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ICT Use in Doctoral Research

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Abstract

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use in academic practice has progressed rapidly in the last decade. Nevertheless, it’s use has been taken-for-granted and/or overlooked in academic practice, especially in doctoral research. This pilot study was carried out in 2017, with the aim to examine PhD supervisors’ and PhD students’ assumptions about ICT use and their daily ICT practice in their doctoral supervision/research at a school which only offers graduate programme in a New Zealand university. Data were gathered through participative drawings in which three volunteering PhD supervisors and students reflected on their ICT use in their research. In addition, individual discussions were held, exposing their perspectives of ICT use in this domain for a duration of 12 weeks. A thematic analysis, focused on participants’ perceptions of their ICT use in doctoral research, was conducted. Findings suggest that participants required greater support to enhance their ICT use which was associated with low “e-literacy”. It is evident that the roles of ICT in higher education need to be re-investigated, particularly to support efficient and effective ICT use for doctoral research. The study advocates for a shift to a new understanding of doctoral study schema in higher education by evolving a mutual understanding of ICT use among institutions, PhD supervisors, and PhD students in the doctoral research.

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Acknowledgements

Different part of this study have been presented at the following: Sim, K. N., & Stein, S. (2019, November). Is ICT use in higher education transforming lives and societies? Paper presented at the World Conference on Online Learning, Dublin, Ireland. Sim, K. N. & Stein, S. (2019, July). ICT: Challenge, change or opportunity in doctoral research processes? Paper presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand. Sim, K. N. (2018, April). ICT use in the doctoral research process: Whose call? Paper presented at the 2018 Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference, National Wine Centre, Adelaide, Australia. Sim, K. N. (2017, October). The role of ICT in 21st Century doctoral supervision/study. Paper presented at the E-Learn Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

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  1. Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

    Kwong Nui Sim

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Correspondence to Kwong Nui Sim.

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Sim, K.N. ICT Use in Doctoral Research. NZ J Educ Stud 57, 253–267 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-021-00208-1

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