Doctoral trends development in Spain: From academic to professional paths

ABSTRACT

The alignment with the Bologna process and the subsequent creation of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) framework, principles, and guidelines have significantly changed Spanish doctoral education. In this article, we identify the critical drivers for that change in Spain and address their implications for doctoral education summarised around three significant trends: changes and diversification of research-related environments, the ones referred to the doctoral curriculum changes to enhance doctoral success, and the professionalisation of doctoral studies. For each of these trends, we discuss the challenges, their implications, and the practices and regulations designed to overcome them. Conclusions are drawn about the emerging landscape and future of doctoral education in Spain.

KEYWORDS:

• Spanish doctoral education
• trends of doctoral education
• doctoral education
• researcher careers
• doctoral programs development

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades [PID2019-109358RB-I00].

Notes on contributors

Montserrat Castelló

Montserrat Castelló Full Professor in Educational Psychology and Director of the Research Institute on Applied Psychology at Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. Her research activity and publications focus on academic, research writing and learning, writing regulation, and researcher identity development.

Marina García-Morante

Marina García-Morante PhD candidate in Educational Psychology at Universitat Ramon Llull, Barcelona, Spain. Her research activity and publications focus on researcher identity development for strenghtening innovation and research practices across sectors.

Laura Díaz

Laura Díaz-Villalba PhD candidate in Educational Psychology at University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. Her research activity and publications focus on researcher identity development particularly transitions and the cultural aspects involved.

Anna Sala-Bubaré

Anna Sala-Bubaré Associate professor at the Faculty of Psychology, education and Sports Sciences, Universitat Ramon LLull. Her current research interests focus on academic and research writing and early career researcher development

Crista Weise

Crista Weise Professor Serra Húnter of the Department of Basic, Evolutionary and Educational Psychology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Her field of research focuses on the study of identities in education, particularly professional trajectories, teacher training in higher and primary education, and the cultural aspects involved.