On being a PhD Student in Educational Administration: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Perspective of the Graduate Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the experiences of PhD students in Educational Administration Program in terms of the problems they encounter, the strategies they use to deal with these problems and the motivational factors that stimulate them. The participants of this phenomenological study include 25 PhD students enrolled in the PhD program in Educational Administration departments of three state universities in Ankara. The data have been collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers, and analysed through descriptive content analysis. According to the findings of the research, the prominent problems of the PhD students are administrational problems at university, problems in their professional lives and individual problems. The students use different internal and external strategies to overcome these problems. And lastly, professional and individual factors motivate them to survive during this difficult path.

Keywords

• Doctorate students
• Doctorate program
• Educational administration doctorate program

Eğitim Yönetimi Alanında Doktora Öğrencisi Olmak: Lisansüstü Öğrencilerin Bakış Açısından Fenomenolojik Bir İnceleme

Öz

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Eğitim Yönetimi doktora programına kayıtlı öğrencilerin deneyimlerini, karşılaşılan problemler, problemlerle baş etmek için kullanılan stratejiler ve süreçte motive edici faktörler açısından incelemektir. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden fenomenolojik (olgu bilim) desen ile yürütülen araştırmanın çalışma grubunu Ankara’daki üç devlet üniversitesinin Eğitim Yönetimi Doktora programına kayıtlı, ders aşamasını tamamlamış tez aşamasında olan 25 doktora öğrencisi oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veri toplamak amacıyla araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen yarı yapılandırılmış bir görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Veriler, yüz yüze görüşmeler ile toplanmış ve içerik analizi yöntemi ile analiz edilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre Eğitim Yönetimi Doktora Programı öğrencileri programın kendisine yönelik sorunları, iş hayatına yönelik sorunlarını ve diğer sorunları öncelikli olarak belirtmişlerdir. Katılımcılar bu sorunlarla başa çıkarken içsel ve dışsal olmak üzere farklı stratejiler kullandıklarını ifade etmişlerdir. Katılımcıları bu zorlu sürece güdüleyen faktörler ise mesleki ve kişisel faktörler şeklinde ortaya çıkmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Doktora programı
• Doktora öğrencisi
• Eğitim Yönetimi

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