Academic programme satisfaction and doctorate aspiration among master’s degree students: the role of mentoring experience

Abstract

The number of doctorates in Nigerian universities is grossly below the bench mark. Among the obvious reasons for this unhealthy situation in the universities is about holders of the apex degree. They are in short supply. This study fundamentally examined mentoring experience as antecedent of academic programme satisfaction and doctorate aspiration among master’s degree students. One hundred and thirty-nine participants were drawn from master’s degree student in a facultyof a state-owned university in south-south Nigeria. The participants comprise 96 (69%) males and 43 (31%) females, 48 (35%) part-time and 91 (65%) full-time students. Their age mean was 39 years. Design of the study was cross-sectional and data were collected through self-report questionnaire. Data analysis revealed that mentoring experience positively and significantly relates with academic programme satisfaction and doctorate aspiration. Academic programme satisfaction was positively, but not significantly related to doctorate aspiration. It was concluded that mentoring has positive consequence for academic programme satisfaction and doctorate aspiration. It was recommended that faculty and non-faculty at universities should offer “mentoring services” to students. Future studies should adopt triangulation method in data collection.

Keywords: mentoring experience, academic programme satisfaction, doctorate aspiration, affordance theory, and buffering hypothesis