The PhD Defence in Educational Sciences of candidate Patrícia Alves will take place at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto (FPCEUP) on 09 May 2024, at 10.00 Am. The thesis, entitled“Processos e Resultados da Educação Doutoral: Um estudo multimétodos no contexto português” was developed under the supervision of  Amélia Lopes Full Professor of FPCEUP, Isabel Menezes Full Professor of FPCEUP , bouth members of CIIE. Ricardo  Correia, Associate Professor of Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto.

The session is open to the public.

Evaluation panel:
President: António Magalhães Full Professor of FPCEUP.

Members:
Hugo Horta, Associate Professor of the Faculty of Education of the University of Hong Kong.
Mariana Alves, Associate Professor of the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon.
Patrícia Pinto, Retired Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of the New University of Lisbon.
Isabel Menezes, Full Professor at FPCEUP - supervisor.
Maria Paula Hüsgen, Associate Professor at FPCEUP
Tiago Neves, Associate Professor at FPCEUP

ABSTRAT

In recent decades, doctoral education has undergone profound transformations driven by the emergence of the knowledge society, the massification and democratisation of education, or changes in the labour market for doctoral candidates. In this context, many processes and outcomes of doctoral education have been identified as relevant, but there are still tensions, controversies, weaknesses, and gaps in scientific knowledge that make the study of this topic highly relevant scientifically, practically and politically.
Adopting a perspectivist approach and a multi-method multi-phase design, this research project, which resulted in five studies, aimed to identify and characterise the most relevant outcomes of doctoral education and the processes that promote or hinder their achievement, based on the voices of different actors in doctoral education.
Reflecting an integrative and ecological perspective, the results revealed the multidimensionality of the value (positive outcomes) of doctoral education, which expresses the confluence of different founding narratives of higher education. Withdrawal from doctoral education was conceptualised as a behavioural manifestation of longitudinal and multidimensional processes of disengagement, which start before and extend beyond withdrawal. Assuming the ethical imperative of promoting positive experiences we identified predictors of doctoral students’ emotional engagement. This work brought to the scientific debate (dis)continuities between the processes of massification and democratisation of doctoral education, some of which were also revealed within interactions between professional practice and research.
In addition to the theoretical contributions, this work also sought to outline guidelines for improving doctoral education processes and promoting positive and relevant outcomes.