International PGR Voices: Lived Experiences of Completing a Doctorate at the University of Salford

Hardman, Maggie; Underwood, Jason

Abstract

Completing a doctoral degree on time is an extremely important metric for the awarding institution, for sponsors, for the department, for the supervisor, and not least for the PGRs themselves. When the PGR is an international student with English as a second language, the doctoral journey represents a life changing experience and completion of the degree may seem at times to be fraught with difficulties for all concerned. As numbers of international PGRs coming to the UK are expected to continue to rise, institutions must ensure that adequate support mechanisms are in place to ensure timely completion of study.
Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), this study examines the experiences of international PGRs at the University of Salford in the completion of their doctorate. IPA is a qualitative research strategy, committed to understanding how people make sense of their (important) life experiences (Smith et al., 2013) and is about exploring these experiences, each in its own terms, rather than being constrained by a priori theorising (Smith, 2016).
In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with international PGRs and this ‘trusting space’ allowed for their voices to be heard. The individual lived experiences of the participants show that it is their unique personal make-up which contributes to their progression and completion. However, commonalities were identified across participants. Their sense of being and belonging, their support network, and their personal drive determine how quickly they complete their study.
Articulating their narratives leads to a better understanding of how their experiences affected the progression and completion of their degree, and this in turn can help to ensure that we are providing and facilitating adequate support mechanisms at institution level so that international PGRs not only complete their doctorate on time, but have a positive and fulfilling experience along the way.

Citation

Hardman, M., & Underwood, J. (2023, July). International PGR Voices: Lived Experiences of Completing a Doctorate at the University of Salford. Paper presented at UKCGE Annual Conference 2023, Edinburgh

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: UKCGE Annual Conference 2023
• Conference Location: Edinburgh
• Start Date: Jul 3, 2023
• End Date: Jul 4, 2023
• Deposit Date: Aug 1, 2023
• Keywords: International PGR
• Publisher URL: https://ukcge.ac.uk/events/ukcge-annual-conference-2023