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Issue 3, pp 303-320

Professionalising Ph.D. education to enhance the quality of the student experience

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Abstract
Ph.D. student numbers have been increasing in Australia as has government interest in the economic and social outcomes of graduate education (Moses 1994, Cullen et al. 1994). Yet the position of Ph.D. students can still be seen as marginal within universities and the institutional organisation of Ph.D. education as problematic. This situation can be related to the highly individualistic nature of research and supervision which is both a barrier to and part of the argument against efforts to examine and discuss in general the processes of research training and supervisory interactions across disciplinary and departmental boundaries. This article positions all Ph.D. students, in all fields of study, as learners in a form of professional education -a perspective which offers a way out of this apparent dilemma. Drawing on data from a study reported in Cullen et al. (1994) the following topics are explored: Ph.D. students as learners of the knowledge and skill of the professional practice of research and scholarship; the role of the supervisor in assisting students to become independent practitioners; and the complementary professional role of student participation in the academic community. Implications for policy and practice to professionalise Ph.D. education and enhance the quality of the student experience are discussed. Page %P Page 1

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References (15)

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About this Article

Title Professionalising Ph.D. education to enhance the quality of the student experience Journal Higher Education Volume 32, Issue 3 , pp 303-320 Cover Date 1996-10-01 DOI 10.1007/BF00138869 Print ISSN 0018-1560 Online ISSN 1573-174X Publisher Kluwer Academic Publishers Additional Links Register for Journal Updates Editorial Board About This Journal Manuscript Submission Topics Education (general) Psychology, general Authors Margot Pearson (1) Author Affiliations 1. The Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, The Australian National University, A.C.T. 0200, Canberra, Australia

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