The experience of educational research at doctoral level in the region of Cuyo, Argentina

Abstract

In this paper are reported the results of an exploratory-analytical research of a qualitative nature, whose intention is to approach the comprehension of the experiences, their peculiarities and problems, of a sample of students and graduates from the three doctorates in Education existing in the region of Cuyo, Argentina, which –though they reach a certain maturity– also show in these years some specific difficulties, among which the most relevant is the low rate of completion (close to 20%). The administered questionnaire, elaborated ad hoc, by means of open-ended questions, inquires on three dimensions that can explain the experience of the PhD student: 1) educational research methodology training, 2) practice in scientific research and 3) doctoral research process. The results show that curricular paths of doctorate’s research methodology, in dependence of their approach, play an important role in the process of theses, in synergy with other factors: integration into a research team, a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motives in the choice of the topic, a more elaborated conceptualization of educational research, conceptual changes of greater importance. Among the peculiarities, one warns the primacy of the experience and/or teacher workplace in decisions concerning doctoral research; among the difficulties, stand out the lack of time and the major frequency of intrinsic difficulties to the thesis in delayed students.

Keywords

• educación doctoral
• metodología de la investigación
• programa de investigación
• tesis doctoral
• argentina