Exploring Researcher Motivation: Implications for PhD Education

Abstract

As Cuthbert and Molla (2015, p. 33) argue, “[c]ontemporary higher education (HE) systems function within a political context of high optimism about the transformative potential of knowledge for individuals and for national economies.” “Knowledge economy optimism” is prevalent across Europe, North America, South East Asia, and China, as well as Australasia. HE and, more specifically, research and its potential for innovation are ubiquitously positioned as the drivers of future economic and social prosperity. As shown in a recent report of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), doctoral graduates are considered central to this endeavor given that they are trained specifically in research with the explicit aim of most national governments of building innovative and competitive economies (Auriol et al. 2012). Such policy assumptions are predicated on PhD programs capable of producing graduates both willing and able to drive innovation and social and economic advancement. In Australia, this is reflected in the now firmly established conception of PhD education as “research training,” clearly echoing a labor market preoccupation. But to what extent do PhD candidates and graduates share—or participate—in such policy visions? This chapter explores this issue through a focus on researcher motivations.