The Influence of Aspirations, Motives, and Outcomes on Mature Age Doctoral Practice Intentions

The Influence of Aspirations, Motives, and Outcomes on Mature Age Doctoral Practice Intentions

With reports of an increasing number of mature-aged people entering or reentering doctoral education, questions arise concerning their aspirations (the desire for a doctorate), their motives (the situations, either personal or organisational, that provide the rationale), and the impact on their lives upon completion of their doctorate. The Australian Bureau of Statistics defines mature-age students as those non-traditional students over the age of 40 years. The recruitment of participants required people of that age and over who were doctoral graduates or near graduates. Primarily, participants were active in education, particularly in the secondary, vocational, and higher education fields. Twenty-five surveys were selected for the research at the end of the recruitment and data collection phases. The surveys are collated by age mode and then referenced to the relevant psychosocial life stage for analysis. The data collected included frequencies of the survey category themes and the narratives provided by the respondents on the survey form and from purposive sampling interviews. The themes of ‘intellectual stimulation’ and ‘to enhance personal capabilities’ were the dominant aspirational themes. At the same time, ‘an enjoyment of learning’ and ‘the continuation of life’s work’ were the most quoted motives. The outcome theme of ‘an extension of my existing career’ was the preferred theme, with the themes of ‘more inspirational than aspirational’ and ‘as a basis for a new career’ also high in the responses. The serendipitous nature of categorising adult people into psychosocial life stages was observed in the analysed data for the Middle Adulthood, Late Adult Transition, and Older Adulthood stages, with variable trends in the responses related to societal changes that have defined these life stages. These social changes necessitate a review of the higher education field regarding support for mature-age graduates, both domestic and international, who are seeking to transition in their life status. The review will investigate the contribution to the national development of the graduates’ home country, focusing on fiscal and cultural development, and highlighting the urgent need for societal and higher education support.