquiry study on Chinese EFL doctoral students’ academic identity construction through critical argumentation is insightful, there are several limitations to consider, mainly due to the small sample size of only two female Chinese respondents.

Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic: Learning experiences of an online Sino-Nordic doctoral summer school on aging

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation of Higher Education, necessitating a rapid shift from in-person to remote teaching and learning. This study investigates the experiences of doctoral students in an online Sino-Nordic summer school on aging, implemented during the pandemic. A survey was conducted to collect and analyze data on participants’ experiences and perspectives. Findings reveal three thematic areas: doctoral students’ learning needs and preferences, contextual factors affecting their learning experiences, and their adaptations to online summer school. Student participants gained diverse insights and expanded their networks, but also faced challenges such as limited social interaction and scheduling conflicts. While some students embraced the online format, most preferred in-person participation as a supplementary or alternative approach in future summer schools. Recommendations for future improvements are creating an empowering learning environment, improving strategic planning and communication among organizing institutions, involving students and stakeholders in training design and implementation, maximizing the use of online features and tools, and optimizing time management.

“A Constant Juggling Act”—The Daily Life Experiences and Well-Being of Doctoral Students

(1) Background: There are increasing numbers of doctoral students globally. Poor mental health and well-being among university students, including doctoral students, is a growing concern globally, not least in this post-pandemic era. Engaging in a range of activities every day and maintaining balance between necessary and desired activities is believed to improve health and increase well-being. However, little is currently known about the daily life, activity balance and well-being of doctoral students. This study explored and described the daily life experiences of doctoral students and how pursuing their degree impacted their activity balance and well-being. (2) Method: Purposive sampling methods were used in this qualitative interpretive descriptive study to recruit 10 doctoral students in an Irish university. The data were generated through individual semi-structured interviews and thematically analysed. (3) Findings: Doctoral students have a range of roles, responsibilities and activities that they need to and want to engage in daily. For many, balancing their daily activities and roles alongside their doctoral degree is challenging. Undertaking a doctoral degree can have both a positive and negative impact on well-being. (4) Conclusions: Obtaining an insight into the perspectives and daily life experiences of doctoral students allows for a better understanding of the students’ journey. Supporting the well-being of doctoral students is essential to enhance their doctoral education and assist them in successfully completing their degree.

Academic literacy socialization through reading transformations across similar but distinctly different contexts: A longitudinal case study of a Chinese multilingual scholar

In the existing research on academic literacy socialization (ALS), few studies have focused on the cross-contextual experiences of doctoral students in Asian academia, particularly academic communities that may seem similar but actually could be quite different culturally and historically. Addressing the issue how reading trajectory interacts and how the sojourner manages to transform in different academic contexts, this longitudinal case study zoomed in on the experience of Meili, a Chinese multilingual scholar who traveled from Chinese Mainland (CM) to Taiwan to pursue a Ph.D. and then returned to CM trying to establish an academic career. Data were collected over 35 months via multiple sources for triangulation. Analyzing her reading trajectory as interconnected activity systems, Meili transformed her reading practices by (1) reading to pass exams in CM, (2) reading to be socialized into the Taiwanese academic community, (3) reading to situate her doctoral dissertation and academic work, and finally (4) reading to face the challenges of international and domestic scholarly publications. Notably, contextualized reading practice was found critical as the first conscious encounter of a new stage, marking the beginning of a new ALS process. Implications and suggestions are provided.

Schizo-Poetic Inquiry of a First-Year Doctoral Experience

Undertaking a doctoral program is a significant commitment involving sustained effort as an individual engages in academic work and scholarly identity formation. As a graduate student with a psychiatric disability, I face an added layer of challenge: dealing with symptoms as I navigate an academic system that is not designed for bodyminds like mine. This poetry and visual art collection offers a glimpse into my experience as a first-year doctoral student with schizoaffective disorder1 as I navigated Zoom classrooms, considered academic timelines and campus mental health awareness week, and wrestled with symptoms during the summer session. Through a schizo-poetic and visual inquiry informed by disability poetry and schizo-poetics, I present an embodied, multi-sensory exploration to highlight similarities and differences in the experiences of doctoral students with mental illness and their neurotypical peers, as well as to expand the conversation around disability and academia.