View in EDS

How Likely Are Doctoral Students to Recommend Their Programmes? Associations with Satisfaction with Six Academic Aspects of Their Doctorates

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: How Likely Are Doctoral Students to Recommend Their Programmes? Associations with Satisfaction with Six Academic Aspects of Their Doctorates
Language: English
Authors: Bernardita Tornero (ORCID 0000-0002-2416-9199), Leonardo D. Epstein (ORCID 0000-0001-5853-8370), Maria Ignacia Vicuna (ORCID 0009-0005-2212-4930)
Source: Journal of Further and Higher Education. 2025 49(9):1203-1219.
Availability: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Doctoral Students, Student Satisfaction, Program Effectiveness, Theses, Supervision, Educational Environment, Teacher Effectiveness, Curriculum, College Environment, Intellectual Experience, Correlation, Student Research, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Chile
DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2542366
ISSN: 0309-877X
1469-9486
Abstract: This study investigates the association between doctoral students' willingness to recommend their programme and their satisfaction with six academic aspects of them: thesis supervision, programme intellectual environment, teaching quality, research experience, programme curriculum, and institutional intellectual environment. Using data from a census of all nationally accredited doctoral programmes in Chile (N = 3082 students), a cumulative logit regression with proportional odds models was employed. The analysis reveals a strong positive association between recommendation likelihood and satisfaction with each one of the six academic areas. Curriculum satisfaction exhibited the strongest association with recommendation, followed by teaching quality. Thesis supervision, while significant, showed a weaker association than expected based on prior literature. These findings suggest that focusing resources on curriculum and teaching quality may be particularly effective in enhancing student satisfaction and programme recommendations. The study highlights the importance of program specific academic factors, contrasting with previous research emphasising supervisor quality as the primary driver of doctoral student satisfaction. This difference might be attributed to variations in programme structures and cultural contexts. Limitations include the study's secondary nature, cross-sectional design, and non-random sample. Further qualitative research is suggested to explore these nuances and provide a deeper understanding of the factors shaping doctoral student experiences and recommendations in Chilean and potentially other Latin American contexts.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505113
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1505113
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: How Likely Are Doctoral Students to Recommend Their Programmes? Associations with Satisfaction with Six Academic Aspects of Their Doctorates
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bernardita+Tornero%22">Bernardita Tornero</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2416-9199">0000-0002-2416-9199</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Leonardo+D%2E+Epstein%22">Leonardo D. Epstein</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5853-8370">0000-0001-5853-8370</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Maria+Ignacia+Vicuna%22">Maria Ignacia Vicuna</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2212-4930">0009-0005-2212-4930</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Further+and+Higher+Education%22"><i>Journal of Further and Higher Education</i></searchLink>. 2025 49(9):1203-1219.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 17
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Doctoral+Students%22">Doctoral Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Satisfaction%22">Student Satisfaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Effectiveness%22">Program Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Theses%22">Theses</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Supervision%22">Supervision</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Teacher+Effectiveness%22">Teacher Effectiveness</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum%22">Curriculum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Environment%22">College Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Intellectual+Experience%22">Intellectual Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Correlation%22">Correlation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Research%22">Student Research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chile%22">Chile</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2542366
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0309-877X<br />1469-9486
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This study investigates the association between doctoral students' willingness to recommend their programme and their satisfaction with six academic aspects of them: thesis supervision, programme intellectual environment, teaching quality, research experience, programme curriculum, and institutional intellectual environment. Using data from a census of all nationally accredited doctoral programmes in Chile (N = 3082 students), a cumulative logit regression with proportional odds models was employed. The analysis reveals a strong positive association between recommendation likelihood and satisfaction with each one of the six academic areas. Curriculum satisfaction exhibited the strongest association with recommendation, followed by teaching quality. Thesis supervision, while significant, showed a weaker association than expected based on prior literature. These findings suggest that focusing resources on curriculum and teaching quality may be particularly effective in enhancing student satisfaction and programme recommendations. The study highlights the importance of program specific academic factors, contrasting with previous research emphasising supervisor quality as the primary driver of doctoral student satisfaction. This difference might be attributed to variations in programme structures and cultural contexts. Limitations include the study's secondary nature, cross-sectional design, and non-random sample. Further qualitative research is suggested to explore these nuances and provide a deeper understanding of the factors shaping doctoral student experiences and recommendations in Chilean and potentially other Latin American contexts.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1505113
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1505113
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/0309877X.2025.2542366
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 1203
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Doctoral Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Satisfaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Theses
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Supervision
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Teacher Effectiveness
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Intellectual Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Correlation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chile
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: How Likely Are Doctoral Students to Recommend Their Programmes? Associations with Satisfaction with Six Academic Aspects of Their Doctorates
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Bernardita Tornero
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Leonardo D. Epstein
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Maria Ignacia Vicuna
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0309-877X
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1469-9486
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 49
            – Type: issue
              Value: 9
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of Further and Higher Education
              Type: main
ResultId 1