On being a PhD Student in Educational Administration: A Phenomenological Inquiry into the Perspective of the Graduate Students

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the experiences of PhD students in Educational Administration Program in terms of the problems they encounter, the strategies they use to deal with these problems and the motivational factors that stimulate them. The participants of this phenomenological study include 25 PhD students enrolled in the PhD program in Educational Administration departments of three state universities in Ankara. The data have been collected through a semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers, and analysed through descriptive content analysis. According to the findings of the research, the prominent problems of the PhD students are administrational problems at university, problems in their professional lives and individual problems. The students use different internal and external strategies to overcome these problems. And lastly, professional and individual factors motivate them to survive during this difficult path.