A study of postgraduate students’ research training environment and innovation capabilities: The mediating role of academic interest and aspiration

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of academic interest and academic aspirations in shaping postgraduate students’ innovation abilities. A sample of 847 postgraduate students from the regions of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai was utilised. Structural equation model, employing partial least squares, a second-generation statistical software package, was employed for data analysis. The study reveals three key findings. First of all, it affirms a significant and positive correlation between the research training environment and the innovation abilities of postgraduate students. Secondly, it identifies academic interests and aspirations as crucial mediators within the intricate network of relationships connecting the research training environment and research innovation capabilities among postgraduate students in China. Moreover, academic interest and academic aspirations sequentially mediate this process, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics involved. Using these insights, higher education administrators can improve postgraduate student development and research training procedures.

KEYWORDS:

• Postgraduate education
• academic interest
• academic aspiration
• innovation capabilities

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the Soft Science Research Project of Jiangsu Province [BR2019010].

Notes on contributors

Guo Chen

Guo Chen is a doctoral candidate at China University of Mining and Technology. Her research focuses on learning and teaching in higher education. She is a multi-disciplinary researcher with particular interests in meta-analysis and quantitative research methodologies.

Jianyue Chen

Jianyue Chen is a doctoral candidate at China University of Mining and Technology, and her research interests lie in the fields of time management and academic passion.