Experiences Of Postgraduate Students Research Articles

The Role of Caring Instructors in Postgraduate Education: Perceptions and Experiences of TEFL Postgraduate Students and Instructors

Studying the role teacher care performs in education is necessary to address the human aspects of teaching. However, TEFL postgraduates have been a neglected cohort in most of the previous studies of teacher care. Therefore, this study investigated the role of caring teachers in TEFL postgraduate education based on the perceptions and experiences of postgraduate instructors and students. Accordingly, 20 students, both MA and PhD, and 6 postgraduate instructors were selected, through purposive sampling, from two state universities in Tehran. Conducting semi-structured interviews with both groups, data were collected and analyzed within the framework of interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA), as a qualitative paradigm. Due to the complex and contextual nature of teacher care as an abstract concept and still under-researched in TEFL, IPA was employed to provide an in-depth understanding about the role of caring TEFL instructors in postgraduate education. The findings revealed that caring instructors could perform a key role in strengthening postgraduates’ motivation and therefore enhancing their academic performances, creating a stress-free and peaceful learning environment, inspiring them to make transformative decisions in their lives, and their learning how to care in academic settings. This research has implications for instructors, teacher educators, and policy makers seeking to establish moral education at TEFL postgraduate level.

Australian postgraduate student experiences and anticipated employability: A national study from the students’ perspective

Postgraduate students are navigating a rapidly evolving landscape for their future careers. In this context, higher education providers are responsible for supporting and monitoring postgraduate (masters and doctoral) students’ development for both education and employability contexts. This empirical research provides a rich analysis of feedback breakfasts, focus groups and interviews with 319 postgraduate student participants from 26 universities. Emergent themes highlight widespread lack of confidence in university-mediated student experiences, particularly in the context of employability, and pessimism regarding career outcomes. Students expressed a view that higher education providers need to direct further attention and relevant supports toward postgraduate education. Future career despondency was particularly prevalent among students with academic aspirations. The findings are discussed using the theoretical framework of eudemonia and flourishing as an approach to revitalising and improving both the process and outcomes of postgraduate education. The paper concludes with practical recommendations for universities to improve the postgraduate student experience in the context of employability.

Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic in Rwanda: Experience of Postgraduate Students on Language of Instruction, Mathematics and Science Education

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected human life at different levels and is still a tremendous challenge for all sectors of life without exception to education. To cope with those COVID-19 effects in education, online teaching and learning was adopted. This study throws light on online learning situation in higher education in Rwanda. The study is geared by interpretivist approach. Data were collected in a series of online individual interviews and focus group discussions with twenty master students from different subjects offered by the African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS). The gathered data were analysed thematically. The study revealed communication platforms, ICT infrastructures and software, and online resources as opportunities for online learning. Despite learners’ willingness to play their part in online learning, the study further brought to light numerous challenges of learning mathematics and science such as absence of practical activities, inadequate support for structured exercises, few open resources and inadequate access to online resources. Limited internet connectivity, English proficiency coupled with insufficient collaboration among students and with facilitators were reported as limitation too. Since online mode of instruction was adopted for effective blended learning, its adjustment and adaptation are needed to grab the identified opportunities and cautiously address the identified challenges.

Exploring the Lived Experience of Missed Nursing Care in Postgraduate Nursing Students in Iran.

ABSTRACTBackground: Missed care is a global phenomenon, which can include many clinical conditions that threaten the patients’ safety in all countries and cultures, and also indicates the quality of nursing care. The nursing students’ awareness and understanding of missed nursing care is of great importance. The current study aims to explore the lived experience of postgraduate nursing students in missed care.Methods: The current qualitative study was performed based on the interpretive phenomenological approach in Tehran, Iran, in February to December 2019. A total of 10 master’s degree nursing students were selected through purposive sampling. A total of 10 semi-structured individual interviews were used to collect the data. The trail version of MAXQDA-10 software was used for coding. All interviews were recorded and codified, and the main themes were extracted from them using Dicklemann et al.’s (1989) analytical method.Results: Two main themes, five sub-themes, and 31 meaning units were obtained. The main themes included: “unfulfilled care” and “living in limbo”. Conclusion: Missed care, as unfulfilled care, is accompanied with living in limbo for nursing students, and this condition is influenced by organizational and personal factors. It seems that managers can prevent missed nursing care by supervising nursing care, reducing the nurses’ workload, creating a sense of commitment to work, and enforcing ethical issues among nurses.

Supervision experiences of postgraduate students at an ODL institution in South Africa

This article expounds on findings of a qualitative case study was conducted in a South African Open Distance Learning university. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of postgraduate...

Perceiving the social unknown: How the hidden curriculum affects the learning of autistic students in higher education

ABSTRACT In autism research, the impact of the hidden curriculum within higher education remains neglected. The published experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate students with Autism Spectrum Disorder indicate that social issues present a universal problem for this demographic. By being less able to take advantage of the social aspects of their courses, such as interactions with peers and supervisors, autistic students could be left at a disadvantage in their current studies and beyond. Opening formal research questions into the impact of the hidden curriculum on the learning experience of autistic students in higher education are required to highlight this issue. Investigating the most effective forms of hidden curriculum access could provide better insight into how support can be personalised to the needs of these students.

Improving postgraduate students' scientific literacy and self-efficacy using international collabor international collaborative research workshops: an explor ch workshops: an exploratory case study y case study in a Chinese university

Postgraduate education in China bears the dual mission of "high-end talent supply" and "scientific and technological innovation" as delegated by the Ministry of Education of China (2017). Improve the quality of postgraduate student training and management is essential for Chinese universities to meet this requirement. This paper investigates the practical effectiveness of using a specially designed, internationally collaborative research training workshop to enhance new Chinese postgraduate students' scientific literacy and self-efficacy. The research results show that the workshop, which integrates seminar presentations and both individual and group-based student activities, is of practical significance for improving the experiences of first-year postgraduate students. The findings indicate the application of enactive mastery and vicarious learning strategies in research training workshop effectively boost students' motivation, confidence and feeling of accomplishment at their early research career, and can provide ongoing benefits to support Chinese students to further develop research skills and capabilities. The positive findings in this exploratory study can inform future research projects to examine the transferability of this research training workshop model in the broader Chinese higher education context.

Academic resilience among international students: lived experiences of postgraduate international students in Malaysia

In previous studies, scholars have noted that challenges experienced by international students have an impact on their academic success. However, limited research has been conducted on how international students overcome the challenges they face in non-Western countries, such as Malaysia. This paper aims to fills this gap by investigating essential resilience strategies adopted by international students in overcoming academic obstacles, thus contributing to the literature regarding international student development. To achieve this, it adopts a qualitative approach based on 33 semi-structured interviews with postgraduate international students that were analyzed thematically. The results reveal that international students develop resilience strategies through group assignments, in classroom settings, and by seeking university and personal support services. Understanding the resilience strategies adopted by postgraduate international students in Malaysia has imperative implications for all universities as it influences the manner in which they develop guidelines to promote international students’ resilience strategies and help them cope with academic adversity and difficulties.

Scholarly publishing experience of postgraduate students in Nigerian Universities

ABSTRACT The study examined scholarly publishing experience among postgraduate students in Nigerian universities. A survey design was employed, using a questionnaire as an instrument for data collection from 919 postgraduate students selected from twelve universities in Southwest Nigeria. The findings revealed that scholarly publication means the procedure of generating, producing, and judging scholarly content, distributing and circulating it to the scholarly community and conserving it for future use, and writing and publishing novel academic ideas in scholarly communication outlets. A (23.7%) of research students had published academic papers and the majority of those research students had 0–2 years’ experience. Knowledge of data analysis, literature search and review, development of relevant research questions, methodology, access to relevant materials, e-mail, phone, identification of relevant keywords, and ICT skills are considered necessary for scholarly publishing. Postgraduate students are aware of predatory journals and publishers. Challenges to scholarly publishing experience are inadequate mentorship and support, skills, knowledge; lack of funds, and limited access to available materials including journal articles, databases, and others. Also, universities in Nigeria should consider funding scholarly publications for any postgraduate students that put in the effort to get published; and mentorship, support, and collaboration with supervisors should be more emphasized.

Challenges Facing Mexican Students in the United Kingdom

This article reports data drawn from a doctoral qualitative case study conducted during the 2016–2017 academic calendar. The study explored the academic, sociocultural, and affective challenges a cohort of Mexican postgraduate international students faced during their first 2 weeks at a university in England. Twenty students participated in three focus groups, while seven were involved in in-depth interviews. The findings support the notion that the adaptation experiences of Mexican postgraduate international students in the United Kingdom are like those of other groups of overseas students. They undergo an extensive array of challenges related to the perceived extent of cultural distance and differences in individual and societal characteristics, as outlined by Ward et al. (2001). Concerning the early stage, findings did not seem to support traditional views of culture shock (Adler, 1975; Lysgaard, 1955; Oberg, 1960).

Active Learning to Improve Student Learning Experiences in an Online Postgraduate Course

Post-graduate programs attract older students, who often work part-time or full-time and have child-care responsibilities. In the Information Age, online learning environments can help these students to meet their learning objectives more efficiently and provide a unique opportunity to address individual learning preferences. The aim of this study was to assess the learning experiences of postgraduate students in an online learning environment delivering content in a guided, self-directed way focusing on active learning opportunities. Two-hundred and eighty-seven students participated in the study. A pragmatic descriptive design with purposive sampling was used to examine the impact of a newly developed active online learning environment on student commitment, performance and satisfaction when compared to a passive, pre-recorded lecture. In contrast to our hypothesis that all metrics would improve with subject redevelopment, student performance and commitment did not improve in the active online learning environment; however, student satisfaction increased significantly. These findings might be partly attributed to the increased cognitive load associated to online learning. This study demonstrates how, for postgraduate students choosing online learning, active learning experiences can be used to provide students with a greater sense of satisfaction while acknowledging for the heterogeneity of the cohort and its different learning preferences. However, in the worldwide context of remote learning rapidly and urgently expanding, it also outlines that online learning needs to be carefully scaffolded to ensure deep learning and that the impact of the transition to online learning on performance and commitment should be considered, especially when directed at non-experienced students.

Viva Voce Coaching Using a Virtual Viva Simulator for Postgraduate Students

Most postgraduate students intend to complete their study successfully. Yet, they might face fear of failure or fear of facing examiners during thevivasession.A viva session has been noted to be mysterious, unpredictable, and potentially frightening to somestudents, particularly to students whose English is their second language.Some of these students might consider themselves to have low ability in expressing their words thus lacking in confidence to facean oral assessment.These students, however, can prepare well for a viva session by rereading their thesis, arranging for a mockviva, and practicing debating their work with a senior student. This paper attempts to present a new way of viva preparation by means of a virtual viva simulator (V2Sim). This V2Sim is based on a virtual reality approach that usesan avatar as an examiner. This study aims to design and developa V2Sim to providearepeatablecoaching for a viva session at no cost. The implementation ofthe V2Sim involved three phases: identification of research problem, design and development, and evaluation. The study aspires to examine the experience of postgraduate students using the new technique. For this purpose, a combination of interviews and an experimental method were adopted to evaluate the V2Sim coachingamong 30 PhD students. Interpretive outcomes from this study suggest that the V2Sim coachingis a novel tool for assessing learning outcomes for a viva voce session and for improving students’ skills. Based on these findings, implications for the adoption of V2Sim coachingas an assessment method are discussed, among which the improvement of the experience of viva-voce session in the future.

An Exploratory Study about the Role of Experiential Learning for Developing Professional Skills at Higher Education

This study explores the learning experiences of postgraduate students pursuing master's degree in higher education. The assessment students enrolled in the course "Application of Computer in Research" observed through semi-structured observations. These observations contained 16 weeks (4 days a week). The observation tool was validated through five experts' opinions, and a mock observation was conducted in order to ensure the reliability of the tool. The researcher deeply observed the students' learning experiences daily by tasks, activities and discussions in which they were involved by the teacher�the analysis procedures controlled through coding, memos and themes generation. The study findings revealed that experiential learning provided students with some important skills that enhance their learning in a better way. The study contributed to the field of education at a higher level than postgraduates might be handled through active learning because active learning may indulge new visions, ideas for creative work and transferring those ideas through reflection by involving students in the activities in which they do the tasks by themselves.

Student Emotions Matter

Increasingly, the taught postgraduate student experience is being recognised as a complex journey influenced by a multiplicity of interconnected factors that are institution-related, discipline specific, and socio-culturally informed. This emergent recognition of the complexity of being a TPG student underpinned the research study reported in this paper; well-being was conceptualised as central to the student experience and interconnected with five facets of the student journey. It was explored through the lens of emotion and as an independent variable. Guided by principles of pragmatism, the study followed an action research approach seeking the perceptions of TPG students engaged in academic study and in turn reports the findings relating to their student experience. This paper reports on findings from year 1 (2017-18 academic year) of a 3-year longitudinal study. Data were collected in 2 phases using an online survey followed by focus group interviews and then underwent thematic analysis. Our findings reinforce and further inform the understanding that the TPG student experience is uniquely complex. Through our exploration we have come to understand TPG student experience as an emotionally rich process influenced by three dimensions of the student journey, degree of connectedness; effectiveness of supports; and quality of communication, that elicit threat or challenge appraisals based on perceived demands and coping resources, triggering emotion responses that impact well-being, and learner engagement. 
 Keywords: taught postgraduate student experience, well-being, emotion, action research

Leadership and mentoring in medical physics: The experience of a medical physics international mentoring program

Mentoring aims to improve careers and create benefits for the participants' personal and professional lives. Mentoring can be an individual or a shared experience for a group, while the mentor’s role remains the same in both models. Mentors should increase confidence, teach, inspire, and set examples, helping the mentees to mould their path, contributing to the pursuit of their personal and professional goals. This study aims to report on the experience of early-career medical physics professionals and postgraduate students participating in a global mentoring program and to assess the impact of this activity on their professional development. The objectives of this mentoring program are to develop leadership roles among young medical physicists and to provide guidance and support. An online questionnaire was administered to the mentee participants. The analysis of their responses is reported in this work and the current status of the programme was examined using a SWOT analysis. In general, the mentoring experience had a positive impact on the mentees. The mentors were found especially helpful in the decision-making situations and in other conflicts that may arise with career development. Additionally, the mentees felt that mentoring contributed to the development of leadership skills required for the job market and assist in personal development. This paper concludes that participation of young medical physicists in a mentoring group program is beneficial to their career and therefore should be encouraged.

Postgraduate researchers’ experiences of accessing participants via gatekeepers: ‘wading through treacle!’

ABSTRACT Research exploring both the general experiences of postgraduate research students when interacting with gatekeepers and how this affects their progress and emotional resilience is currently lacking. Consequently, this study aims to explore the experience of postgraduate researchers interacting with gatekeepers to develop an understanding of both the challenges and enablers. A mixed-methods online questionnaire was distributed internationally to postgraduate researchers. N = 66 questionnaires were returned. Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative data highlighted that postgraduate researchers face a range of challenges when using gatekeepers to access participants for studies, and that there is a negative emotional impact arising when challenges are faced. Thematic analysis revealed six themes: Access to participants; Relationships; Perceptions of research; Context for gatekeepers, Emotional impact, and Mechanisms to address challenges. The study has highlighted a gap in the literature concerning the number of students who experience issues with gatekeepers, and how this affects their ability to undertake their research, their emotional resilience, and their access to support. Postgraduate researchers utilised a number of supportive mechanisms including seeking advice, reflective practice, and persistence to help them overcome challenges faced. Guidance for researchers, supervisors and universities is proposed.

Experiences of Postgraduate Nursing Students at the University of Namibia

While the number of students who choose to enrol in various postgraduate academic programmes continues to increase, the number of postgraduate students who graduate each year remains low. This requires institutions of higher learning to establish which factors and study modes are likely to promote an environment that is conducive to learning for postgraduate students. The experiences of postgraduate students can be used to promote a positive learning environment for postgraduate students. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of postgraduate nursing students enrolled in postgraduate nursing diploma coursework and research at the University of Namibia with a view to describe what aspects affect their learning. An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative design was used. The study was contextual in nature. A sample of seven students participated in the study. Purposive sampling was used. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews conducted with seven postgraduate diploma nursing students. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The following four themes were identified: individual experiences, academic factors, institutional factors, and suggested improvement measures which included an improved research approval process and institutional support system to enhance postgraduate studies. The findings of this study highlighted the need for well-articulated actions to deal with the negative challenges identified in the study by offering more academic support to the students during their research proposals and research project writing.

Language learning experiences of postgraduate research students in the UK

ABSTRACT This article reports on the findings of a pioneering study of formal, non-formal and informal language learning experiences of postgraduate research students in the UK. The research involved a large-scale survey followed by semi-structured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis shows that the language needs and interests of postgraduate students are barely met due to limited institutional provision of formal language learning opportunities. The study confirms some known facts, such as the composition of the student body (e.g. mostly young, fully-funded full-time students with a significant proportion of international students), and reveals other possibly less-known realities, from a remarkable interest in language learning among research students to the reasons for their interest and the potential impact greater access to language learning could have on their research and beyond. Half of the respondents reported having funded provision of language tuition but one third were not even aware of the existence of a Language Centre at their institution. Student suggestions for alternative language provision are included as these can inform policy and decision-making at postgraduate level in the UK and serve as a basis for further research in this area.

The lived experiences of postgraduate female students at the University of Kwazulu Natal, Durban, South Africa

Gender and educational equality have been extensively debated by scholars in South Africa, researchers have failed to capitalize on why enthusiastic postgraduate female students have a higher dropout rate than their male counterparts. This study has capitalized on this vacuity, via a phenomenological lens, to examine the challenges experienced by female postgraduate students at University of KwaZulu-Natal. This study presents the lived experiences of ten female postgraduate honours students from University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2017. The study sought to research the learner's impetus to pursue postgraduate studies and the limitations eminent during the process. The ostensive constraints acknowledged by participants have seeped in socio-cultural beliefs rooted in traditional and religious affirmations, financial impediments and balancing their educational pursuit with traditional role expectations within their gendered familial domain. This study advances the requirement to critique the socio-cultural principles that impede females' succession in postgraduate studies while simultaneously engaging in discourse on the concealed practices in higher educational institutions separating students based on gender.

Cuidado de enfermagem na relação saber/poder e sexualidade junto a juventude escolar via "<i>web<i>"rádio

Objetivo: descrever a experiência de pós-graduandas de enfermagem sobre a sexualidade e a relação saber-poder junto à juventude escolar via WebRádio. Método: a experiência emergiu na disciplina de “Micropolítica”, realizada no primeiro semestre de 2016, em articulação ao referencial teórico-filosófico Saber/Poder de Foucault e a temática da sexualidade. Resultados: na vivência é visto que a escola e o setor saúde se configuram como espaços de resistência. Há ausência de discurso professor(a)/enfermeiro(a)/juventude sobre a sexualidade. Culminou-se que o dispositivo de cuidado em saúde WebRádio é uma rede interdiscursiva, com envolvimento das singularidades, proporcionando práticas de cuidado junto à juventude. Considerações finais: A enfermagem, nesse cenário escolar, amplia sua autonomia de cuidado junto à juventude na construção de saberes interdiscursivos.