Navigating Through Ph.D Programmes: Experiences of Ghanaian Ph.D Graduates from Universities across the Globe (Published)
This research sought to examines the experiences of Ghanaian PhD graduates from various universities across the globe. A qualitative research model was therefore designed and used to explore factors that motivated the PhD graduates to pursue their programmes, challenges they faced in the course of their study, effects of these challenges on them and how they dealt with the challenges. Purposive and convenience sampling techniques were employed to select twenty participants for the study. The theoretical focus of the study was on human capital theory. The data was analysed using thematic approach. It emerged from the study that job placement and security, the academic environment, family aspiration and expectation, personal desire to stand out to be visible and availability of scholarships were factors that motivated Ghanaian PhD graduates to pursue their programmes. The findings also revealed that Ghanaian PhD graduates lost most of their acquaintances deliberately, missed their families and social life, and had difficulty managing supervisor/student relationship, battling with theories, data management and analysis. It became obvious that as part of PhD students orientation they should be made to understand that uncertainty, doubt, disappointments are parts of the PhD experience and they should not be derailed by those conditions. Universities running PhD programmes should provide counselling centres and programmes that are tailored towards the reduction of stress factors accompanying PhD programmes.
Keywords: Education, Ghanaian Ph.D, Ph.D Programmes, graduates