PhD students and teaching

Abstract

Since the argument between pedagogics-researchers and academics seems fairly
polarized, the current study focuses on a third group; PhD students who are the next
generation of researchers and academics. At LTH where this survey was performed, most
PhD students are involved in teaching. PhD students are neither researchers nor a teachers.
Instead they are research students who perform teaching at the University and aim at earning a
doctorial title. If there is a symbiotic relationship between teaching and research, it would be
of outmost interest to focus on the role of teaching research students.

The authors of this study (who are a majority of PhD-students) are interested in the PhD
students’ views of two things;

• The system, which could allow existence of both PhD students with intentions of having a teaching- or a research career.

• The teaching, which has to uphold a certain level of quality.

From these two point of views and the convergence between the philosophical idea and
the actual attitude at the divisions regarding teaching as a part of the PhD program, the
authors would like to raise the question;
What could be done to encourage PhD-students to commit to teaching?
We believe that graduate students with aspiration to become good teachers should be
rewarded for their teaching effort, if the university emphasizes quality teaching. The purpose
of this mini-study was to determine the perceptions of the graduate students regarding the
importance of teaching.