ABSTRACT

A strong body of evidence shows that doctoral student experiences are shaped by both individual factors and socio-cultural contexts. However, we know little about the differences and similarities of such experiences across different socio-cultural contexts. To contribute to the understanding on contextual and invariants of doctoral experience, we surveyed doctoral students’ key experiences in two different socio-cultural contexts: two research-intensive universities in South Africa and Finland. The results indicate that both positive and negative student experiences shape doctoral education across institutions, disciplines and national contexts. The research supports the notion of the doctorate as a socio-cultural experience ranging from individual learning through experience, to relational enculturation into the wider scholarly community. The findings provide the basis for understanding the doctoral experience as a force shaping doctoral education systems.

摘要

大量证据表明，博士生的经历受个人因素和社会文化背景的影响。然而，我们对这些经历在不同社会文化背景下的异同知之甚少。为了有助于理解博士经历的背景和不变性，我们调查了博士生在两种不同的社会文化背景下的关键经历：南非和芬兰的两所研究型大学。结果表明，积极和消极的学生经历塑造了跨机构、学科和国家背景的博士教育。该研究支持将博士学位视为一种社会文化体验的概念，从个人学习到体验，再到关系文化融入更广泛的学术社区。