PhD Student Satisfaction with Course Experience and Supervision in Two Australian Research-intensive Universities

Title
PhD Student Satisfaction with Course Experience and Supervision in Two Australian Research-intensive Universities
Publication Date
2003
Author(s)
Harman, Grant
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1080/0810902032000113460
UNE publication id
une:1532
Abstract
Over the past decade, Australian universities have experienced a dramatic expansion in PhD enrolments and in the proportion of female PhD candidates. This article assesses how well two major research-intensive universities have coped with these changes, looking particularly at student course experience. Of particular concern are relatively low satisfaction ratings given by PhD students to their overall course experience, which appeared to stem largely from dissatisfaction with supervision. In turn, dissatisfaction with supervision by both male and female students appears to have stemmed from various factors, but particularly important were lack of easy access by students to supervisors because of high workloads, and weaknesses in supervision practice. Many younger PhD students had distinctively negative attitudes towards universities and academic careers at a time of declining government funding per student unit.
Link
Citation
Prometheus, 21(3), p. 317-333
ISSN
1470-1030
0810-9028
Start page
317
End page
333

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