There is a growing demand for educational professionals to develop a more critical understanding of the key and emerging debates in education so that they can better meet the challenges and demands placed upon them. Exploring Education at Postgraduate Level represents a range of perspectives from educational experts to academic researchers, and highlights the key issues surrounding contemporary education. Organised into three parts and drawing on key issues in education theory, policy and practice, the book considers areas such as SEN, evaluating learning, ESOL and gender. Featuring reflective questions, case studies and summaries of core ideas, the chapters include: Troublesome learning journey; Applying educational thinkers to contemporary educational practice; Values production through social and emotional learning; Policy research: In defence ad hocery?; We are all critically reflective now: The politics of critical reflection in higher education and in the work place; Developing critical thought about SEN; The refuge of relativism. Aimed at supporting students on Masters-level courses, this acessible but critically provocative text is an essential resource for those wishing to develop a more critical understanding of the role, purpose and function of educational systems and practices.

There is a growing demand for educational professionals to develop a more critical understanding of the key and emerging debates in education so that they can better meet the challenges and demands placed upon them. Exploring Education at Postgraduate Level represents a range of perspectives from educational experts to academic researchers, and highlights the key issues surrounding contemporary education. Organised into three parts and drawing on key issues in education theory, policy and practice, the book considers areas such as SEN, evaluating learning, ESOL and gender. Featuring reflective questions, case studies and summaries of core ideas, the chapters include: Troublesome learning journey; Applying educational thinkers to contemporary educational practice; Values production through social and emotional learning; Policy research: In defence ad hocery?; We are all critically reflective now: The politics of critical reflection in higher education and in the work place; Developing critical thought about SEN; The refuge of relativism. Aimed at supporting students on Masters-level courses, this acessible but critically provocative text is an essential resource for those wishing to develop a more critical understanding of the role, purpose and function of educational systems and practices.

This edited volume builds upon the premise that online learning is not separate from the social and material world, and is made up of embodied, socially-meaningful experiences. It is founded on a “postdigital” perspective in which, much more than interactions with keyboards, computer screens, hardware or software, the learning that happens on online postgraduate programmes spills out into professional and informal settings, making connections with what comes before and after any formally-scheduled tasks. Unlike other books relating to online education, this book combines a theoretical perspective, in which the digital, physical and social are all interconnected within complex educational ecologies, with a focus grounded in postgraduate practice. This focus has important implications for the kinds of students and learning that are explored in the chapters of the book. This book provides an important contribution to the knowledge of what is required to produce quality, online postgraduate programmes at the level of teachers, curriculum designers, faculty developers and policy-makers.

This methodologically oriented collection brings together higher education diary research studies from international contexts to showcase the versatility of the method and its adaptability to higher education research. While keeping a diary is a familiar personal practice, diary method is a neglected form of research in higher education studies as well as the social sciences more broadly. This book showcases the range of options within diary method, as well as the benefits and challenges that this fascinating but mysterious method may bring to students and academic researchers alike. The benefits and the risks and challenges of diary research are discussed across the empirical studies included in the volume. Using a variety of solicited diary techniques, including audio, written and photo diaries, and focusing on different aspects of higher education including undergraduate and postgraduate students and academics, these studies include salient topics such as: LGBTQ identities, faith, caring responsibilities, international students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students and employability. This important contribution to methodological innovation in the higher education research field promotes diary method as a viable option in social sciences and beyond. Whether new to the method or a seasoned diary researcher, this book is ideal reading for anyone who would like to learn the fundamentals of diary research and explore its feasibility in empirical contexts.

This handbook brings together contributors from the United States, Australasia and Europe who use theoretical insights and empirical data to examine current practices as well as possible future directions of postgraduate education. A full range of postgraduate study options are explored, including PhD and professional doctorates, masters awards, and taught coursework programs. The contributions of key stakeholders to the delivery of postgraduate education are addressed, including students, supervisors and university administrators. From this collection, university managers, higher education scholars, and anyone interested in establishing a centre for higher education are given comprehensive overviews of academic leadership, doctoral education, and supervisory relationships. Topics examined in detail in this collection are little discussed in the available literature, including supervisory relationships between colleagues, the emergence of the “second-career academic”, and academic blogging and social networking. The external pressures that universities around the world are experiencing, including neoliberalism, the massification of student numbers, disruptive innovations, and external quality benchmarking, are considered in terms of the ways that they are prompting change in how postgraduate study is administered and delivered. Many chapters contain specific recommendations to meet organisational and student needs, including for specific demographics such as international students or specific programs. The professional, employment, and information literacy needs of students and the professional development of supervisors and processes for examination are also considered.

In our rapidly globalising world, “the global scholar” is a key concept for reimagining the roles of academics at the nexus of the global and the local. This book critically explores the implications of the concept for understanding postgraduate studies and supervision. It uses three conceptual lenses – “horizon”, “currency” and “trajectory” – to organise the thirteen chapters, concluding with a reflection on the implications of Covid-19 for postgraduate studies and supervision. Authors bring their perspectives on the global scholar from a variety of contexts, including South Africa, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Germany, Cyprus, Kenya and Israel. They explore issues around policy, research and practice, sharing a concern with the relation between the local and the global, and a passion for advancing postgraduate studies and supervision.

This book is a very important contribution to theÿgrowing body of work on postgraduate,ÿand specificallyÿdoctoral, education ... I find the metaphor ofÿpushing boundaries to be very appropriate, as itÿsuggests a field of study and a range of behavioursÿand institutional organisational approaches toÿpostgraduate education that are dynamic andÿcharacterised by fluidity, creativity and challengeÿ... Readers will gain new theoretical perspectives,ÿideas for improved practice, and fresh perspectivesÿon boundaries and pressing issues that deserve toÿbe pushed and conceptualised in new ways. -ÿProfessor Ann Austin (Higher, Adult and Lifelong EducationÿMichigan State University)

ABSTRACT: This study systematically investigated the communication skills of postgraduate students in India across various universities and academic disciplines. A stratified random sampling strategy was employed to select a sample of N=2000 postgraduate students from three universities. Data were collected using a self-report questionnaire assessing communication proficiency, confidence, strengths, weaknesses, and skills improvement. Additionally, participants' performance was evaluated through oral presentations, group discussions, and written communication tasks. The self-report questionnaires revealed that the majority (65-75%) perceived their overall communication proficiency as average to above-average, with 40-50% expressing confidence. Strengths included clarity of expression, active listening, and adaptability, while weaknesses comprised public speaking, conflict resolution, and non-verbal communication. Approximately 60-70% believed they were effective in expressing ideas verbally and perceived improvement during postgraduate studies. Oral presentation assessments exhibited variations, with University A's Science (20% excellent) and Engineering (25% excellent) disciplines performing better. Group discussion assessments highlighted nuanced differences, with University A's Engineering (25% excellent) and University B's Medicine (25% excellent) disciplines excelling. Written communication assessments revealed consistent trends, with 20-25% excellent ratings in Science, Engineering, Medicine, and Social Sciences disciplines. The study underscores the multifaceted nature of communication skills and the need for tailored, discipline-specific training programs to enhance proficiency and contribute to academic development. The findings align with previous research emphasizing the importance of structured communication skills training for postgraduate students. Future studies could explore longitudinal impacts, comparative analyses with undergraduate students, and alternative training methods.