PANDEMIC, DOCTORAL STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND THE ROLE OF SUPERVISION

Abstract

The Ph.D. research and supervision process passes through different momentums of ups and downs, demotivation, and stress. Unexpected situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and its considerable influence on daily life and their working situation and research process, put new pressures on Ph.D. students. This study aims to investigate the COVID-19 pandemic on doctoral motivation, the supervisions' strategies, and the importance of supervisors in helping students tackle demotivation and stress situations. In this study, we conducted an online survey, including open-ended and Likert scale questions, distributed among the doctoral students and interviews with supervisors at Malmö University. According to the survey result, the pandemic has affected the doctoral students' research methodological process, communication frequency and efficiency with their supervisors, access to the office and laboratory, and motivation to write and finish their doctoral thesis. Stress, new life and family priorities, the uncertainty of fieldwork and research methods, isolation, skepticism about the importance of their research, and less connection with supervisors and peers have been mentioned as their reasons for demotivation. In addition, the survey results showed that most respondents emphasized the importance of the supervisors' role in their motivation. The message from this study is that the clarity of feedback, setting realistic goals, time management, mutual understanding, caring and support, flexibility and availability, regular and informal meetings, and positive attitudes are essential factors in doctoral supervision under stressful situations. The findings pinpoint the most efficient supervision strategies during challenging situations like the pandemic, which can be lessons for future similar events. However, the results also addressed the students' different needs and the importance of awareness and attention to the students' differences under supervision and mentoring.