UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UKCGS Conference, Oxford March 31,2015Sami Kollanus
University of Jyväskylä, Finland
FROM WEAK MOTIVATION TO GRADUATION - FOUR
UNEXPECTED STORIES
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ University of Jyväskylä
1863 Jyväskylä Teacher Seminary
Multidisciplinary - 7 faculties
15,000 students
staff 2,600
London
Paris
MadridRome
Athens
FINLAND
Jyväskylä
Berlin
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Case unit
Finnish doctoral education– Free, no tuition fees– Unlimited studying time– Flexible study structures
Faculty of information Technology– 180 doctoral students– 30 % women, 25 % international– Relatively young and fast graduates
Participants: Full time & Finnish students
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Research data
30 interviews – 26 in different phases in their studies– 4 recently graduated doctors
Follow-up 3 years after the interviews
No/slow progress
Expected progress
Weak orientation&
progress (n = 5)
Semi-orientation&
progress (n = 4)
Strong orientation&
Progress (n = 6)
Weak orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 5)
Semi-orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 7)
Strong orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 3)
Orientation & progress
No/slow progress
Expected progress
Semi-orientation&
progress (n = 4)
Strong orientation&
Progress (n = 6)
Weak orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 5)
Semi-orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 7)
Strong orientation&
No/slow progress (n = 3)
Orientation & progress
Weak orientation&
progress (n = 5)
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Factors in successful doctoral path
Student:– Talented, intelligent, intellectually able – Proper motivation– Instrumental value of PhD for career plans– Physical and emotional stamina– Focused, self-directed– Social relatedness: Integrated with peers and faculty members– Personal issues: family situation, health– Earlier grades?
Department– Supervising/advising– Financial support– Faculty attrition– Departmental politics
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
#1 Annie
Industry -> employment in a research project No plan for doctoral studies The department expected PhD studies Worked alone - didn’t feel getting support from the
supervisor(s) or the project team Didn’t see PhD providing much value for the future
career
”I just do my work here”
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
… #1 Annie
New supervisor Career change to industry -> one important meeting:
– ”I didn’t understand how much I had already done”– Motivation to finish the uncompleted degree (individual
challenge + uncompleted task)
short leaves from the work in industry to finish the doctoral thesis (change for fun)
Graduated in ~5 years
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
#2 Jim
Long path to M.Sc. Didn’t plan doctoral studies Work as a teaching assistant The department expected doctoral studies Found high intrinsic motivation to research Very little support form the supervisor Jim: ”independent learning process”
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
… #2 Jim
A lot of teaching responsibilities PhD needed for an academic position Challenging research topic
– A lot of independent learning– Difficulties in the evaluation process
Graduated in ~6 years
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
#3 Peter
Was asked to work for a research project during master’s studies (pretty technical work)
Master’s thesis in the project Wasn’t so much into research
– More practically oriented– Writing was challenging – Questioned meaning of the PhD
Continued (as a PhD student) in the research group after M.Sc. -> no actual plan for PhD
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
… #3 Peter
Wrote several articles with the research group Career change to industry Graduated in ~5 years
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
#4 Dan
Master’s thesis in a research project Planned industrial career Random contact to the university through a
company -> work in a research project PhD studies for professional development Supervision worked pretty well Got more interested in research during the doctoral
path Graduated in 4 years
Ei niin itsenäinen, mutta tunnollinen
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Factor #1 Annie #2 Jim #3 Peter #4 Dan
Supervision Semi Weak Weak StrongInitial motivation Weak Weak Weak WeakPhD -> career plans
Weak Strong Weak Semi
Faculty attrition Weak
Peer support Weak Weak Strong WeakResearch environment
Strong Weak Strong Weak
Self-directed Strong Strong Weak Weak
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Conclusion
Key factors in successful doctoral path are individual Even one strength among several weak factors may
enable successful graduation So what?
– How could we take this into account in doctoral education?– Is there a useful way to identify individual differences in the
beginning of the studies (or even in application stage)?– Is this even a relevant question in doctoral education? Do
we even want this kind of students or only the students with ambitious aims for an academic career?
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ
Thanks for your attention!
Contact: [email protected]
