1887
Volume 2025, Issue 2
  • E-ISSN: 2223-506X

This study investigates Ph.D. student engagement at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) using the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to examine how autonomy, competence, and relatedness within SDT relate to Ph.D. students’ engagement. Employing a quantitatively dominant mixed-methods design, 49 Ph.D. students, encompassing current, graduated, and withdrawn individuals, and 15 Ph.D. supervisors across five different colleges at HBKU completed an online survey questionnaire. Additionally, qualitative data were collected through open-ended survey items, which enriched the quantitative findings by providing further insights into participants’ experiences. The findings revealed that perceived relatedness was the strongest predictor of Ph.D. students’ engagement, followed by autonomy and competence. Supervisor perspectives provided additional confirmation of these results, highlighting the critical role of autonomy, quality, and frequency of feedback, and robust social relationships in fostering Ph.D. engagement. The study’s outcomes underscore the necessity of tailored, college-specific strategies to accommodate the diverse cultural, professional, and linguistic backgrounds of Ph.D. students. The implications of these findings include recommendations for institutional interventions designed to enhance the psychological well-being, engagement levels, and overall academic success of Ph.D. students. This study advances the literature on Ph.D. student engagement by extending the application of SDT to a non-Western higher education context.

© 2025 Author(s), licensee HBKU Press.
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/content/journals/10.5339/connect.2025.9
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Unveiling Ph.D. students’ engagement at Hamad Bin Khalifa University: A self-determination theory perspective
QScience Connect 2025, 9 (٢٠٢٥); https://doi.org/10.5339/connect.2025.9
/content/journals/10.5339/connect.2025.9
/content/journals/10.5339/connect.2025.9
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  • نوع المستند: Research Article
الموضوعات الرئيسية Ph.D. student engagement, self-determination theory, autonomy, competence, relatedness, higher education, Ph.D. study

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