Student Perspectives on Enhancing Hybrid Doctoral Education (On Site and Online)

Abstract

An increasing number of studies incorporate doctoral students’ perspectives to enhance programs. However, research specifically addressing these perspectives in hybrid doctoral education remains limited. The objective of this study was to analyze the strengths and challenges perceived in a doctoral program based on students’ experiential testimonies and to identify dynamic cores that contributed to the enhancement of hybrid doctoral education. The study adopted a qualitative approach with the deployment of the descriptive phenomenological method; 190 students on the doctoral program in Education at a private university in Lima, Peru, participated. A virtual interview was used as a method. Six cores were revealed: technological, pedagogical, and disciplinary integration in the doctorate, doctoral supervision, specialized support in research and scientific publication, the development of transversal competencies, organizational infrastructure, and student agency and emotional climate in the doctoral program. These dynamic cores provide a comprehensive framework that encapsulates both the challenges and strengths of hybrid doctoral education, offering key insights for its improvement and innovation. As this study moves beyond a fragmented analysis of specific aspects, it contributes to a more integrated and holistic understanding of hybrid doctoral education, paving the way toward a comprehensive model. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.