Tensions Between Disciplinary Knowledge and Transferable Skills: Fostering Personal Epistemology During Doctoral Studies

Abstract

In this chapter, the authors highlight the recent calls for reform to doctoral programmes, particularly focused on the call for increased transferable skills development. The authors discuss the two current schools of thought regarding the incorporation of transferable skills training into doctoral programmes. On the one hand, some scholars believe that the development of transferable skills should be considered less important than disciplinary knowledge; on the other hand, other scholars believe that transferable skills enhance the value of disciplinary knowledge. The authors conclude that there is a need for doctoral training reform to encourage students to reflect on the skills that they have learnt throughout their PhD journey. This will help students to demonstrate their engagement with research as a professional endeavour, allowing the PhD programme to become a vehicle for the development of personal epistemology.