Research degrees as professional education?

Abstract

Abstract:There is an increasing trend within higher education and, more specifically, in higher degrees by research, to treat a professional skills set as a desirable graduate outcome. The increasing value that is being placed on a professional skills set in large part reflects growing interest around the world in the role of research degrees in labour markets and economic prosperity. Some have seen this shift as an opportunity to re-situate higher degrees by research as a form of professional education in the practices of research and scholarship. This raises a number of important issues for research education, which we aim to identify in this article. While a range of scholars has previously noted several of these issues, we draw together key issues for interrogating the notion of research degrees as a form of professional education. In doing so, we point to ambiguities in expectations about what is produced through higher degrees by research programs.Some university programs have a relatively long history of being perceived as professional degrees by virtue of their discipline, such as medicine, architecture and law. Increasingly, however, graduates of all university degrees are seen as possessing a professional skill set when compared with others, such as those in trades. This trend is also evident in higher degrees by research. The increasing value being placed on a professional skills set in large part reflects growing interest around the world in the role of research degrees in labour markets and economic prosperity (Chambaz, 2008;; Department of Education, Science and Training, 2003;; Roberts, 2002). So-called generic skills, such as communication, teamwork, problem solving, lifelong learning, intercultural understanding, entrepreneurship and leadership, are often deemed necessary to professionals and are considered favourable to the needs of a globalised knowledge-based economy. Scholars such as Margot Pearson have seen this shift as an opportunity to re-situate higher degrees by research as a form of professional education in the practices of research and scholarship, with the aim of assisting candidates to become "…autonomous professional practitioners for the future " (1996: 304). This raises a number of important issues for research education, which we aim to identify in this article. These issues include questions concerning what constitutes a profession, the status of professional knowledge, the role of generic skills in the higher degrees by research curriculum, the value and potential contribution of the research degree, diversity in researcher careers, and how to re-engage with the practice of research. While a range of scholars has previously noted several of these issues, as we acknowledge below, we aim to draw together key issues for interrogating the notion of research degrees as a form of professional education. Our analysis of knowledge generation will draw primarily on the work of scholars such as Donald Schön to address how higher degrees by research candidates learn to engage in r...

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