Realising graduate attributes in the research degree: the role of peer support groups

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of peer support groups (PSGs) in realising graduate attributes in the research degree. The literature indicates that top-down embedding of graduate attributes has met with only limited success. By taking a bottom-up approach, this paper shows that PSGs offer an opportunity to improve the graduate attribute outcomes of universities. This paper presents the experiences of research students in three PSGs in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, and the results of an exploratory opinion survey that required past and present PSG members to share their learning experiences about the development of graduate attributes. The participants favoured five attributes: communication, critical thinking, self-motivation, research organisation and teamwork. Viewing the development of graduate attributes through the lens of the students adds to our understanding of how PSGs help them to develop graduate attributes and contribute to university efforts to instil these attributes by taking into account experiential learning.

Keywords:

• doctoral education
• graduate attributes
• higher education
• postgraduate peer support groups
• research students

Acknowledgements

We express our sincere thanks to the past and present members of our Peer Support Groups for completing the surveys. We also thank Susan Carter, Tony Harland and Sarah Stein as well as the anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this paper. Our thanks also to the University of Otago for providing Performance Based Research Funding (PBRF) to support this research.

Notes

1. Since we started working on this study, the University of Canberra has replaced the 2003 statement and now lists the following five attributes: innovation and creativity, critical judgement and reflection, communication, management of research, and professionalism and social responsibility (University of Canberra 2013).

2. The Universiti Putra's guidelines for learning outcomes for Masters by research graduates are very similar – see Universiti Putra Malaysia (2010a).

3. We excluded environmental literacy and provision of professional services due to their specificity.

4. We de-identified all responses received by giving each student a number preceded by the country initial (A for Australia, M for Malaysia and NZ for New Zealand).