This part-reflective, part-conceptual article focuses on the issue of supervision models and the need to move away from the dominance of the traditional master-apprentice model which continues to persist in many social sciences and humanities contexts. Drawing on communities of practice theory, I critically reflect on my own PhD supervision…

Purpose: In this collaborative autoethnographic study, four faculty members in a US-based Doctor of Education (EdD) program reflected individually and collectively in the authors' community of practice through reflective journaling, self-reflection and discussion sessions to analyze the individual stories critically. This study aims to examine the…

Whether studying physical sciences, social sciences, engineering, mathematics, humanities, or education, approximately one in every two doctoral students fail to persist to degree completion (Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Lovitts, 2001; Tinto, 2012). A quantitative comparative study focused on two populations; students currently enrolled in the…

Using "banking" and "kitchen" metaphors to illustrate the educational frameworks of Freire's banking concept and constructivist learning theory, we--students and instructor--describe an innovative pedagogical adult learning-teaching model utilized in a required course, "Qualitative Research," within the curriculum of…

Higher education learning is increasingly enacted in digital environments and doctoral education is no exception. Scholars -- supervisors and PhD candidates -- actively create their own digital profiles, and their research is often disseminated via social media in tandem with the traditional publication of journals and books. Online learning…

Open Distance e-Learning (ODeL) is on the rise to cater to non-traditional students. However, the surge in master's and doctoral students opting for ODeL raises concerns about the quality and timely completion of degrees. Existing literature on student attrition in higher education indicates that both student-related factors and institutional…

Healthcare education guides students in obtaining skills to promote health in others. In working towards this goal, graduate students in healthcare programs potentially suffer from increased stress while undergoing the rigor of a medically based academic program. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of a learning community…

Adult learners often experience uncertainty, isolation, and, in graduate school, angst about meeting program requirements. Therefore, graduate students created and facilitated a seminar series and preliminary examination study group. The experience, however, transcended seminars and study meetings to build relevant and meaningful community. The…

This qualitative case study examines the personal experiences of the authors as members of an informal support group during the dissertation phase of their doctoral process. The group consisted of four Caucasian women ranging in age from 33 to 51 years of age when the group formed. Group e-mail messages in the form of archival data taken from…

Doctoral supervision has attracted significant attention from higher education bodies over the last 15 years, stimulated by shifts in educational and socio-political contexts including what supports the knowledge economy and the stakeholdership of students. This paper conceptualises work worlds through Heideggerian discourse and presents…

The purpose of this post-intentional phenomenological research study was to better understand connectedness in personal learning networks. The study was situated within the context of the field of learning design and technologies, and more specifically in distance learning. The conceptual framework comprised of theories of motivation, learning,…

In doctoral education, both the student's success and the quality of the degree are important, especially in view of the global demand to increase the number of doctoral graduates. A fundamental component of doctoral education is supervision. A qualitative study was conducted to collect information on the critical role of the supervisor in…

Despite the growing number of studies exploring PhD students' experiences and their social relationships with other researchers, there is a lack of research on the interaction between the type of experiences and the social agents involved, especially in relation to not only problems and challenges, but also to positive emotions and experiences. In…

This paper argues that links between academia and other economic sectors are increasing, especially through intersectoral mobility of university graduates. Murray [(2010). "The Oncomouse that Roared: Hybrid Exchange Strategies as a Source of Distinction at the Boundary of Overlapping Institutions." "American Journal of…

In the current context of doctoral education students are required to develop a range of complex academic literacy skills to accomplish optimal performance in their academic communities of practice. This has led to increase the interest in research on doctoral writing. However, research on how supervisors contribute to doctoral writing has not…