- Title
- Self-regulation in the doctoral research context: exploring students’ responses to a self-monitoring process during PhD candidature
- Creator
- Budd, Janene Louise
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2015
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- In educational psychology, self-regulation is a construct that has been used to explain students’ self-initiated efforts to implement cognitive, emotional, and behavioural strategies to guide direction and sustain motivation during the pursuit of personal educational goals. While the academic and performance outcomes of various aspects of self-regulation have been studied in a range of formal and informal learning domains, there has been a lack of published research regarding self-regulation in the doctoral research context. As the doctoral research context is typically more longitudinal, complex, and individualised than other learning domains, it would be expected to be particularly demanding in terms of self-regulation. How might students at this elite level of education differ in their self-regulatory efforts? Moreover, as a multitude of other factors influence the experience of PhD candidature, is it possible to discern any relationship between self-regulatory efficacy and doctoral research progress? Using an exploratory mixed-methods design, this study followed over 800 PhD students at various stages of candidature across a year of their doctoral research. Despite the many inherent challenges to the study of self-regulation as a cyclical feedback process in this context, the results of this study showed that differences in PhD students’ self-regulatory efficacy can be identified, and that these can be considered to be an important factor in the management of doctoral research. In particular, implementing effective self-regulatory practices led to greater satisfaction with progress, which was itself motivating, and was associated with continued enrolment and thesis completion. In contrast, ineffective self-regulatory behaviours, if left unchecked, were associated with an increased risk of withdrawal or taking leave from candidature. Considering the relationship found between students’ feelings about progress and the reported use of self-regulatory behaviours, the persistent dissatisfaction with progress that was experienced by a significant minority of students suggests the value of targeted interventions to assist these students to develop greater self-regulatory efficacy. The Journey Tracking Survey process, developed as a means of student self-monitoring in this study, was utilised successfully by some students in a more systematic manner to improve their self-regulatory functioning and hence their progress. This demonstrated the utility of this simple tool for PhD student use, in addition to further research purposes. However, consistent with prior research, the results of this study also highlighted the importance of the supervisor to students’ self-regulatory efforts, through the provision of regular, frequent, and constructive feedback. The outcomes of this investigation contribute to the limited literature on self-regulation in doctoral learners in a number of ways. Zimmerman’s (2000) cycle of self-regulation was shown to be relevant to understanding differences in students’ performance at the highest levels of formal education, and a new method for exploring self-regulation in this complex, individualised, and longitudinal context was discussed. The results also offer guidance for the design and evaluation of interventions for students who need assistance in enhancing their self-regulation, by generating a self-monitoring method for this purpose. Encouraging this type of student development, in conjunction with quality supervision and doctoral pedagogy, may contribute to improved rates of timely and successful PhD completions. In the process, PhD students may be better equipped with self-regulatory attributes that are likely to be of use within and beyond academe. The implications of these results thus extend beyond students and supervisors to all stakeholders in doctoral education.
- Subject
- self-regulation; doctoral research students; PhD candidature; doctoral education
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1309015
- Identifier
- uon:21745
- Rights
- Copyright 2015 Janene Louise Budd
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Abstract | 103 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 2 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |