Instruments

Conclusion

7.6.1 Work Undertaken

Drawing an overall conclusion to the study, it is appropriate to recall the aim and the research sample used, and in this respect it was the challenges encountered by PhD students during their PhD registration at three particular UK universities that were being investigated. In order to answer the research questions stemming from the aim and objectives, and to maximise the quality of the data obtained, it was necessary to consider which would be the most appropriate research approach and strategy to gather and analyse that data. The selection of a suitable methodology for the study was made after thoroughly reviewing the wider aspects of the research topic, since the precise research topic did not actually exist in the literature, and the literature on research methodology, where approaches and techniques for conducting empirical investigations were found.

The study was performed in connected stages which involved a survey strategy and the collection of quantitative data in the main. This was supported by qualitative data obtained from officials in the Libyan Embassy with responsibility for monitoring the progress and general well-being of PhD students in the UK. This data was sought in order to increase the validity of the survey, and to gather a wider perspective which, being responsible for students in the UK, rather than simply those in the three case study universities, would be available. Hence, this attempt at triangulation had two advantages – firstly, its ability to confirm what students themselves had stated, and secondly, to add to the picture gained by providing statistics relating to the bigger picture. Moreover, the interviews were conducted in the interviewees’ native language of Arabic to ensure that they could effectively articulate their thinking, which also increased the validity of the study. To operationalise the study, firstly, an intensive literature review was undertaken to understand the different issues that had so far been reported, concerning overseas students in the UK and in some other developed countries. From this, a collection of variables that represented challenges to these students was identified.

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Secondly, the information required was consolidated, and the literature on research methodology was explored in order to establish the most suitable way to obtain that information. In this case, the questionnaire method was chosen, essentially due to the advantage that the questionnaire could be distributed to a large number of students (and thereby reach the entire research population in the three case study universities) and collected from them in a limited timeframe. In this respect, a total of 150 questionnaires were sent to the three participating universities, (University of Salford, the University of Manchester, and the Metropolitan University of Manchester).

The research questions were:

1. What challenges do Libyan PhD students face in their academic life whilst studying in the UK?

2. What attempts are made to alleviate these challenges by the Libyan authorities?

3. What attempts are made to alleviate these challenges by the UK universities participating in the study?

These three research questions were clearly articulated such that the researcher’s own focus was direct and unimpaired by tangential issues.

All three questions were answered by the dual approach to data gathering, since the input from both the PhD students, and the officials at the Libyan Embassy was necessary to provide the full picture. Questionnaire data was analysed by using SPSS package Ver.17, and interview data was analysed by using content analysis.

7.6.2 Conclusions

The findings enabled the conclusions to be drawn, and as shown in the thesis, these are indeed that Libyan PhD students face a range of challenges, the main one being the lack of time they have available to them for the purpose of following their PhD studies. The UK PhD is a research programme that demands attention on a full-time basis (if a student is enrolled as a full-time student) but it does not require actual attendance in classes as does an undergraduate or even

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Master’s programme. The requirement placed upon students is that they exercise the necessary discipline to research, to guide their own actions, to work in a library situation, and to engage in empirical activity, and the business of writing. In the absence of a definite requirement to present themselves in a physical location and remain there under close supervision, Libyan PhD students prioritise their family responsibilities in accordance with their cultural traditions, and this action impinges totally upon the very reason for them being in the UK, that being to study. Consequently, the attention to these obligations damages their ability to profit from the PhD programme.

Very closely associated with this problem is the students’ lack of ability in the English language. This is a big source of frustration to Libyan students, which serves to hinder and demoralise them, thereby making the choice of spending time attending to family responsibilities an easy one to make over the choice of working in a library and struggling with texts in another language.

Moreover, the difference in educational culture, whereby Libyan PhD students have different expectations of the role of the supervisor from the reality in the UK where supervisors expect students to exercise critical approaches to their PhD studies, stands as another substantial challenge as students need time to realise what is expected of them, and again, struggle to meet these as they may not possess the requisite skills, especially if their Masters’ programmes have been undertaken in Libya.

Clearly, the UK PhD is a product which is desired by the Libyan market just as much as by other overseas markets, and as a product it is not going to change in character. The only conclusion to be drawn therefore, is that Libyan students themselves must change, they must be better prepared before they register for PhDs and recommendations regarding this preparation are now given in the next section.

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