PhD student satisfaction with course experience and supervision in two Australian Research-intensive Universities
Year: 2003
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
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. Females were decidedly more dissatisfied than males with both course experience and 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.
Source: Prometheus
Author: Grant Harman
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2082533237