Papers by Robert C Templeton
This thesis does not contain material which has been previously submitted for examination in anot... more This thesis does not contain material which has been previously submitted for examination in another course or accepted for the award of any other degree or diploma in any university or other institution. To the best of my knowledge this thesis does not contain any material previously published or written by any other person without due reference being made in the text of the thesis. The research for this project received the approval of the
The Australian Universities' review, Feb 28, 2016
The phenomenon of dropping out may be due to the student not abandoning but deferring their intri... more The phenomenon of dropping out may be due to the student not abandoning but deferring their intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is suggested as the naturalistic motivation to commence and complete a doctoral degree and may be supported by an extrinsic motivation. However, according to McCormack (2005), students who withdraw from doctoral education often re-enrol and subsequently complete their doctorate. This research explores the relationship between intrinsic motivations to learn, extrinsic motivations, the provocation to undertake doctoral study, dropout and the act of re-enrolling to complete a research doctorate. The research will seek to explain the motivational reasoning by exploring the participants' recollections of their motives to dropout and then return to their doctoral degree study. Literature According to Ryan and Deci (2000, p. 54), motivation may be defined as being 'moved to do something'. With respect to the research literature on the motivation of postgraduate students, Hegarty (2011, p. 146) suggests that: There is, however, limited research on adult learners' motivation in completing a graduate program. Furthermore, there is an absence of measurement of motivation in graduate students in general. We know that by enrolling in a graduate program an individual is motivated. We do not know, however, what type of motivation, nor do we know its strength. The strength of the motivation to undertake postgraduate research may vary between people. This suggests that what is of inherent interest to one person may be of no interest to another. Motivations to learn are not restricted to formal education but include any learning activity or skill development. People are motivated to undertake doctoral study by their curiosity, interest, or to procure the approval of another. According to Ryan and Deci (2000, p. 55) students 'could be motivated to learn a new set of skills because he or she understands their potential utility or value or because learning the skills will yield a good grade and the privileges a good grade affords'.
Postgraduate Education in Higher Education, 2018
As the volume progressed to its halfway point, Professor Ronel Erwee unexpectedly passed away in ... more As the volume progressed to its halfway point, Professor Ronel Erwee unexpectedly passed away in March 2017 after a short illness. Her warmth and caring to colleagues and friends is sorely missed; however, her sense of detail and preparation are noted throughout this volume because of her diligent work in reviewing a number of the chapters and her guidance in shaping the approach and content that are found within these pages. This volume is dedicated to her memory. Ronel was a Professor in the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts, University of Southern Queensland (USQ), Australia. Moving from South Africa, she arrived at USQ in 1998, teaching in the areas of International Management, People Development and Team Leadership, and in the DBA program as well as supervising Ph.D. and DBA candidates. Her areas of research include Strategic Thinking, International Human Resource Management, Knowledge Management, Managing Diversity, Leadership, and Organizational Change. Above all else, she was noted for her dedication and care on the topics of postgraduate education and research supervision. Her colleagues' esteem for her devotion inspired the creation of the Ronel Erwee Memorial Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Research Supervision given to groups or individuals demonstrating specific contributions to the advancement of HDR student research culture and/or HDR student supervision practices at USQ. I also need to take this opportunity to thank Drs. Marcus and Meredith Harmes for the willingness to enter into this project media in res and help complete the request, review, and other administrative processes that are part of creating a volume such as this one. Their contributions have been significant, building on and completing the work that was either incomplete or still undone.
Traversing the Doctorate, 2019
Within the literature on doctoral student withdrawal, the student–supervisor relationship is attr... more Within the literature on doctoral student withdrawal, the student–supervisor relationship is attributed as having more influence on doctoral non-completion than other factors. This chapter examines the effect and affectedness of this relationship. Supervisory practices are examined through a student lens from ethnographic data previously collected using interviewing techniques to gather the students’ experiences of unsupported candidature. Such practices are postulated to be behavioural issues of the supervisor or institutional issues caused by funding and/or a lack of supervisor training.
This research study explores the influence of dispositions as sociological features of doctoral s... more This research study explores the influence of dispositions as sociological features of doctoral student dropout as experienced by a group of participants from different Australian universities. To elucidate these influences the research poses the two questions of what are the influences on students’ decisions to drop out and how is this experienced by the student? Using an analysis of these personal experiences the study suggests a range of outcomes which illuminate the experience of dropout (and dropping out) through a Bourdieusian decision-making lens. These outcomes are the basis of the research conclusions regarding possible approaches to reducing the incidence of doctoral student non-completion. In addition, suggestions for further research into specific aspects of the dropout and dropping out phenomenon are developed. Dropout research has historically been focussed on various ‘risk factors’ attributed to students and tertiary institutions. These factors focus on the effects of...
Contextualization Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his concept of decision-making from the c... more Contextualization Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his concept of decision-making from the context of reflexive and repetitive choices affecting the daily lives of people. This concept was grounded in ethnographic research of French and Algerian society and the individual experiential and group culture of these societies. As Bourdieu's interest was the daily lives and routines of these peoples, his theory of decision-making involved the ideas of habitus, capital and field resulting in specific and immediate practices. By nature, these decisions are habitual rather than considered and deterministic which are reflective of a complexity of thought for the resulting practice. The individual determination of a non-immediate decision to withdraw from doctoral research programs is the focus of this paper. Such withdrawal decisions can be emotional for the student and have an effect on the doctoral programs of universities that can result in the loss of student, university and soci...
The Australian Universities' review, 2016
Intrinsic motivation has been considered as the dominant motivation of adult students in continui... more Intrinsic motivation has been considered as the dominant motivation of adult students in continuing postgraduate education. However, the strength of an intrinsic motivation to learn does not explain the phenomenon of dropout where the student withdraws and does not return or dropping out where the student withdraws and then recommences their postgraduate research studies. This paper draws on qualitative data collected as part of a doctoral thesis to examine this phenomenon ethnographically. The study explores motivations which have been lessened or abandoned by the influence of external factors and the effect that these external factors have on the motivation to learn with respect to their influence on student withdrawal.
Traversing the Doctorate, 2019
With the emerging and ongoing public discourse on mental illness, there is a need to understand t... more With the emerging and ongoing public discourse on mental illness, there is a need to understand the effects on students living with depression of undertaking the doctoral journey. Depression is a mood-altering illness that can and does have an effect on the doctoral student both temporally and cognitively. The cognitive effects include one’s beliefs in the ability to complete the research. This chapter is my autoethnographic experiences in undertaking a Doctor of Education degree whilst living with depression. The chapter explains my reflections on researching and writing a thesis while coping with depression. Strategies for other students who are affected by the sometimes cognitive and behavioural effects of depression on their doctoral aspirations are also presented.
Bourdieu’s theory of decision making is based on habitual and immediate decisions which are refle... more Bourdieu’s theory of decision making is based on habitual and immediate decisions which are reflexive and reactive and which rely on dispositions and various forms of capital relative to a particular field. However, there are a number of decisions that are not reactive and immediate but are developed over time because of the enduring nature of the decision to the decision maker. Using empirical research data collected for a doctoral thesis, the factors of this habitual and immediate style of decision-making are explored relative to non-habitual decision-making. This poses the research question of whether the same factors as postulated by Bourdieu can be applied in decisions made over a period of time, specifically postgraduate student withdrawal from doctoral programs. The research is methodologically qualitative with empirical ethnographic data from a conversational style interview, in addition to autoethnographic data.
Intrinsic motivation has been considered as the dominant motivation of adult students in continui... more Intrinsic motivation has been considered as the dominant motivation of adult students in continuing postgraduate education). However, the strength of an intrinsic motivation to learn does not explain the phenomenon of dropout where the student withdraws and does not return or dropping out where the student withdraws and then recommences their postgraduate research studies. This paper draws on qualitative data collected as part of a doctoral thesis to examine this phenomenon ethnographically. The study explores motivations which have been lessened or abandoned by the influence of external factors and the effect that these external factors have on the motivation to learn with respect to their influence on student withdrawal.
Contextualization Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his concept of decision-making from the c... more Contextualization Pierre Bourdieu (1930-2002) developed his concept of decision-making from the context of reflexive and repetitive choices affecting the daily lives of people. This concept was grounded in ethnographic research of French and Algerian society and the individual experiential and group culture of these societies. As Bourdieu's interest was the daily lives and routines of these peoples, his theory of decision-making involved the ideas of habitus, capital and field resulting in specific and immediate practices. By nature, these decisions are habitual rather than considered and deterministic which are reflective of a complexity of thought for the resulting practice. The individual determination of a non-immediate decision to withdraw from doctoral research programs is the focus of this paper. Such withdrawal decisions can be emotional for the student and have an effect on the doctoral programs of universities that can result in the loss of student, university and society cultural and financial capitals. Abstract: Bourdieu's theory of decision making is based on habitual and immediate decisions which are reflexive and reactive and which rely on dispositions and various forms of capital relative to a particular field. However, there are a number of decisions that are not reactive and immediate but are developed over time because of the enduring nature of the decision to the decision maker. Using empirical research data collected for a doctoral thesis, the factors of this habitual and immediate style of decision-making are explored relative to non-habitual decision-making. This poses the research question of whether the same factors as postulated by Bourdieu can be applied in decisions made over a period of time, specifically postgraduate student withdrawal from doctoral programs. The research is methodologically qualitative with empirical ethnographic data from a conversational style interview, in addition to autoethnographic data.
Uploads
Papers by Robert C Templeton