How are PGR Progression and PGR Development related?

By Dr Emma Waters, Researcher Development Specialist (PGRs)

The doctoral degree is about more than the research project. It is an opportunity to develop skills in critical independent thought, project management, creativity, and building community. Many of these skills are described in the Vitae Researcher Development Framework which outlines the knowledge, behaviours, and attributes of successful researchers.

Professional and personal development are increasingly being recognised as essential aspects of doctoral training and are key aspects of many Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) and Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs). The New Deal for Postgraduate Research: Response to Call for Input by UKRI highlights the desire amongst the PGR community for more professional development opportunities and development of skills useful to a range of careers in and out of academia.

The reviewing of a PGRs professional skills and development typically takes place during Annual Progression/Progress Reviews (APRs), using a training needs analysis (TNA) process. In our experience working with the PGR community, we have seen the TNA used to varying levels of effectiveness. In an ideal situation this is used to facilitate a discussion about the PGRs experiences in the prior year and their aspirations for their future, helping them to identify opportunities to develop appropriate skills and experiences. In my worst-case scenario, speaking as researcher developer, it is treated as a box ticking exercise, making sure the PGR has attended enough hours or credits of workshops to fulfil a requirement to progress to the next year of study, with little thought to what opportunities would be most beneficial for the PGR’s development and goals for the future.  So how can we help PGRs to make the most of their APR discussions?

What training and development do PGRs need?

One of the complexities of discussing professional development with PGRs, (and their Supervisors and PGR Convenors) is that it can be reductive, focusing only on delivered universal skills ‘training’. Yet the doctorate is an incredibly individual journey. PGRs have different motivations for undertaking their degree; they come from a range of background experiences and cultures, and where they want to go after completing their degree can also vary hugely. As a result, the training and development sought by each PGR is unique to them and requires them to understand their needs for themselves.

So how do we work together to help PGRs to understand what they need? When working with PGRs I myself embed reflective (self-evaluative) thinking into all my workshops and Researcher Development ‘training’. Through this we explore:

• Their motivations for undertaking their PGR Journey
• Where they want to end up after they graduate
• What situations are they confident in?
• What situations make them nervous?

For some PGRs, they have a very clear idea of a career, others are uncertain, some are very overwhelmed by choice. Some want to continue to apply for academic roles, so are motivated to publish their work and find opportunities to support their writing. Others find joy in teaching and want to find Graduate Teaching Assistant opportunities. Some want to work in a totally different industrial, or professional setting and seek to find an internship or mentoring to broaden their experiences. Once a PGR understands their individual needs, they are better equipped to plan their own development over the course of their doctoral degree whether that be training in how to manage their time and project independently, gaining confidence in presentations or develop regular writing habits.

There’s clearly plenty to discuss and you don’t have to be a development professional to support reflective analysis. Supervisors can also be of great support to PGRs in listening to their thinking, and helping them work through options. Additionally, Supervisors can be vital catalysts in helping move planning into action, supporting PGRs to make connections, write applications, access the ‘unwritten rules’ of key academic activities, or feel encouraged to go to a development activity.

Of course, not all supervisor conversations are equal, and even if the supervisor is willing, some PGRs still struggle to use a supervisory discussion to unpick their training needs.

What is reflective thinking/practice?

Even with the support of skilled educators, structured self-reflection can be a new and unfamiliar practice for many researchers. Engaging PGRs with well-established models, such as Kolb (1984) is one way to help them see how their existing research skills and experiences can translate into reflection on their professional development.

Kolb’s model was built on by Gibbs (1988) to develop one of the most widely used tools for reflective writing: The Gibbs cycle. The Gibbs cycle encourages an individual to reflect on an experience through stages. These stages are explored in this short video from the University of Hertfordshire Library. It’s worth noting here, that this model creates space for the emotional, as well as the cognitive parts of doctoral learning, and can be usefully deployed to help PGRs acknowledge and move through feelings of fear, frustration or embarrassment that might otherwise hold them back.

In the Gibbs cycle an individual works though the following prompts:

• Describe the situation.
• Explore how they felt in the situation.
• Evaluate what was good and bad about the experience.
• Analyse why things did or didn’t go well.
• Make conclusions about what they learned from the experience.
• Plan what they would do differently in a similar situation.

And the great news is that this kind of reflective practice can be applied to PGR professional development in different ways: through workshops, through the APR/TNA, as part of lab/research group meetings and even through an informal debrief as part of a regular supervision meeting. Tools like the Gibbs cycle encourage PGRs to reflect on their experiences, which will help them navigate what they are confident doing and what they could improve on – in essence, providing their own feedback and identifying relevant opportunities to improve a skill for the next time it is needed.

Guiding action-orientated reflections

It is not uncommon for a Training Needs Analysis to ask PGRs to select their confidence levels across a list of attributes, or to ask very open questions such as “what areas do you require training in?”. For PGRs this guidance can be too vague for them to engage with in a productive manner, and too theoretical to motivate them to take action.

For those of us supporting PGRs as they progress it can be a better starting point to discuss their specific experiences. For example, if they discuss that they have presented their work at a group meeting or school seminar we can ask them how they found the experience, would they like to become more confident in presenting? If the answer is yes, then we can sign post available training and plan (practice) opportunities to present in the future.

Perhaps a PGR has engaged in some GTA work and wants to build on this for their future career. In this case dedicating time to discussing how modules are designed, having them shadow your next programme board, or applying for professional recognition with AdvanceHE may be more valuable to them than an internship or publication.

If a PGR has produced their literature review (often their first large piece of writing as a researcher) it could be productive to discuss their experience of writing. Did they find it difficult and if so, would attending training, having more feedback, going to writing retreats or dedicating daily time to developing a writing practice be useful development?

In a progression review, asking a PGR what they have learned about themselves, their preferences, and their priorities may better prepare them to plan their future development, rather than simply asking them “what areas do you require training in?”.