Doctoral student support programs in diverse national contexts

Abstract

Purpose The growing demand for doctoral education and the role of the doctoral degree to advance nations socially, economically, and culturally forces countries and individual institutions to respond to concerns stemming from the doctoral process. Numerous initiatives to support doctoral students have been adopted with varying features across countries. The purpose of this paper is to examine doctoral student support programs in two countries: the USA and Turkey. These countries offer higher education systems at different stages of maturity and stability. Design/methodology/approach The data for this study came from a comparative case study analysis of doctoral student experiences in support programs at two research universities, one in the USA and one in Turkey. Ten American doctoral students and eight Turkish doctoral students were interviewed, for a total of 18 interviews. The study utilized the conceptual framework specified by the PhD Completion Project initiated by the US Council of Graduate Schools. Findings The two national systems featured in this study are at different points of their development. These developmental starting points influence the rationale and construction of a student support program, particularly one focused on advanced degrees, research activity, and knowledge production. The Turkish higher education system faces the challenge of building its infrastructure to be responsive to national needs in future decades, including producing qualified faculty as teachers and researchers. The American model of doctoral student support concentrates on increasing diversity within the academy. By focusing on first-generation students, students of color, and women in STEM disciplines, efforts are directed toward not just improving the quantity of graduates, but also the diversity of those graduates. Originality/value While doctoral student support programs are increasingly common in multiple national contexts, analyses of these programs are rare, and comparative analyses even more so. The emergence of new academic disciplines, the trend toward interdisciplinary research, and the prevalence of neo-liberal policies has made the doctoral experience increasingly complex. The data presented here reveal that while doctoral education is influenced by country-specific contexts, doctoral students from multiple countries share many of the same experiences.

Born or made - Can interdisciplinary and intersectoral doctorate education create institutional entrepreneurs? A systematic review

“…Identity directly influences a student's sense of belonging (Caliskan and Holley, 2017). When identity is unclear, students can struggle to identify and market their own capabilities (Holley, 2018).…”

“…Owen Smith & Powell ( 2008) describe how ambiguous identities and multiple networks create conditions conducive to institutional entrepreneurship. While mentors and supervisors may provide access to sectoral or disciplinary networks (Caliskan and Holley, 2017), networking outside the home discipline can lead to an appreciation of different epistemologies (Bosque Pérez et al, 2016). Such interactions may also extend strong ties beyond disciplinary boundaries with access to different perspectives (Mountford et al, 2019).…”

“…Relaxed students are more creative and open-minded (Chouvarda et al, 2019). Ideally, a program wishing to foster collaboration would prioritize both formal and informal interaction opportunities to develop personal and collective skills (Caliskan and Holley, 2017).…”

“…Intersectoral programs may have a professional supervisor in addition to a peer mentor (Caliskan and Holley, 2017) where mentors hold a more informal type of relationship with the student that can facilitate further questioning of norms. (2005) defines the agency required for institutional entrepreneurship as "the motivation and the creativity that drive actors to break away from scripted patterns of behaviour" (p. 388).…”

“…Supervisors can struggle where students deviate from their own norms often worrying whether they can handle a student that takes a direction unfamiliar to them. Busy schedules and lack of personal fit can exacerbate such difficulties (Caliskan and Holley, 2017). A faculty training program may better prepare supervisors for working with others in interdisciplinary or intersectoral contexts (Bosque-Pérez et al, 2016).…”