This study, carried out between 2016 and 2020 at a Quebec university, aimed to understand why an abnormally high proportion of doctoral students drop out of their programme of study. The results identify anxiety, perfectionism and procrastination as factors influencing doctoral perseverance, and raising awareness of this reality as an important avenue of solution. These results appeal to different target audiences.
Doctoral students
It is therefore relevant for doctoral students to recognize how these factors are linked and play a role in their motivation, sense of self-efficacy and, ultimately, perseverance.
Thesis supervisors
« Il importe aussi pour les directeurs et directrices de thèse de reconnaître quels sont les signes de perfectionnisme et de procrastination chez les étudiants.es, puis de discuter ouvertement de leur impact avec ceux-ci. Thesis directors can contribute to doctoral students’ perseverance by improving the quality of their alliance with them. »
The institution
« L’université peut elle aussi contribuer à diminuer l’anxiété, le perfectionnisme et la procrastination des doctorants.es en reconnaissant les caractéristiques et les défis particuliers à ce cycle d’études. »
Reference
Belleville, G., Foldes-Busque, G., Guay, F., et Jackson, P. (2021). Determinants of anxiety, perfectionism, and procrastination trajectories leading to dropou Research report, 85 pages.
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