The Socialisation Experiences of Early-stage International PhD Students: A Study Using a Phenomenological Research Approach

This thesis presents a small-scale, qualitative, phenomenological study of the socialisation experiences of seven international and one local STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and non-STEM PhD students in the early period of their candidatures at the University of Wollongong. This focused and extensive phenomenological study aims to identify and describe the core essences of the socialisation experiences of these PhD students over a period of four weeks. The statistics prepared by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training (2020) show that 4,036 international students commenced PhDs in Australian universities in 2020, an increase of 49% since 2007 (2,717). As a result of reviewing the socialisation of international PhD students, the research reveals that international PhD students face unique socialisation experiences during their early candidature (Schneider et al., 2020; Véliz, 2020). However, their experiences are often viewed monolithically, and very little research is evident on subpopulations within this large and diverse student group. Given the lack of existing research investigating the socialisation experiences of international PhD students, particularly early-stage international PhD students, this study represents an attempt to fill this gap.