This article is based upon my keynote presentation to the 42nd ANZCIES Conference held at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane from November 26-28, 2014. It explores the ways in which an assemblage of transcultural and postcolonial theories allow us to productively unsettle Education at a time when dominant neoliberal discourses risk…

Doctoral students face numerous challenges along the path toward achieving a doctorate. With the experience likened to a rite of passage, many face periods of confusion and disorientation, liminal periods of being betwixt and between. Threshold concept theory, reconceived as conceptual thresholds when experienced on the doctoral level, can inform…

In designing supervisor development programmes that are appropriate to changing research contexts, it is necessary to draw on both established best practice and emerging innovations that respond to the changing contexts of higher degree research. We undertook a narrative enquiry at an Australian university to establish a clearer understanding of…

Ph.D. attainment rates by race and gender vary widely across the disciplines, and previous research has found disciplinary variation in graduate admissions criteria and practices. To better understand how disciplines shape admissions preferences and practices, which in turn may shape student access to graduate education, this article uncovers…

This study utilizes a multivocal narrative approach to analyze the dynamics, accomplishments, and challenges of an interdisciplinary doctoral support group consisting primarily of female members. The authors raise issues of power, alliance, troubling expert-novice models of mentoring, and the role of social justice pedagogy in the group.

This paper reports on the results of a two-year study into threshold concepts (TCs) in doctoral writing. The findings informed the development of a thinking to write strategy (the 4x4) that has been implemented as part of a pan-university doctoral writing programme at a New Zealand university.

The purpose of this study is to examine the flow of doctoral students who are also research assistants and in the dissertation process. The study was designed using the case study method. The case undertaken in the study was the dissertation process. Eleven participants were selected into the study using maximum variation sampling. Face-to-face,…

This article describes the development of two doctoral-level multivariate statistics courses utilizing sociocultural theory, an integrative pedagogical framework. In the first course, the implementation of sociocultural theory helps to support the students through a rigorous introduction to statistics. The second course involves students…

Appreciative inquiry (AI) is an alternative approach to action research that moves participants beyond problem solving and builds on existing strengths as the participants co-construct a positive vision of the future and move toward that vision through collaborative inquiry. Ph.D. students enrolled in a doctoral seminar on AI (who also are…

In order for a smooth and problem-free transformation to take place in a digitalizing education system, efficient management is needed. Thus, educational managers need to improve their skills and develop behaviors suitable for taking education systems into the digital age. Social networks enable leaders to become digital citizens by embracing and…

This study examines whether students who started their doctoral degree with different motivation profiles differ in their emotional engagement in their studies, and how this pattern differs between domestic and international students in Finland. This study used survey data collected from 1064 domestic and 120 international students. The results…

Aim/Purpose: Teaching and learning is no longer the same and the paradigm shift has not settled yet. Information technology (IT) and its worldwide use impacts student learning methods and associated pedagogical models. Background: In this study we frame immersive learning as a method that we believe can be designed by pedagogical models such as…

While there is a growing literature focused on doctoral preparation for teaching about science teaching, rarely have recommendations extended to preparation for teaching science content to teachers. We three doctoral students employ self-study as a research methodology to investigate our developing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching…

African PhD fellows who are interested in completing (part of) their research in Europe cannot always afford to leave their place of residency for prolonged periods of time. Yet, young researchers from African countries might be searching for particular guidance from experts in their field that might not be accessible in their home countries.…

The purpose of the current study was to determine whether adding gamification to a doctoral level class would improve 1) students' self-reported feelings of motivation, competency, and engagement, and 2) knowledge of the library resources available to complete research. Twenty-one students agreed to participate and completed the pretest survey.…