Why start a higher degree by research? An exploratory factor analysis of motivations to undertake doctoral studies

Abstract

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Determinants of Bachelor Students’ Intention to Enter a Research-Oriented Career

“…Moreover environmental influences should also be taken into account. For instance, research has shown that encouragement from professors might stimulate students to enter graduate school (Eagan Jr et al, 2011;Dasan, 2013;Guerin et al, 2015), the traditional way to a career as a researcher, and that the socialization by family and peers might have an important impact on students' progress (Lamport, 1993;Zafira, 2012;Guerin et al, 2015). Labini and Zinovyeva (2011) also stated that the quality of the research of the university was an important stimulus for students to enroll in a PhD program, and this was more so in sciences, medicine, and engineering.…”

“…Woolnough (1994, as quoted in Kamphuis, 2007), Zafira (2012), and Guerin et al (2015) state that the attitudes of students towards science and technology as a vocation and as a domain of study also depend on the home culture. Students who grow up in families where science and research receive some recognition, show a more positive attitude towards science (although this is less so for female students) or are more interested in attending graduate school.…”

“…Several researchers have observed a positive relationship between attitude towards science and choosing an academic education in science among students (Venville, Rennie, Hanbury & Longnecker, 2013). Guerin, Jayatilaka and Ranasinghe (2015) call this intrinsic motivation and saw it as a strong motivator among Australian students to pursue a higher degree by research. We hypothesize that students who are more positive towards research, will be more inclined to enter a research-oriented career.…”

Too many PhDs? An invalid argument for countries developing their scientific and academic systems: The case of Portugal

“…In general, doctoral students are interested in learning skills that are not necessarily those for which there is a demand in non-academic sectors, and this has been discussed in the literature as a major challenge to the employment of doctorate holders in non-academic sectors (see De Grande et al, 2014). It is also clear that financial motivation has not been critical for many doctoral applicants (Guerin et al, 2015;Roach and Sauermann, 2010;Zhou, 2014), although studies present mixed findings concerning the salary premium of holding a PhD when compared to other higher education degrees (e.g., Casey, 2009 vis-a-vis Mertens andRobken, 2013).…”

“…These motivations are less related with financial incentives, downstream work and access to resources (Guerin et al, 2015;Roach and Sauermann, 2010;Zhou, 2014). In general, doctoral students are interested in learning skills that are not necessarily those for which there is a demand in non-academic sectors, and this has been discussed in the literature as a major challenge to the employment of doctorate holders in non-academic sectors (see De Grande et al, 2014).…”