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Lynette Pretorius · Luke Macaulay
Basil Cahusac de Caux Editors
Wellbeing
in Doctoral
Education
Insights and Guidance from the Student
Experience
Wellbeing in Doctoral Education
Lynette Pretorius • Luke Macaulay
Basil Cahusac de Caux
Editors
Wellbeing in Doctoral
Education
Insights and Guidance from the Student
Experience
Editors
Lynette Pretorius Luke Macaulay
Faculty of Education Faculty of Education
Monash University Monash University
Clayton, VIC, Australia Clayton, VIC, Australia
This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721,
Singapore
Book Reviewers
The editors would like to acknowledge the constructive insights and comments pro-
vided by all the reviewers of this book. These reviewers were chosen for their
diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The section entitled “Understanding
Yourself: Fostering Intrapersonal Wellbeing” was reviewed by Vista Bhopti,
MPsych(Clin), GradDipPsych, BA, MAPS, and Dr. Allie Ford, PhD, BSc(Hons),
GCHE. The section entitled “Understanding Your Experiences: Building Identity
and Agency in Academia” was reviewed by Dr. Evie Kendal, PhD, MBioethics,
MPHTM, BA(Hons), BBiomedSci, and Dr. Cho Kwong Charlie Lam, PhD,
BA(Hons). The section “Understanding Others: Developing Intercultural
Competence” was reviewed by Dr. Rosalind McFarlane, PhD, BA(Hons), and Marta
Spes-Skrbis, MAPL, BA(Hons). In addition to these expert reviewers, all chapters in
this book were also reviewed by the book editors: Dr. Lynette Pretorius, PhD,
BSc(Hons), GCAP, Luke Macaulay, BA(Hons), and Dr. Basil Cahusac de Caux,
PhD, MA, BA. Finally, this book underwent double-blinded external peer review.
The chapter authors would like to acknowledge their fellow research students
who provided helpful peer-reviewed suggestions during the development of this
book: Nasser Almutairi, Trang Dang, Desmaizayatri, Linette Etheredge, Glenys Joy
Goricane, Prasadi Hatanwila Liyana Arachchige, Olivia Ilic, Muhammad Nazil
Iqdami, Misol Kim, Jacky-Lou Maestre, Hyab Mehari Abraha, Xianyu Meng,
Elham M. Foomani, Han Ni Lwin, Maliheh Rezaei, Hannah Richardson, Alice
Roberts, and Xiaojing Yan.
Research Funding
Support for this research project has been provided by the Monash Education
Academy.
v
Contents
vii
viii Contents
������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 293
List of Figures
xi
List of Tables
xiii
Part I
Wellbeing in Doctoral Education: An
Introduction
Chapter 1
Prelude: The Topic Chooses the Researcher
Lynette Pretorius
Abstract As a prelude to the rest of the book, this introductory chapter highlights
the main motivation for the creation of Wellbeing in Doctoral Education, as well as
the overall book structure. In recent years, wellbeing has been increasingly recog-
nised as an important area in doctoral education. Yet, few resources exist to help
those who support doctoral students. Wellbeing in Doctoral Education provides a
voice to doctoral students to advocate for an improvement to their own doctoral
training environment. The book offers a range of personal and engaging stories that
highlight the diverse voices of doctoral students as they explore their own learning
journeys. Through these stories, doctoral students advocate for an academic envi-
ronment where disciplinary knowledge gained during the PhD is developed in con-
cert with the skills necessary to maintain personal wellbeing, purposely reflect on
experiences, and build intercultural competence.
It is commonly believed that research projects arise from a researcher’s innate field
of interest. However, I have come to agree with Romanyshyn (2007) that it is the
research topic that chooses the researcher. When my students first approached me to
help them write Wellbeing in Doctoral Education, I knew that I had to be involved.
Even though the project to write this book started only a few years ago, I believe that
in reality it started when I was finishing my own doctoral training. Several years
ago, I was completing my PhD in Medicine when, due to an unfortunate laboratory
accident, I developed an allergy to a common chemical used in laboratories world-
wide. While I was still able to complete my PhD (see Pretorius, 2010), this incident
meant that I would no longer be able to teach and conduct research in the medical
field. Naturally, this was perceived by many, including myself, as a significant set-
back in my career. However, my passions were teaching and conducting research,
L. Pretorius (*)
Faculty of Education, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
e-mail: lynette.pretorius@monash.edu
experiences, fostering their academic identity and sense of agency (Chap. 12).
Finally, the chapter authors noted the importance of encouraging intercultural
competence (Chaps. 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22), given the globalised academic environ-
ment (Chap. 17). Culture has been described as the software of the mind; it refers to
people’s patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting that they have learnt from their
social environment (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010). Intercultural compe-
tence, therefore, can be defined as “the ability to accommodate cultural differences
into one’s reality in ways that enable an individual to move easily into and out of
diverse cultures, and to adjust naturally to the situation at hand” (Sandell & Tupy,
2015, p. 365). The development of intercultural competence helped the chapter
authors to understand others who had different perspectives. This book, therefore,
advocates that the disciplinary knowledge gained during the PhD is of greater value
when it is developed in concert with fostering students’ personal epistemology
(“what individuals think knowledge is and how they think that they and others
know”, Hofer & Bendixen, 2012, p. 227).
In recent years, wellbeing has been increasingly recognised as an important area
in doctoral education. Yet, few resources exist to help those who support doctoral
students. By allowing the chapter authors to reflect on and narrate their own experi-
ences, Wellbeing in Doctoral Education provides a voice to doctoral students to
advocate for an improvement to their own doctoral training environment. Both the
struggles and the strategies for success highlighted by the students are, therefore,
invaluable not only for the authors, but also their families, their social networks, and
academia more broadly. In particular, it is my hope that readers will discover that
the doctoral journey is more than just a three- to four-year timeframe where a stu-
dent eventually submits a thesis as evidence of the creation of new knowledge.
Rather, the doctoral experience incorporates a variety of opportunities for more in-
depth personal development, particularly in terms of intrapersonal wellbeing, aca-
demic identity and sense of agency, as well as intercultural competence.
Importantly, the doctoral students’ stories should be a clarion call for those in
decision-making positions in academia. Wellbeing in occupational environments is
closely related to organisational functioning (Schmidt & Hansson, 2018). In many
cases, the issues identified by the students in this book cannot be resolved by the
individual student alone, or even by the student and their supervisor(s) together.
Rather, the wellbeing of doctoral students should also be the responsibility of the
educational institution. Doctoral students play a key role in helping academic insti-
tutions achieve their objectives through their involvement in both teaching and
research. Furthermore, poor wellbeing for those who choose to remain in academia
can be detrimental to future doctoral students, impacting on the quality of education
and the sustainability of the educational system in the future (Schmidt & Hansson,
2018). Therefore, it is imperative that academic institutions invest in their doctoral
student cohort by providing them with the skills and support they need to succeed
academically as well as flourish emotionally.
6 L. Pretorius
References
Agustin, D. (this volume). Chapter 21: Learning through critique: Intercultural awareness in
student-supervisor feedback practices. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux
(Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience.
Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Cahusac de Caux, B. (this volume-a). Chapter 2: A short history of doctoral studies. In L. Pretorius,
L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and
guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Cahusac de Caux, B. (this volume-b). Chapter 11: Wax on, wax off: Maintaining confidence and
overcoming anxiety. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in
doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore:
Springer.
Cahusac de Caux, B. K. C. D., Lam, C. K. C., Lau, R., Hoang, C. H., & Pretorius, L. (2017).
Reflection for learning in doctoral training: Writing groups, academic writing proficiency and
reflective practice. Reflective Practice, 18(4), 463–473. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.201
7.1307725
Cutri, J. (this volume). Chapter 22: The third space: Fostering intercultural communicative
competence within doctoral education. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux
(Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience.
Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Cutri, J., & Pretorius, L. (this volume). Chapter 17: Processes of globalisation in doctoral educa-
tion. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral educa-
tion: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Davies, T., Macaulay, L., & Pretorius, L. (this volume). Chapter 3: Tensions between disciplinary
knowledge and transferable skills: Fostering personal epistemology during doctoral studies.
In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education:
Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Hoang, C. H., & Pretorius, L. (this volume). Chapter 12: Identity and agency as academics:
Navigating academia as a doctoral student. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de
Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experi-
ence. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Hofer, B. K., & Bendixen, L. D. (2012). Personal epistemology: Theory, research, and future direc-
tions. In K. R. Harris, S. Graham, T. Urdan, C. B. McCormick, G. M. Sinatra, & J. Sweller
(Eds.), APA educational psychology handbook, Vol. 1. Theories, constructs, and critical issues
(pp. 227–256). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of
the mind. Intercultural cooperation and its importance for survival (3rd ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill Education.
Janssen, K. C. (this volume). Chapter 16: Understanding the uncertainty: The use of diffusion of
innovation theory to inform decision-making during the doctoral experience. In L. Pretorius,
L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and
guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Lai, V. T. T. (this volume). Chapter 9: Struggling with mental illnesses before and during the PhD
journey: When multiple treatments join the healing process. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, &
B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the
student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Lau, R. W. K. (this volume). Chapter 6: You are not your PhD: Managing stress during doctoral
candidature. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral
education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Lau, R. W. K., & Pretorius, L. (this volume). Chapter 5: Intrapersonal wellbeing and the academic
mental health crisis. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in
doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore:
Springer.
1 Prelude: The Topic Chooses the Researcher 7
Macaulay, L., & Davies, T. (this volume). Chapter 14: It is about time: Chronotopes and the experi-
ence and negotiation of space-time throughout a PhD candidature. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay,
& B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the
student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Moharami, M. (this volume). Chapter 20: Climbing the proverbial mountain: How I developed my
academic writing during my doctoral training. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de
Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experi-
ence. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Muhalim. (this volume). Chapter 19: Prospering in thesis writing: From self-reflexivity to ideo-
logical becoming. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in
doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore:
Springer.
Muniroh, S. (this volume). Chapter 10: Maintaining emotional wellbeing for doctoral students:
Indonesian students’ mechanism of thinking out loud. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, &
B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the
student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Nguyen, L. T. C. (this volume). Chapter 13: When questions answer themselves: Proactive reflec-
tion and critical eclecticism in PhD candidature. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de
Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experi-
ence. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Pretorius, L. (2010). Protective actions of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (p110α) in a setting of car-
diomyopathy. (Doctor of Philosophy), Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Pretorius, L., & Cutri, J. (this volume). Chapter 4: Autoethnography: Researching personal expe-
riences. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral
education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Romanyshyn, R. D. (2007). The wounded researcher: Research with soul in mind. New Orleans,
LA: Spring Journal Inc.
Sandell, E. J., & Tupy, S. J. (2015). Where cultural competency begins: Changes in undergraduate
students’ intercultural competency. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher
Education, 27(3), 364–381. Retrieved from http://www.isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE2058.pdf
Schmidt, M., & Hansson, E. (2018). Doctoral students’ well-being: A literature review.
International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 13(1), 1–14. https://
doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2018.1508171
Tandamrong, A. J., & Ford, A. (this volume). Chapter 23: The flow experience in the doctoral
journey. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral
education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Utami, A. D. (this volume). Chapter 8: Walking a tightrope: Juggling competing demands as a PhD
student and a mother. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in
doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore:
Springer.
White, P. C. (this volume). Chapter 15: Shouting down a well: The development of authorial iden-
tity in thesis writing. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in
doctoral education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore:
Springer.
Wilson, S., & Cutri, J. (this volume). Chapter 7: Negating isolation and imposter syndrome through
writing as product and as process: The impact of collegiate writing networks during a doctoral
programme. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral
education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
Zheng, H., Herawati, H., & Saneewong, S. (this volume). Chapter 18: Effective intercultural
supervision: Using reflective practice to enhance students’ and supervisors’ intercultural
competence. In L. Pretorius, L. Macaulay, & B. Cahusac de Caux (Eds.), Wellbeing in doctoral
education: Insights and guidance from the student experience. Singapore, Singapore: Springer.
8 L. Pretorius
Lynette Pretorius is the academic language development advisor for the Faculty of Education at
Monash University in Australia. She works with both undergraduate and postgraduate students to
improve their academic language and literacy skills. She has qualifications in Medicine, Science,
Education, as well as Counselling, and her research interests include experiential learning, reflec-
tive practice, doctoral education, mental health, and cardiovascular physiology.
Chapter 2
A Short History of Doctoral Studies
Abstract This chapter explores the design and delivery of doctoral programmes in
Western educational settings. The author provides a historical account of the design
of doctoral programmes and highlights the differences between countries in terms
of degree structure. The PhD has undergone several transformations since its early
inception and the contemporary doctorate is currently offered in a range of formats.
Justice and self-discovery continue to motivate entry into doctoral studies, but stu-
dents are also increasingly concerned with personal goals such as career progres-
sion and scholarly achievement. Despite significant developments in doctoral
education, the author concludes that a range of issues have yet to be resolved in
order to improve the overall educational experience of students.
Introduction
Group of Eight, 2013). The new PhD soon spread to the United States, where Yale
University offered the first doctorates in the mid-nineteenth century (Gardner &
Mendoza, 2010). Since then, the number of students earning doctorate degrees in
the United States alone increased from several hundred in the early 1900s to approx-
imately 50,000 in the early 2000s (Cyranoski, Gilbert, Ledford, Nayar, & Yahia,
2011; Nerad, 2007). Chinese doctorates are also increasing, with close to 50,000
doctoral graduates across all disciplines in 2009 (Cyranoski et al., 2011). In
Germany, figures relative to the national population are even higher, with a reported
stable average of 25,000 doctoral graduates per year (Cyranoski et al., 2011;
Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), 2019).
Initially, provisions relating to student–supervisor relations, mentoring, and
training were not as rigidly defined or regulated as they are at many institutions
today (Johnson, Lee, & Green, 2000; Mainhard, van der Rijst, van Tartwijk, &
Wubbels, 2009). Instead, students were expected to acquire the ability to work inde-
pendently to create original and impactful research under the supervision of one or
more experts. Despite major changes in the oversight of doctoral education and
training at higher education institutions in recent years, many doctoral students still
have a narrow educational experience (Lam et al., 2019) and do not “clearly under-
stand what doctoral study entails” (Golde & Dore, 2001, p. 7). Tracing the contem-
porary history of doctoral studies could help rectify gaps in expectations and
understanding among the doctoral student cohort and predict future obstacles for
those involved in doctoral studies.
Boud and Lee (2009) trace changes in the policies and training acquired by doctoral
students in disparate fields, highlighting the shifts that have occurred in doctoral
education over the past four decades. Similarly, research by Jones (2013) touches on
issues that have arisen during doctoral candidates’ studies through a review of aca-
demic papers on doctoral studies published over a 40-year period. Jones (2013)
notes how the pressure to publish has increased between the early 1980s and early
2010s, with increasing demands that doctoral students publish higher quality and
quantity of research during their candidature. Furthermore, Jones (2013) demon-
strates the impact of economic recessions on publication activity, contending that an
inverse relation holds between the two (i.e., more articles about issues in doctoral
studies are published during periods of economic recession). However, employment
rates for doctoral students remain among the highest of any category of university
graduates, with employment secured by 93% of PhD graduates (versus 81% of
other graduates) aged between 25 and 69 years (Auriol, Misu, & Freeman, 2013).
Over time, the demands of doctoral studies have shifted, with an increased focus
placed on diversification and comprehensive training within and beyond the field of
inquiry (Tennant, 2009). Diversification included the reshaping of the structure of
the PhD into distinct categories. For instance, universities and other institutions of
2 A Short History of Doctoral Studies 11
higher education in the Anglosphere now offer practice-based PhDs, PhDs by pub-
lication, professional doctorates, and conventional PhDs requiring the completion
of a written thesis based on the completion of an in-depth research project.
Additionally, higher education institutions offer honorary doctorates to distin-
guished individuals outside of the academe. Besides the conventional PhD (also
known as the theory-based PhD) and honorary doctorates, the variety of doctorates
mentioned above are relatively new to the academe. For instance, Candlin (2000)
notes how practice-based PhDs were “virtually unheard of” in the United Kingdom
during the 1990s (p. 2), indicating the emergence of a new type of doctoral degree
at the turn of the twenty-first century. Similarly, professional PhDs such as the
Doctor of Education (EdD) also trace their origins to the early 1990s (Gregory,
1995). Professional doctorates have since become widespread at institutions in the
Anglosphere and are offered at most of the leading universities in the world (see,
e.g., UCLA, 2019; University of Cambridge, 2019; University of New South Wales,
2019). The EdD degree is typically geared toward education professionals who are
working in educational systems, such as schools, to help shape education practice
and policy (University of New South Wales, 2019). Other professional doctorates
include the Doctorate of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsy), the Engineering Doctorate
(EngD), and the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA), among many others
(Fell, Flint, & Haines, 2011).
The recent recognition by students and university administrators of the need for
interdisciplinary and generic skills has led to the creation of diverse training pro-
grammes tailored to doctoral candidates (Park, 2005). These programmes include
seminars and workshops related to referencing, presenting, networking, and a range
of other academic and professional skills that are deemed of benefit to candidates
during and beyond their course of study. At some institutions, the completion of a
certain number of seminars and workshops during one’s course of study has become
a prerequisite for the attainment of the doctorate (see, e.g., Monash University, 2019).
Similarly, there are doctorates that include internship work through industry partner-
ships (see, e.g., Shell, 2019). These developments have reshaped the way in which
traditional and contemporary PhD degrees are viewed (Fink, 2006; McWilliam et al.,
2002). In the case of doctoral education in the United States, training programmes
are provided in addition to discipline-specific coursework that doctoral candidates
are required to complete prior to commencing their individual research projects
(Kehm, 2006). While coursework has been viewed as a burden by some students and
supervisors due to its time-intensive structure, university administrations view it as
part of a well-established practice that ensures that the course of study undertaken by
doctoral candidates produces rounded and knowledgeable specialists (Archibald,
2011). The structural elements of the PhD, such as coursework and examination
processes, however, continue to be questioned by leading researchers in doctoral
education, indicating potential changes to come (see, e.g., Golde, 2015).
Pastoral care and student autonomy have also been discussed as issues worthy of
consideration at the doctoral level (Johnson et al., 2000). The relationship-building
and training required to enable doctoral candidates to conduct research independently
comprise key transferable skills and are touched on in several chapters in this book.
12 B. Cahusac de Caux
An understanding of the different roles pastoral care plays is vital to doctoral stu-
dents who will one day work in supervisory roles, as it promotes stronger working
bonds and compassion (Gatfield, 2005).
Another issue worthy of discussion is the shift in financing models within PhD
programmes. Universities across the world began privatising education in the late
1990s, with previously government-funded doctoral programmes accepting non-
scholarship (i.e., self-financed) students for the very first time soon after. This
occurred in the United Kingdom and Italy in the late 1990s and early 2000s
(Passaretta, Trivellato, & Triventi, 2018), and resulted in a change in the occupation
outcomes of PhD holders. Given the stressors involved in self-financing a PhD, as
well as the rising competition to secure scholarships for doctoral studies (McCallin
& Nayar, 2012; Pyhältö, Toom, Stubb, & Lonka, 2012), I recommend reading Chap.
11 of this book for advice on how to build confidence and dispel anxiety in times of
personal hardship.
Career progression and choice are other factors influencing the decision to enrol in
doctoral studies. Diversity exists among disciplines, with clinical studies showing a
high preference for career progression at point of entry (Naylor, Chakravarti, & Baik,
2016). In the Australian context, approximately one in three postgraduate students
make their career decisions during their undergraduate studies, with a similar per-
centage deciding during their postgraduate studies (Edwards, Bexley, & Richardson,
2011). This indicates that students are typically either aware of their career choices or
begin to form such choices during candidature. Findings of this kind should be made
more accessible to individuals considering doctoral studies, as the formation of career
choices is apt to influence the career trajectory of doctoral students after graduation.
Changes to the structure of doctoral studies mean that doctoral students’ career
trajectories have changed, with more students finding work outside of the academe
after completing their doctoral degrees (Neumann & Tan, 2011; Pedersen, 2014).
This shift in career trajectory is worth noting, as the PhD was traditionally seen by
academics as a vehicle for securing human capital – in the form of researchers and
teachers – for universities and other research institutes. This is no longer the case,
as doctoral candidates move in and out of research and teaching-intensive positions
throughout their post-PhD trajectories (Walker, Golde, Jones, Bueschel, &
Hutchings, 2008). In fact, the increasingly strenuous demands placed on academics
(further discussed in Chap. 5) has led to a significant minority of doctoral candi-
dates and postdoctoral researchers favouring jobs outside of the academe
(Dorenkamp, 2018; McAlpine, 2017).
Indeed, doctorate holders finding work outside of the academe, whether in
research-intensive or other kinds of professional work, are experiencing greater lev-
els of job satisfaction and fulfilment at work (Di Paolo, 2016; Escardíbul & Afcha,
2017; Waaijer, Belder, Sonneveld, van Bochove, & van der Weijden, 2017).
Satisfaction among doctorate holders in and out of research tends to be high due to
the intellectual challenge, level of responsibility, degree of independence, and con-
tribution to society associated with their work (Auriol et al., 2013). This will likely
continue, as demand for doctorate holders increases outside of the academe (Hira,
2010; Kobayashi, 2011; van Henten, Eggermont, Bogle, & Dron, 2010).
Except for honorary doctorates, the various doctorate degrees offered at univer-
sities indicate not only a diversified course of training and study, but also varying
expectations concerning the future career trajectories of doctoral students. On one
hand, the expansion of career opportunities for doctorate holders beyond the aca-
deme is promising, as it indicates broader engagement with social and entrepre-
neurial structures, driven largely by an increasingly significant knowledge-based
economy that is welcoming of doctorate graduates (Auriol et al., 2013; Kehm,
2007; Nerad, 2010). On the other hand, the skills of doctoral students are heavily
underutilised in certain industries and parts of the world (Di Paolo & Mañé, 2016),
14 B. Cahusac de Caux
signalling a need for countries and labour markets to readjust their focus in ways
that cater for the wide skillset possessed by most doctoral graduates. While research-
intensive industries and firms with close links to universities tend to favour the
recruitment of highly skilled human capital (i.e., PhD holders, Garcia-Quevedo,
Mas-Verdú, & Polo-Otero, 2012), industries and firms with relatively weak ties to
universities could benefit from the innovation that comes from hiring PhD gradu-
ates. The increasing number of doctoral graduates in labour markets around the
world presents fresh opportunities for the global economy, as doctoral students con-
tinue to find employment in various sectors with the research and transferable skills
they gained during candidature (McAlpine, Amundsen, & Turner, 2013).
Conclusion
Reflecting on the origins of the PhD will allow doctoral students to better navigate
the challenges of managing the lengthy course of study required to attain a doctor-
ate. The PhD has undergone several transformations since its early inception. The
contemporary doctorate is currently offered in a range of formats, including tradi-
tional PhDs, professional doctorates, PhD by publication, and practice-based PhDs.
Justice and self-discovery continue to motivate entry into doctoral studies, but stu-
dents are also increasingly concerned with personal goals such as career progres-
sion and scholarly achievement. A range of issues have yet to be resolved by the
developments that have occurred within doctoral studies in the recent past. However,
some improvements include the diversification of the degree, an increase in gender
equality, and strong overall employment rates post-graduation.
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Basil Cahusac de Caux recently completed his PhD in the Historical Studies Programme of the
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Chapter 3
Tensions Between Disciplinary Knowledge
and Transferable Skills: Fostering Personal
Epistemology During Doctoral Studies
Abstract In this chapter, the authors highlight the recent calls for reform to doc-
toral programmes, particularly focused on the call for increased transferable skills
development. The authors discuss the two current schools of thought regarding the
incorporation of transferable skills training into doctoral programmes. On the one
hand, some scholars believe that the development of transferable skills should be
considered less important than disciplinary knowledge; on the other hand, other
scholars believe that transferable skills enhance the value of disciplinary knowl-
edge. The authors conclude that there is a need for doctoral training reform to
encourage students to reflect on the skills that they have learnt throughout their PhD
journey. This will help students to demonstrate their engagement with research as a
professional endeavour, allowing the PhD programme to become a vehicle for the
development of personal epistemology.
Introduction
In Chap. 2, it was noted that doctoral training programmes have evolved throughout
the years to incorporate a range of formats. Increasingly, PhD programmes are
incorporating skills-based training to purportedly improve the employability and
transferability of students’ knowledge. This chapter highlights the experiences of
two second-year PhD students as they explore the importance of transferable skills
development in the contemporary doctoral training environment. Through these stu-
dents’ experiences, we highlight the two schools of thought regarding transferable
skills development in doctoral training programmes. On the one hand, some schol-
ars believe that the development of transferable skills should be considered less
important than disciplinary knowledge; on the other hand, other scholars believe
that transferable skills enhance the value of disciplinary knowledge (Gilbert, Balatti,
Turner, & Whitehouse, 2004; Lam et al., 2019).
It has been shown that, whilst doctoral candidates may face similar challenges in
their doctoral journey, their experiences also lead to individualised skill development
where each student creates knowledge specific to their personal context (Lam et al.,
2019). In this chapter, we advocate that the disciplinary knowledge gained during the
PhD is of greater value when it is developed in concert with fostering students’ per-
sonal epistemology. When students can see the value of the skills they have learnt
and can reflect on their understanding of knowledge, they are better able to build
personal knowledge relevant to their future goals. This chapter, therefore, notes the
importance of not only incorporating transferable skills training into doctoral train-
ing curricula, but also explicitly demonstrating the value of these skills to students.
The changing face of PhD programmes in the global education sector (see Chap. 2)
requires universities to ensure that graduates are equipped with a wide range of skills
(see, e.g., The Group of Eight, 2013). It has been identified that the traditional PhD,
which focuses on academic output and the acquisition of scholarly skills, is intended
to produce future academics (Nerad, 2004; Stylianou, Enright, & Hogan, 2017).
However, whilst there is currently an ongoing demand for research-based profession-
als with specific disciplinary knowledge, there is also an intensification of demand for
doctoral graduates in diverse areas outside of traditional academia (see Chap. 2). As
such, doctoral graduates may be better situated in terms of employment opportunities
if they acquire a wide range of transferable skills throughout their candidature.
It has previously been argued that current PhD programmes, in a variety of global
contexts, are too narrow in their focus (see, e.g., Lam et al., 2019). Taking this into
account, as well as the changing landscape of doctoral graduate employment trends
(see, e.g., Chap. 2; The Group of Eight, 2013), it seems imperative for universities to
thoughtfully consider the shape of their PhD programmes. In particular, there is an
increased need for universities to equip their doctoral graduates with a wide variety
of transferable skills. Additionally, it is essential for students to also be aware of the
importance of transferable skills acquisition throughout their PhD candidature. As
highlighted below, Luke is determined to gain employment in a traditional academic
setting, a goal that he has had since commencing his tertiary education. Luke has
experienced first-hand some of the positive effects of transferable skills acquisition.
Before starting my PhD, I had never really given transferable skills a thought, and to be
honest, I probably did not really know what they were. Transferable skills were simply not
on my radar. I had my eyes set firmly on the prize, that being my specific research project
and my future academic employment. In fact, I would often get frustrated that the mandatory
professional development hours deviated too far from what I thought was relatable to my
research. As a result, these became more like a chore that I had to grit my teeth through.
3 Tensions Between Disciplinary Knowledge and Transferable Skills: Fostering… 21
In reading Luke’s account, there appears to be three key themes in terms of transfer-
able skills development: opportunity, value, and identification. In order to acquire
appropriate transferable skills, students need to be given the opportunity to do so
(Gilbert et al., 2004; Nerad, 2004; The Group of Eight, 2013). It has been identified
that when given the opportunity, students highly value transferable skills acquisition
as a part of their PhD journey (Borthwick & Wissler, 2003; Gilbert et al., 2004; Lam
et al., 2019). However, if the importance of that opportunity is not made explicit,
students may not be able to identify a potential opportunity. When Luke’s attitude to
the value of transferable skills changed, he was able to identify multiple opportuni-
ties for transferable skills acquisition. This was a process that Luke worked out
himself, and it seems by chance, after a catch up with a friend. If Luke had not met
with his friend, he may still be approaching potential opportunities to learn new
transferable skills begrudgingly.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mary Russell
Mitford
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United
States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away
or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the
laws of the country where you are located before using this
eBook.
Language: English
By
W. J. ROBERTS
(Author of “The Love Story of Empress Josephine,” “Literary
Landmarks of Torquay,” etc.).
W. J. ROBERTS
London,
March, 1913.
PREFACE
No figure in the gallery of Early Victorian writers presents a character
so charming or so tenderly pathetic as that of Mary Russell Mitford.
Added to these characteristics is the fact that her life was, in reality,
a tragedy brought about by her blind devotion and self-sacrifice to an
object which we are forced to regard as altogether unworthy.
Miss Mitford’s name is not a familiar one to this generation and it is
with the desire to alter this that the following pages have been
written. It would be impossible, within the compass of a book of this
size, to show forth Miss Mitford’s life in its entirety: what we have
done has been to select from the records of her life and work such
incidents and such friendships as seemed to us to portray her most
faithfully. Whether we have succeeded must be left to the reader to
judge.
In the compilation of the book many sources of information have
been drawn upon and the author desires to acknowledge his
indebtedness to all who have so kindly helped him in his labours.
Chief among these has been Lady Russell of Swallowfield, who, in
addition to supplying much material, has made the author still further
indebted by her acceptance of the dedication of the book. Miss Rose
G. Kingsley has also to be thanked for copies of letters written by
Miss Mitford to her father, Charles Kingsley, who lies buried at
Eversley, in the neighbourhood with which the book deals largely.
To Miss Josephine M. H. Fairless, Messrs. G. A. Poynder, W.
Smith, T. Rowland Kent, H. T. Pugh, J. J. Cooper, J.P., and Alderman
J. W. Martin (all of Reading) the author’s best thanks are tendered,
as also to the Rev. J. Henry Taylor, of Canterbury (Miss Mitford’s
“Little Henry”), the Rev. Alexander A. Headley, Rector of New
Alresford, Mr. Bertram Dobell, the well-known bibliophile of London,
Mr. W. H. Greenhough, Chief Librarian to the Borough of Reading,
and W. H. Hudson, Esq.—the last named for his very kind loan of the
pencil sketch of Miss Mitford which figures in this book.
W. J. ROBERTS.
London, 1913.
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I Early Days in Alresford 11
II Lyme Regis and Tragedy’s Shadow 23
III Reading and School Days at Chelsea 35
IV Schooldays and Miss Rowden’s Influence 48
V Reading 66
VI Bertram House 80
VII The Trip to Northumberland 92
VIII Literature as a Serious and Purposeful
Occupation 112
IX The First Book 124
X A Year of Anxiety 140
XI Literary Criticism and an Unprecedented
Compliment 157
XII Dwindling Fortunes and a Gleam of
Success 172
XIII Literary Friends and Last Days at
Bertram House 184
XIV The Cottage at Three Mile Cross 198
XV A Busy Woman 209
XVI “God Grant me to Deserve Success” 221
XVII Our Village is Published 234
XVIII Macready and Rienzi 246
XIX A Slave of the Lamp 259
XX Macready’s Reservation and Lord
Lytton’s Praise 274
XXI A Great Sorrow 287
XXII “The Workhouse—A Far Preferable
Destiny” 299
XXIII My Oldest and Kindest Friend 313
XXIV Various Friendships 327
XXV The State Pension 339
XXVI Death of Dr. Mitford 353
XXVII Love for Children and Last Days at
Three Mile Cross 367
XXVIII Swallowfield and the End 379
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
TO FACE
PAGE
My Cottage in “Our Village” Frontispiece
Mary Russell Mitford at the age of three 20
“Kendrick View,” Reading 40
Doctor Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 62
Mary Russell Mitford (from a drawing by Slater) 102
“Our Village” in 1913 198
Woodcock Lane, Three Mile Cross 210
Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Miss
Drummond) 226
The old Wheelwright’s Shop at “Our Village” 236
Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Three Mile Cross in 1913 242
Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Haydon) 260
Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 290
Miss Mitford (from a sketch in Fraser’s Magazine) 300
Mary Russell Mitford (from a drawing by F. R. Say) 322
Miss Mitford in 1837 (from Chorley’s Authors of
England) 328
Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 334
A View in Swallowfield Park 340
Mr. George Lovejoy, Bookseller, of Reading 364
The “House of Seven Gables,” on the road to 370
Swallowfield
Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Swallowfield (from a
contemporary engraving) 374
Miss Mitford’s Cottage at Swallowfield in 1913 380
Mary Russell Mitford (from a painting by Lucas) 384
Mary Russell Mitford (from a pencil sketch) 386
Swallowfield Churchyard 388
CHAPTER I