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17Copyright © 2022 by Cherkas Global University
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Utenutlonil Journal of Media ■md Information Literacy
DOI: 10.13187/ijmil.2022.2.606 https://ijmil.cherkasgu.press
Disengagement from Postgraduate Research: An Exploratory Analysis of Media Research Students Experiencing Disengagement from Studies in Karachi
Safeena Yaseen a, Ibtesam Mazahir a > b , *, Yuyun Wahyu Izzati Surya b
a Bahria University Karachi Campus, Pakistan b Universitas Airlangga, Indonesia
MPhil and PhD students of media research (media studies/mass communication students) are expected to be a highly skilled selective group of students in addition to being avid researchers. Therefore, pursuing the MPhil and PhD in media studies/mass communication is more challenging than other humanities and social sciences disciplines. The existing literature addresses the issues faced by the students during their research journey. The literature also endorses this research journey as rewarding for some students. However, others may find it more complex and challenging. This qualitative study explores the MPhil and PhD media research students' experiences of disengagement from their studies. The semi-structured interviews have been conducted with 20 MPhil and PhD media research students who have prolonged or discontinued their MPhil and PhD studies. The research study explores the different categories, reasons, and inability to overcome the disengagement experience from studies among MPhil and PhD or higher education media research students. Work pressure, financial reasons, health issues, poor supervision, family restrictions, better alternatives, and change in priorities are found to be the few reasons for disengagement experienced by media research students in Pakistan. Moreover, students' personal and environmental inabilities to overcome the reasons for disengagement that leads to prolongment and discontinuation of their MPhil and PhD studies have also been discussed, followed by potential recommendations to overcome the disengagement experiences. The research is beneficial for the academic institutions offering MPhil and PhD programs in media research to resolve the issues of disinterest and disengagement of students at the MPhil and PhD levels.
Keywords: disengagement, MPhil media students, PhD. media students, mass communication.
1. Introduction
Pursuing a research degree is considered an inspiring, yet challenging task by the major segment of society. The research studies conducted earlier on the MPhil and doctoral students' experiences reflect the fact that the perception of the resulting degree concerning the compromises it demands is different for the people as per their priority. For the majority of the students, the MPhil and PhD process is rewarding, but for the few others it is challenging because it demands them to face the problems related to personal sacrifices, uncertain life experiences, inter and intradepartmental issues, funds lacking and support, completion of the dissertation (Appel, Dahlgren, 2003; Jairam, Kahl, 2012; Spaulding, Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012).
Authors including Lee have found that the students who were enrolled in the nursing program considered issues related to responsibility, financial stability, student-faculty or student-
Abstract
* Corresponding author
E-mail addresses: ibtesam.mazahir@gmail.com (I. Mazahir)
advisor relationship, academic discipline, and academic self-perception as the distracting factors in their doctoral process (Lee, 2009). However, to get higher degrees, the students face challenges, which are not always negative. The students also feel challenged, when they are expected to solve complex and ill-defined research problems to create or improve the new or existing body of knowledge. This keeps students motivated to progress in their MPhil and PhD processes. Contrary to that, the students might experience more stress if adequate support will not be provided to them. And, this could be resulted in prolonging and even dropping the MPhil and PhD programs. Few other research studies revealed that the issue arises due to the strained student-supervisor relationship and students' disengagement with the scholarly community. Other studies have also confirmed that this information leads to the conclusion that the rigorous research process itself is not the only reason why MPhil and PhD students discontinue their studies (Pyhalto, Keskinen, 2012).
Moreover, the available literature suggested that students withdraw from their higher degree programs when they did not get acceptance by supervisors and fellow researchers. The mismatch between students' and research communities' acceptance further aggravate the situation (Golde, 2005). In addition to this, it is evident that MPhil and PhD students often experience growing health issues, due to which around 30 % to 50 % of students around the globe in different contexts decide to discontinue their studies (Flores, Brown, 2019; Golde, 2005; McAlpine, Norton, 2006).
In the studies, conducted earlier, the determinants linked with students' determination, time constraints, and diminishing interest have been discussed in detail (Golde, 1998; Wao, Onwuegbuzie, 2011). Furthermore, there is an extensive amount of literature available on disengagement among students pursuing their undergraduate studies (Bergdahl, 2022; Pekrun et al., 2011; Schmitt et al., 2008). However, limited research studies are available on the disengagement issue that exists among MPhil and PhD students of media research, and a serious need for systemized research on the topic is needed.
Moreover, in the context of Pakistan, to the knowledge of the researchers, no research has been done earlier to find out the categories and reasons for disengagement among MPhil and PhD in media research. That is why after identifying the gap, this systemized research has been conducted. According to the news reports frequently published, Pakistan's MPhil and PhD dropout ratio is very high, which is even higher for media research students. Therefore, it is a serious concern for Higher Education Commission and academicians. In the Pakistani education environment, there is a strong need to understand, evaluate and assess the nature of issues MPhil and PhD students of media research experience while pursuing their studies so that the right efforts can be done to reduce the risk of prolonging and disengagement from their studies.
This qualitative study explores the media research students' experiences of disengagement from their studies. The semi-structured interviews have been conducted for MPhil and PhD students of media research who have prolonged or discontinued their MPhil and PhD studies in Media Studies/Mass Communication. The research study explores the different categories, reasons, and inability to overcome the disengagement experience from studies among MPhil and PhD students of media research. Several intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for disengagement have also been identified. Moreover, students' personal and environmental inabilities to overcome the reasons for disengagement that leads to prolongment and discontinuation of their MPhil and PhD studies of media research have also been discussed.
2. Materials and methods
In this study, a qualitative research approach has been applied to explore the reasons why higher education media research students experience disengagement from their studies. Scholars have referred to the term qualitative as the characteristics associated with entities and processes that are beyond the scope of the experimental examination and quantifiable measurements (Aspers, Corte, 2019).
Qualitative research scholars emphasize the socially constructed nature of reality, the intimate relationship between the researcher and what is studied, and the situational constraints that shape inquiry. A similar approach, inspired by phenomenology, was earlier used by scholars, which discusses the way people experience the phenomenon in experimental settings (Gonzalez, Forister, 2020; Marshall, Rossman, 1995).
The semi-structured in-depth interview was chosen as a data collection technique that allows participants to open up new insights. This method highlights the social constructionism paradigm which asserts reality is socially constructed (Smith, 2012).
Qualitative Methodology
Phenomenology
Semi-structured Interview
Theme Analysis
Fig. 1. A summarized overview of the methodological process
Higher education media research studies conducted in Pakistan focus on both coursework and thesis. Here the process includes seminars, coursework, and a proposal defense of the thesis. The minimum duration for the completion of a research degree is 4 years and the maximum duration suggested by HEC is 8 years. Students enrolled in the programs are supposed to follow the durational limits. There are two parallel sectors of postgraduate studies that are functional in Pakistan. One is the public sector and the other is the private sector.
Moreover, the students are supposed to clear their GAT General Test and GAT Subject Test to get enrolled in MPhil/MS and PhD in media research programs respectively. The university can also organize its entry test as per the HEC policy. The students are expected to follow the terms and conditions imposed by the universities they are enrolled in. The university has the right to ask you to do the prerequisite courses, the interview panel usually suggests the course limit. If the student had already cleared the GAT General or GAT Subject test, then he/she will be exempted from the internal test conducted by the university. In addition to that, the university has all the right to consider you eligible or ineligible for admission irrespective of getting equivalence or not. Those who avail of HEC scholarship have different obligations to follow, which is beyond the scope of this research.
The HEC has recently closed the MPhil to leading PhD program to ensure quality education. The MPhil and PhD students pursuing media research are also supposed to clear their comprehensive exams after the completion of their coursework. Further, they have to conduct a proposal defense and after getting approval from the internal research board they finally get eligibility to proceed with their thesis. Regarding the supervisor's selection there are different policies frequently get updated by HEC, which is beyond the limit of this research, but again creates unrest among students.
The study participants were selected through a referral system. The participants were those who had discontinued or prolonged their MPhil and PhD process of media research. Initially, the first five participants were identified through personal contact then the others were contacted as referred by the initial contacts. We presumed that the discontinuation and prolonging could be the result of disengagement from the studies.
In total 20 students who were once enrolled in a postgraduate degree program in media studies/mass communication or related discipline were interviewed, among which 10 were males and the others were females. The six participants were journalism-related research students; five were advertising-related research students; four were social media-related research students while others were development support and communication-related students. All the participants were once enrolled or currently enrolled in the MPhil and PhD or higher media research degree programs. Twelve participants have discontinued their MPhil and PhD in media research and eight have prolonged their studies and were uncertain whether they will be able to complete their studies or not. The students participated in this research with their consent. The reasons for
disengagement or withdrawal from media research studies were identified through semi-structured interviews (Kallio et al., 2016; Kvale, 2006).
The in-depth understanding of media research students' experiences and their perspectives concerning disengagement was gauged through the semi-structured interviews, which helped us to learn more from their experiences. The interview structure was synthesized in a way that captured the positive and negative events media students face during their MPhil and PhD research studies (Kallio et al., 2016; Vekkaila et al., 2012). The focus of the study was on the negative experience explained by the media research students.
Before conducting the interviews for the research, in the pilot phase, the questions were tested on five higher education media research students and a course instructor and modified as per the feedback. At the beginning of the interview, the media students who participated were asked to visualize and draw their higher education media research education i.e., research process on a piece of paper. The student drew them in the form of timelines and roadmaps. Figure 2 is a real example of such visualizations.
After the completion of the drawing part, the participants were asked to identify and highlight the positive and negative episodes in their visualized journey. The positive episodes were regarded as the motivators for the media students to complete their research studies, on the other hand, negative episodes were considered de-motivators. In a traditional interview setup, it was assumed that a true reflection of experiences could have been compromised, therefore visualization-based interviews were preferred to get a better understanding of the life event experienced by the participants (Caspar, 2007). Every participant was individually asked to explain their episodic experiences clearly in detail. Elaboration on their part was further required for the events they had highlighted. Following probing, questions were asked for elaboration "Why does this particular episode (positive or negative) in your life occur? When and where do these particular episodes we are talking about occur? How did you react to that particular episode and what was your thinking? After that particular episode, what happened? Other people involved in that particular incident or not? Before conducting the interview, the participants were informed about the interview pattern and objective. The interviews were recorded and their duration varies between 20 to 30 minutes. The interviews were transcribed by researchers.
In the current research, first of all, the data recorded through interviews was made familiar by reading the responses over and over again. Data were then transcribed for further analysis. Initially, twenty codes were created based on the transcribed responses. During every step of the data analysis process, the researchers go through the data again and again, so that based on the theory the data in line with the observation can be categorized accordingly. Based on the differences participants experienced, the categories of the phenomena were formulated (Brew, 2001).
In the study, the data related to participants' inability to overcome the disengagement or withdrawal processes have been coded concerning their life experiences. Considering the differences and similarities among participants' life experiences, the data has been analyzed and coded, and by doing that, different categories, reasons and inabilities to overcome disengagement have emerged.
Disengagement From Studies
Disengagement Categories
4
a
Di ^engagement Reason
Inability to Overcome Disengagement
*d
aa
Procrastination Left Study
Extrinsic Reasons Intrinsic Reason
Personal Inability Situational Inability
. MPhil PhD Incomplete
Fig. 2. Categorization of disengagement to reasons and inability to overcome it
The codes, after further reading, were modified. Not only the semantic meanings were studied, but the latent factors were also identified. After a thorough analysis theme is searched following the steps of thematic analysis. The final thematic which was created after the analysis is given as under:
Demographics Factors.' Reasons Decision 51011
° r p-ftSllfltr
Fig. 3. A thematic chart elaborating responses from MPhil and PhD media research students followed by demographics, factors/reasons, decision and post-decision feel of either postponing or withdrawing from postgraduate studies.
In the above chart themes which were created based on the responses received from the interviewees are positioned in such a way that the flow to the ultimate decision of either postponing or withdrawing the education is evident. The gender, employment status, marital status, etc. are labelled under Demographics whereas the further generated eight themes were classified as factors or reasons that cause disengagement from research. The decision then is bifurcated as the decision to postpone or delay studies and the decision to withdraw from studies.
From Figure 3, it is evident that male students of media research who were single & full-time students made the decision to postpone or withdraw from the research having been influenced by the following factors: Financial Reasons, Health Issues, Poor Research Culture, Poor Supervision, Better Alternatives, Change in Priorities while single female full-time students had one more additional factor which caused them to decide on postponing or withdrawing from research and it was family restrictions. When it came to students who were single & were employed during their studies the factors that influence their decision were mainly Work Pressure, Health Issues, Poor Research Culture, Poor Supervision, Better Alternatives, and Change in Priorities. Those students who were employed before studies and single were influenced by the factors such as Health Issues, Poor Research Culture, Poor Supervision, Family Restrictions, Better Alternatives, and Change in Priorities regardless of gender. Same were the factors highlighted by those media research students who were married and employed before their studies. However, those students who were employed and got married during their studies were influenced by factors including Work Pressure, Financial Reasons, Health Issues, Poor Research Culture, Poor Supervision, and Family Restrictions & changes in Priorities. Overall the responses received from the interviewees were emphasizing the influence of two factors as mainstream factors which are Poor Supervision and Poor Research
Culture. The other factors have also emerged as substantial ones, but as compared to the two mentioned before their effects were lesser.
3. Discussion
In Pakistan, as per Higher Education Commission's (HEC) website, every year, MPhil and PhD students' enrollments are gradually increasing. The HEC is a constitutionally established, independently working, the autonomous educational body regulating, managing, and accrediting the efforts regarding the spread of higher education in Pakistan. During the last decade, the higher education sector in Pakistan has witnessed tremendous change. Several competitive institutes have been established and their enrolments are also increasing in media research programs. In mutual collaboration with local and international institutes and HEC, the government has provided various incentives to the MPhil and PhD students and faculty members of media studies/mass communication. The HEC encourages media students to equip themselves with higher education by providing sophisticated assistance and facilities to the universities offering postgraduate programs in media studies/mass communication. Its educational reforms have already established the competitive environment within the higher education sector in Pakistan. Despite its positive contribution to developing the demand for qualified individuals in Pakistan by producing more MPhil and doctoral students, HEC is still not successful in controlling or regulating the dropout ratio of research students enrolled in different universities across Pakistan. In the case of subsidized education and scholarship cases, this dropout ratio and increased duration of completing research studies incur a serious loss to HEC (Butt, Rehman, 2010).
In the available literature, disengagement is defined as a student's reluctance and distance from the assignment and activity, he or she is supposed to do and experiencing negative emotions while performing it (Fredricks et al., 2004; Reeve et al., 2004). As perceived by higher education, research students, disengagement from study means the withdrawal and passiveness of learning opportunities coming in the way offered by scholarly communities, further categorized as a low energy level, low involvement, and experience inefficiency ( Reschly et al., 2020; Schaufeli, Bakker, 2004). Previous studies on the topic suggested that disengagement from studies leads to several consequences which include decreasing commitment and disinterest in achievement (Carini et al., 2006), therefore, disengagement from studies stops research students from getting involved in academically sound activities.
Scholars like S.K. Gardner and Wang et al. argued research students and the scholarly community serves as primary learning resource for higher education. Research students work in groups, they become members of the professional communities, hence, work in close collaboration with the scholarly community. This leads to the conclusion that research students do not just get influenced by the scholarly community, but they also actively choose their area of participation and they can adapt or adopt the community practices. Moreover, if they found community practices not aligned with their goals they may leave feeling frustrated (Pyhalto et al., 2012).
Further, pursuing higher education, and research studies lead to family compromises and financial crises which affect the students' study processes negatively (Appel, Dahlgren, 2003; Gardner, 2007). According to the study conducted by C Zhao & D.G Kuh on the enrolled and former research students, it has been found that if MPhil and PhD students experience negative connections with the faculty and fellow research students they find themselves demotivated in achieving their higher studies objectives and starts questioning themselves about continuing their research studies (Zhao, Kuh, 2004). Similarly, another scholar C.M. Golde, found that higher education research students see a disconnect between their targeted goals and desired expectations, and departmental discrepancies and mismanagement further add to their frustration. The researcher further added that the inconsistency between the supervisor and research student's communication, thinking, and working style is the main reason for disengagement (Golde, 2005). These research studies lead to another dimension of research students' environment interaction, which suggests that the disparaging resistance between the environment and research learners such as working practices, required environmental working perception, and lack of control and support system usually result in the misfit and perceived misfit leads to disengagement from the studies (Hakanen et al., 2006; Schaufeli, Bakker, 2004; Schnitzler et al., 2021). Other studies while exploring the disengagement determinants suggested that mental and physical stress among research students is also a reason why they prolong and discontinue their studies. Anxiety and stress sometimes lead to physical illness as well. Since most of the research students work as well,
so they experience work-life imbalance, which is a major factor influencing their decision to discontinue research education communities (Pyhalto, Keskinen, 2012; Stubb et al., 2011; Bakadorva et al., 2020).
Based on the literature discussed above, this qualitative study explores the postgraduate media research students' experiences of disengagement from their studies through semi-structured interviews conducted with media research students who have prolonged or discontinued their MPhil and PhD studies. Several intrinsic and extrinsic reasons for disengagement have also been identified. Moreover, media students' personal and environmental inabilities to overcome the reasons for disengagement that leads to prolongment and discontinuation of their MPhil and PhD studies have also been discussed.
After conducting an extensive literature review, Figure 4 illustrates the factors that have been identified in the previous research studies:
Fig. 4. Factors of disengagement as identified in the literature review
The objective of this research was to explore the reasons why higher education media research students prolong or discontinue their education and, the factors influencing their disengagement from their studies. For that, the following research question has been devised:
What are the reasons for disengagement among MPhil and PhD students of media studies/mass communication or related discipline?
Results indicated that there are variations in the experiences of individuals depending on their gender, age, marital status, financial position, level of motivation, opportunities available, etc.
Theme 1: Work Pressure
Those individuals, both male, and female who are single and get employed during media research studies, mostly find it difficult to manage both ends meet and consequently end up either withdrawing or postponing research. As one of the respondents said, "I was going on well with my research and then I got employed in a news channel as an anchor. The work pressure got the better of me. Ultimately I had to quit".
Another respondent said, "My boss never understood what I was going through. He kept on putting pressure on me. I was stressed. I decided to postpone my studies".
Theme 2: Financial Reasons
Those media research students who are dependent on others for finance for instance: individuals who are jobless and their guardians are not well off, tend to struggle to do research flawlessly due to financial reasons. One of the respondents stated, "It's very difficult to carry on studying when you lack financial resources. It feels really bad to be dependent on others".
4. Results
For some researchers who are not financially stable after getting married, it becomes difficult to manage both things together.
Theme 3: Health Issues
Some researchers fall severely ill or have an accident during studies. Consequently, they find themselves at their wit's end and compromise on their studies for the time being. For a female student who is married and expecting a baby can also be a medical reason to postpone their studies. One of the respondents mentioned, "I had an accident in which I got seriously injured which resulted in me leaving my research studies for good. Although I love to explore media-related insights".
A female student stated, "I got pregnant during research studies and I had to prolong my studies because of that".
Theme 4: Poor Research Culture
One of the most common reasons which are highlighted by most of the researchers is the poor research culture prevalent at the university. One respondent said, "Research needs full consideration and concentration without any pressure from any side whether it's personal or professional. You have to have the support of your colleagues. The culture in the media industry does influence the quality of research. Research is a full-time job. You have to burn your midnight oil to achieve the goal".
Theme 5: Poor Supervision
The most common reason for researchers to withdraw/ postpone research is poor supervision, most of the researchers complain about the quality of supervision they are provided and blame their supervisors for their failure. One respondent said, "My supervisor never allowed me to ask questions. He never listened to me. He forced me to research the topic of his choice".
Theme 6: Family restrictions
Most of the female students stated their personal life and family restrictions as a reason for the delay or withdrawal from education. One of the female students mentioned: "I got married during my research studies. Consequently, it took me more time to complete my research as my husband asked me to take a break from studies for at least a year".
Another female student stated: "After my father died I had to quit my research studies because my brother was conservative and didn't allow me to go out and do research".
Theme 7: Better Alternatives
One student described experiences of exhaustion. When he did, it was in terms of feeling overstrained and having no energy to continue. Sometimes the students were fully exhausted or even depressed, and consequently distanced themselves from their research work and postponed it. While one student said. One respondent highlighted: "I had an opportunity to go abroad and I didn't want to let that go begging. I quit my research studies for I thought I had a better alternative".
Theme 8: Change in Priorities
When it comes to those media research students who either get promoted professionally or start finding pleasure in doing other things as their priorities change they end up discontinuing their studies.
Variation was also expressed in the situations and activities that the media research students identified as contributing to these disengaging experiences. One female student respondent responded: "After getting married I decided to give time to my family and became a housewife. I lost my interest in doing research". "No regrets at all. My family was and is my priority. The compromise I made proved to be fruitful".
The contrasting response was gotten from another interviewee: "I have always regretted my decision of withdrawing from media research studies for I could have achieved much more as an academician".
The result of the responses showed few subtle and few substantial variations in the experiences of research students. After generating the thematic chart from the codes generated based on the responses gathered from the interviewees the result produced concluded that those who postponed or withdrew their studies due to reasons other than the change in priorities and professional growth had nothing but to repent and consequently were unhappy with what happened and vice versa.
5. Conclusion
The factors that add to disengagement or withdrawal from the media research studies and
processes are infrequently studied in education. The present research was completed inside the setting of delayed research studies or withdrawal from it and, in this way, gives knowledge into the marvel by revealing insight into research students' different withdrawing experiences and the progression between them and their work amid these experiences. Comparative experiences have been ordinarily studied in business-related settings (Hakanen et al., 2006; Salanova et al., 2010). Our discoveries propose that leading media research work does not mean just taking courses, examining the space, and directing research; it is additionally particularly scholastic work inside an academic group that researchers as beginner researchers are engaged in. Further, our examination recommends that although the settings of the separating experiences and the nature of the ruinous progression differed, the understudies regularly observed the issue as coming about because of an excessively controlling or estranging academic group. Specifically, our outcomes are following past investigations on research education which demonstrate that apparent mavericks between researchers and their insightful groups are probably going to add to negative experiences and debilitate their determination (Golde, 2005).
Further, our outcomes recommend that disengagement from the research is additionally conceivable while matching interests, concerning vocations or families, engross them more than their proposed work, although they may see that finishing their proposition is conceivable. Our outcomes suggest that what is the nature of research studies' disengagement contrasts, and henceforth the methods and practices to encourage research studies' commitment to their research additionally should be more varied. Besides, the outcomes show that the nature of the transaction between research and the scholarly group matters. What's more, research studies and programs may require bolster in translating the insightful world and its requirements.
In the present investigation, we could give knowledge of media research doctoral understudies' experiences of disengagement from their proposal process. In any case, disengagement isn't an experience that exists in a vacuum or is separated from commitment. The conditions of research work additionally give assets to commitment and create a positive drive. Be that as it may, commitment itself was not the focal point of the present examination, and further research on commitment in research work is required. Thus, in future research studies, we intend to take a gander at commitment to research studies that lead their education inside the best level research group.
It is obvious from the discussion so far that there is wide a dissimilarity of accessible information inside the advanced education division on why researchers pull back from their picked course. The recommendations emerging from the discoveries of this research will be isolated into three classes: the individual foundation reaction; approach suggestions for the HEI area in all; the potential part of the National Forum in advancing research and best practice in expanding maintenance of researchers in advanced education. While the recommendations have been classified along these lines, obviously the unpredictability of the issue requires a community-oriented approach between the majorities of the partners to address it successfully.
As per our discoveries, matters relating to the course and course decision were by a wide margin the most well-known purpose of researchers to pull back from their advanced education thinks about. The student voice, as enunciated through the subjective information gathered, gives understanding into such issues in the segment in all, and in addition separating between the components that make up the part. Notwithstanding, as expressed above, there is a significant dissimilarity between what, on the off chance that anything, is gathered by the individual organizations to acquire top-to-the-bottom comprehension of why and how a student chooses it was to their greatest advantage to leave, regardless of the sentiments of disappointment it can induce. This demonstrates the requirement for the accompanying:
Recommendation 1: Systematic and institutionalized subjective information ought to be assembled as per normal procedure by all advanced education organizations from researchers who pull back from their course.
Recommendation 2: Development of a typical leave shape that incorporates open-finished inquiries looking to clarify why such a choice has been achieved; what, if anything, may have helped them to stay; and regardless of whether the student intends to re-enter advanced education in the quick future.
From the approach area of this examination, it will be obvious that extensive exertion must be consumed in getting data about existing information from the taking interest establishments. Also, it was discovered that a few establishments were presently drawn in, or had been locked in as of late, in research extends on student withdrawal. Such profitable information must be used in its
most extreme and duplication of exertion inside and crosswise over establishments be maintained at a strategic distance by building correspondence in the research procedure. Subsequently, we prescribe that:
Recommendation 3: A suitable individual ought to be the assigned contact for Teaching and Learning research in each HEI and this individual ought to be clear about their part in helping the National Forum concerning progressing research ventures.
Recommendation 4: Pakistan's advanced education foundations ought to be completely educated of all continuous research extends and made mindful of the additional estimation of such research, with the goal that any help required will be given to expanding effect.
Results from the information ordered by our investigation indicate issues identified with the course to be by a long shot the most widely recognized purpose behind researchers pulling back from their examinations. Promoting cross-examination of this information uncovers the unpredictability of this reason and why various methodologies are expected to address it. The Wrong course decision is a repeating subject, requiring different ways to deal with a guarantee that second-level researchers are best arranged for settling on educated choices while finishing their CAO Application Form. Adjusted to this, is the issue of the enrollment/showcasing methodology of the foundations when attempting to draw in potential researchers. The inquiry emerges regarding whether the data given clarifies the course substance and requests, and whether the base prerequisites in a specific subject are pitched at an adequately abnormal state to guarantee that those on the edge will have the capacity to adapt. For courses with large amounts of student withdrawal, the accompanying recommendations warrant thought:
Recommendation 5: Review the showcasing procedure and its "fit" with course substance and scholarly requests.
Recommendation 6: Review of passage necessities in connection with researchers' second-level subject decisions and Leaving Certificate brings about zones of specific importance.
Recommendation 7: Review of evaluation input and scholastic bolster structures with a specific spotlight on the initial three months of a program, along these lines making a "scholastic early cautioning framework".
Recommendation 8: Reviews of inner exchange components and backings to guarantee that such open doors are boosted for researchers who may some way or another pullback.
Recommendation 9: Audit of the scholastic and managerial backings expected to distinguish and exhort researchers who have turned out to be disillusioned with their picked course.
Recommendation 10: More spotlight on general learning abilities at higher instruction in the early long stretches of the first year, in addition to building educational program intercessions that advance student commitment and student strength in their advanced education examines.
Recommendation 11: Identifying researchers from admission insights who may be especially defenseless against poor social incorporation either because they are just a single going to form a specific second-level school, or whose house is a significant separation away.
The choice to pull back isn't a simple one from the student's point of view given the sentiments of disappointment, lament, and worry about conceivable family responses. On the institutional side, it speaks to lost income which can be sizeable, and a missed open door for another imminent student. Its scale makes it a vital approach issue of advanced education training all in all and by division, as far as problematic utilization of important assets. Unmistakably the arrangement can't become the method for a solitary change, but instead requires a multi-layered approach that includes second and in addition advanced education instructive strategy and practice. The initial step is to analyze how the issue is characterized. The way that a significant high extent of researchers demonstrated that they were wanting to move to an elective course/establishment employing the CAO, proposes that:
Recommendation 12: Student non-consummation ought to be seen in an unexpected way, not as a disappointment or issue, yet rather as a marker of the requirement for more noteworthy simplicity of student versatility inside the advanced education segment, in this manner empowering a student to make their own "vocation design".
Implications, limitations and future research
The research is useful for the policymakers who design and make changes in the programs of media research. It is equally important for the institutions offering MPhil and PhD level media research to keep a check on how they are performing in supporting and promoting research culture in society. Moreover, it also explains how media research students can be motivated with the help of proper
supervision. The most important aspect of the study is that it highlights how an individual can better devise his strategy as a media research student. It can also guide a student on whether to get enrolled in MPhil and PhD media research programs is a good option for him or not by making an in-depth analysis of the factors mentioned in the study. Since this study is mainly focused on media research students, students at other levels or pursuing an education in different faculty are not considered in the research. Moreover, for the analysis thematic analysis approach was used which certainly has many advantages yet there is an issue with the limitations of options available for interpretation which opens the door for other approaches such as narratives and biographies for future research.
Furthermore, the research horizon can be expanded from city-based to country-based and then to continent-based to bring about standard conclusions which can then be objectified with the help of quantitative research. Ultimately, these intermittent steps if taken slowly but surely can lead resulting in an improved education system worldwide. Future research should also explore the triggers of disengagement from MPhil and PhD studies in other disciplines such as Management Science, Engineering Science, and Medical Sciences.
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