Review of 'Educating Researchers: New Zealand Education PhDs 1948-1998', Sue Middleton, 2001: Wellington, New Zealand Association for Research in Education. ISBN 1 577249 20 3, 116 pp.

Abstract

Sue Middleton very effectively uses life history method to produce a compelling story with 57 interviews (of the possible 200 New Zealand PhDs in Education) and documentary evidence. This is a book of considerable interest to doctoral students and supervisors, particularly those in education. Those interested in higher education will find this work weaves in a strong theoretical position in addressing the following questions: 1. How many education PhDs have there been and at which university? 2. Who were the students and what brought them into doctoral studies? 3. What were the topics, theories, methodologies and techniques employed? 4. What were their experiences of supervision? 5. How did they organise time and create space for a thesis in their everyday domestic and working lives? 6. What can we learn?