A Mixed Research Investigation of Factors Related to Time to the Doctorate in Education

Abstract

Students, educators, employers, and other stakeholders are concerned by the continued lengthening of time to attainment of the doctorate (TTD). A sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed research design was utilized in this study to understand what factors influence TTD. In the quantitative phase, discrete-time event history modeling was employed to analyze secondary data on 1,028 Education graduates between 1990 and 2006. The qualitative phase included interviews with students and graduates and focus groups with faculty members. Findings from both phases suggest that factors related to TTD are intertwined and involve a complex interplay of institutional and personal factors. TTD, according to the proposed integrated conceptual scheme of TTD, is influenced by the level of integration in five domains: academic, social, economic, personal, and external factors. Of these domains, academic integration seems to have the greatest connection with TTD, whereby, in the quantitative phase, student-related factors (e.g., master's grade point average [GPA]) and institution-related factors (viz., proportion of female students, the mean graduate record examination [GRE] quantitative score, the size of the department housing the program and, in the qualitative phase, institution-related factors (e.g., how the program is structured, levels of academic preparation, and whether a student is enrolled full-time vs. part-time) were associated with TTD. This is followed by social integration factors, particularly the nature of advising and of dissertation topic chosen by students (qualitative phase). The impact of economic factors including work and financial support is moderate, whereas personal attributes such as the level of motivation and external factors such as family obligations also have some association with TTD (qualitative phase). Limitations and implications are addressed.

Making it Work

“…Student characteristics, such as discipline, motivation, the ability to work independently, and self-direction are linked with persistence (Gardner, 2009a;Grover, 2007;McAlpine & Norton, 2006;Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012). In particular, students who are intrinsically motivated for both personal and professional reasons are more likely to remain in doctoral programs (Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011). Organization and time management skills support student success and students often credit their ability to persist in doctoral programs to these skills (Martinez et al, 2013;Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012).…”

“…Within doctoral education, women with children often encounter additional barriers to program completion, slowing down their progression or leading them to leave programs altogether (Gardner, 2009b;Mason, Wolfinger, & Goulden, 2013). These barriers include the balance of multiple roles and responsibilities (Castelló, Pardo, Sala-Bubaré,, & Suñe-Soler, 2017;Dickerson et al, 2014;McAlpine & Norton, 2006;Smith, Maroney, Nelson, Abel, & Abel, 2006), childcare needs (Brown & Watson, 2010;Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012), financial challenges (Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011), and a lack of systemic supports for doctoral student parents (Springer, Parker, & Leviten-Reid, 2009). In addition, Tower and Latimer (2016) describe the disadvantage that women face within the academy, saying "gender plays a role in the type of work that women conduct in the academy as well as how it is devalued, invisible, or unrewarded" (p. 319).…”

Kenyan Doctoral Students’ Success: Roles of Motivation and Self-Efficacy

“…For example, PhD students who must work while studying have difficulty finalising their PhD projects (Bair & Haworth, 2004;Ho, Wong & Wong, 2010;Khozaei, Khozaei & Salleh, 2015;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011). Students working outside their university and in jobs unrelated to their PhD research area also progress more slowly than those who work in a research project related to their PhD work (Bair & Haworth, 2004;Herman, 2011;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011). However, another study indicates that PhD students who work full-time progress better than those who work part-time (Gittings et al, 2018).…”

“…Prior research identifies several contributing factors to PhD students' success, which can be broadly grouped into students' background factors, supervisory and integration factors and programme characteristic variables (Bair & Haworth, 2004;Tinto, 1993). In terms of students' background characteristics, research has emphasised socioeconomic factors, though individual psychological factors such as self-efficacy, self-regulation and motivation may also be key predictors of educational achievement (Lovitts, 2001;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011). The influence of these factors is more salient in PhD-level programmes, due to their complexity, loose structure and demand for sophisticated outputs, which require long working hours for extended time periods (Litalien, Guay & Morin, 2015).…”

Admission Criteria for Educational Leadership Doctoral Students in One U.S. Doctoral Program

“…3). Although the predictive ability of preadmission variables for doctoral programs has been debated across other disciplines (e.g., Childers & Rye, 1987;King et al, 1986;Kuncel, Hezlett, & Ones, 2001;Kuncel et al, 2010;Marrero, 2016;Wao, 2010;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011;Wilkerson, 2007), more information is needed about selection in educational leadership programs.…”