The Impact of Student Attributes and Program Characteristics on Doctoral Degree Completion

Gittings, Glenn; Bergman, Matt; Shuck, Brad; Rose, Kevin

doi:10.1002/nha3.20220

Cited by 29 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Students working outside their university and in jobs unrelated to their PhD research area also progress more slowly than those who work in a research project related to their PhD work (Bair & Haworth, 2004;Herman, 2011;Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011). However, another study indicates that PhD students who work full-time progress better than those who work part-time (Gittings et al, 2018). Financial assistance also likely predicts persistence, such that the type, amount and timing influence students' progress (Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011).…”

Section: Background Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kenyan Doctoral Students’ Success: Roles of Motivation and Self-Efficacy

Matheka¹,

Jansen

Hofman

2020

PiE

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Doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree holders are highly regarded in Kenya, especially in academia, and the Kenyan economy needs them to undertake administrative, research and innovation roles in academia and industry. However, attaining this qualification is arduous and Kenyan PhD programmes are characterised by low enrolment numbers, long degree completion times and low graduation rates. In other countries, PhD students' success has been linked to motivation and self-efficacy. This cross-sectional study explores the extents to which motivation and self-efficacy relate to PhD student success in Kenya and to which this relationship differs across background and programme characteristics. Using multiple linear regression, the authors analyse data from an online questionnaire administered to 628 PhD students enrolled between 2010 and 2018. The findings indicate that extrinsic motivation does not predict PhD students' pace. Intrinsic motivation positively predicts students' pace in the Medical Sciences programme cluster and for those aged 51 years or older. Self-efficacy negatively predicts students' pace in the Medical Sciences programme cluster.

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Section: Background Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Kenyan Doctoral Students’ Success: Roles of Motivation and Self-Efficacy

Matheka¹,

Jansen

Hofman

2020

PiE

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“…However, this study noted that men and women chances of success were not significantly different. PhD student's success has been shown to vary across modes of study with some studies showing better progression in part-time PhD students (Gittings, Bergman, Shuck, & Rose, 2018;Rodwell & Neumann, 2008) while Martin, MacLachlan, and Karmel (2001) indicated better progress among full-time PhD students.…”

Section: Achieved Background Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is unclear how employment status influences a PhD student's success, as Gittings et al (2018) reported that being in full-time employment positively influences the odds to completing a PhD program. In contrast, Herman (2011) and Wao and Onwuegbuzie (2011) found that working away from the university or in work that is unrelated to one's research area reduces chances of graduating while increasing time to degree completion.…”

Section: Achieved Background Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

PhD Students’ Background and Program Characteristics as Related to Success in Kenyan Universities

Matheka

Jansen

Hofman

2020

IJDS

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Aim/Purpose: Kenya plans to be a middle-income country by the year 2030. To achieve this development target, the country has rapidly expanded its university sub-sector in order to produce the requisite skilled professionals. This has put a strain on the available PhD holders thus heightening the pressure on universities to produce more PhD graduates to meet the required larger pool of highly qualified professionals to service the academia and other sectors of the economy. However, the PhD graduation rate per year is very low and unexplained. This study sought to explain the factors influencing PhD success rates in Kenyan universities. Background: This cross-sectional study set out to establish how PhD students’ background and program characteristics are related to their success. This knowledge will inform policies and strategies to enhance PhD training and success in Kenya. Methodology: Data on 1,992 PhD students was collected from 10 universities by using the Microsoft Excel data tool to collect administrative data. The researchers utilized the data collection to construct a quantitative research design. The PhD students were enrolled in the following program domains/clusters: Humanities and Social Sciences, Business and Economics, Physical and Life Sciences, Applied Sciences and Medical Sciences. Contribution: PhD success factors have been extensively studied in developed countries. This paper builds on this body of knowledge with a specific focus on developing countries like Kenya. Findings: Students’ background characteristics (age, nationality, gender, financial support and marital statuses) were not related to PhD students’ success, however, full-time employed PhD students had better progression than their part-time colleagues. Program characteristics (program cluster and mode of study) were significantly related to students’ success. Students who had delayed for two years or more years had limited chance to graduate. Recommendations for Practitioners: To improve the PhD education system, practitioners should endeavor to monitor and track the progress of their PhD students. To do this, the researchers recommend that the universities collect and keep good records of these types of data. Universities should come up with strategies to build on or mitigate against the factors that have been identified to influence PhD success. Recommendation for Researchers: The researchers recommend further research, especially in developing countries, to understand the PhD study systems and inform effective interventions. Impact on Society: To identify, conceptualize or mitigate against the factors which influence PhD success lead to higher success in PhD training in order to enhance knowledge to solve societal problems. Future Research: Further research is recommended especially in the context of developing countries to establish how supervisor–student interactions, availability of infrastructural resources, and students’ motivation, efficacy and well-being relate to PhD success in Kenyan universities

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“…One study into patterns of attrition found that while it is at its highest during the first two years of a program, it also occurred during other stages (Di Pierro, 2007). As a result, research has recommended that orientation programs incorporate integration opportunities that span the duration of the journey, from students meeting their peers and program faculty at the onset of the program (Motte, 2019) to regular contact with a program advisor and dissertation chair during the final stage (Gittings, Bergman, Shuck, & Rose, 2018).…”

Section: Program Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Significant Personal and Program Factors that Predict Online EdD Students’ Program Integration

Rockinson‐Szapkiw

Holmes

Stephen

2019

OLJ

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Based on a synthesis of persistence theory and the empirical literature, an online doctoral program integration model was developed using data from 232 online EdD students. A predictive, correlation design and regression analysis were used to examine if personal factors (sex, race, age, marital status, and presence of children in the home) and program factors (stage in doctoral journey, synchronous interactions, cohorts, and orientations) could predict program integration. The entire model was significant. The variables of sex, race, participation in a cohort, and engagement in synchronous communication individually contributed to the variance in program integration.

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The Impact of Student Attributes and Program Characteristics on Doctoral Degree Completion

Cited by 29 publications

References 24 publications

Kenyan Doctoral Students’ Success: Roles of Motivation and Self-Efficacy

Kenyan Doctoral Students’ Success: Roles of Motivation and Self-Efficacy

PhD Students’ Background and Program Characteristics as Related to Success in Kenyan Universities

Identifying Significant Personal and Program Factors that Predict Online EdD Students’ Program Integration

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