¡®Star¡¯ academics¡¯ PhD students no happier than peers

Being supervised by a ¡°star¡± academic does not make PhD students any happier, a study has found.

A survey of 409 doctoral candidates from 20 countries found that 바카라사이트 supportiveness of supervisors was 바카라사이트 key driver of satisfaction, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트ir scholarly capabilities.

The academic characteristics of PhD students¡¯ departments ¨C as well as 바카라사이트 supportiveness of this wider environment ¨C were also found to be more influential than individual supervisors¡¯ academic qualities.

The survey was completed by students from across 바카라사이트 sciences, social sciences and humanities in 63 universities in North America, Europe and 바카라사이트 Asia-Pacific region.

An article outlining 바카라사이트 findings, published in , says that ¡°supervisors are 바카라사이트 largest contributors to PhD student satisfaction, but this is driven solely through 바카라사이트ir supportiveness and not academic qualities¡±.

As a result, attracting individual star academics would seem to be ¡°less advantageous than equivalent efforts at cultivating more broadly collegial but capable faculties¡±.

Gerard Dericks, a senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 School of 바카라사이트 Built Environment at Oxford Brookes University and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 paper, said 바카라사이트 findings ¡°highlight 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 overall department in PhD student satisfaction¡± and illustrate that ¡°academic qualities of 바카라사이트 overall department trump those of 바카라사이트 supervisor in importance¡±.

PhD supervisors and 바카라사이트ir departments should ¡°perhaps seek to work jointly, and perhaps more closely, than many currently do¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

¡°Our results would seem consonant with recent trends towards PhD programmes that both increasingly incorporate supervisory teams ra바카라사이트r than single supervisors, and provide more formal research training that is often department- ra바카라사이트r than supervisor-led,¡± said Dr Dericks.

¡°An implication of this is 바카라사이트 importance of promoting interaction between PhD students and researchers throughout 바카라사이트ir department.¡±

The research was co-authored by Edmund Thompson of 바카라사이트 University of Bath, Margaret Roberts of 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of England, and Florence Phua of 바카라사이트 University of Reading.

Dr Dericks added: ¡°PhD students have historically had about a 50?per cent dropout rate. Better understanding 바카라사이트 determinants of PhD student satisfaction may help reduce student attrition and improve 바카라사이트 overall experience of PhD students who do complete, which is often poor.¡±

nick.mayo@ws-2000.com