Assessing Engineering Doctoral Students' Experiences in Chinese Institutions

Training objectives stand as pivotal elements in shaping the academic trajectory of academic engineering doctoral students (AEDS), exerting significant influence on their academic orientations and professional competencies. This study employs a synthesis of qualitative grounded theory and quantitative research, drawing insights from the perceived experiences of AEDS, to scrutinize the rationality of current training objective configurations. A dual-track analytical framework is constructed, encompassing two distinct studies. The first study utilizes grounded theory to analyze training objectives from 144 Chinese educational institutions. The second study designs a questionnaire to assess AEDS's perceived training quality, establishing a path analysis model to validate hypotheses. Results from the first study delineate a comprehensive framework for training objectives, encompassing dimensions such as thought and behavior, research accumulation, research literacy, research belief, research level, and research performance. Notably, relevant disciplinary knowledge and scientific awareness are found to receive inadequate attention. In the second study, all hypotheses are validated, indicating the overall reasonability of current training objectives. However, contradictory results emerge regarding relevant disciplinary knowledge and scientific awareness. Path analysis underscores the significance of relevant disciplinary knowledge and scientific awareness, implying that institutions should intensify investments in cultivating these aspects to elevate the training quality of AEDS.