Rachel Spronken-Smith
Biographic Data
| ID | 2224075 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rachel Spronken-Smith |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rachel |
| FAMILY NAME | Spronken-Smith |
| SIGNATURE | SPRONKEN-SMITH R |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Otago |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0630-8909 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 68 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2005 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Sub-warden and Student Perspectives of Pastoral Care in University Colleges
Following the tragic undiscovered death of a student in a university college (or hall of residence) in New Zealand in 2019, a Pastoral Care Code was introduced to ensure the safety and well-being of students. Although much research has been conducted on pastoral care in higher education, little is known about pastoral care in colleges. Consequently, this research explored sub-warden and student perspectives of pastoral care and how it is implemen…
Preserving doctoral integrity – an international study of examiner perspectives on the role of the oral examination in doctoral study
Globally, many countries include a viva or oral examination as part of the doctoral examination. However, there is no universally agreed way to conduct the viva, and in recent years online and hybrid format have become commonplace. This study explores examiner perspectives on how the viva contributes to the overall doctoral examination process. We utilised a qualitative approach interviewing examiners in three case study universities (six Mediter…
Prominence, Promotion and Positioning of the ‘Thesis by Publication’ in Six Countries
The international nature of doctoral education creates interesting tensions where national systems, institutional policies, disciplinary customs, individual supervisor preferences, and doctoral researcher needs meet. The Thesis by Publication (TBP), a model where published works are included within the thesis, is available to doctoral researchers in many disciplines and institutions, but it is not a universally accepted format or approached in a …
AI and its implications for research in higher education: A critical dialogue
This article weighs in on the developing discourse on AI's role in higher education research through a structured dialogue between two diametrically opposed academics.Utilising a dialectical framework, the discourse transcends surface-level debates to grapple with ethical, methodological, and epistemological questions that are often overlooked, but are paramount to the field's integrity.Russell advocates for AI as an indispensable tool for academ…
Perceptions of graduate attribute development and application in PhD graduates from US and NZ universities
With increasing focus on the outcomes of doctoral education, especially regarding employability, we aimed to explore how PhD graduates from humanities and social sciences (HASS), and science disciplines perceived the development of a holistic set of graduate attributes during their doctoral study and the application of these attributes in the workplace. We analysed 136 survey responses and interviews with 21 PhD graduates from one NZ and two US u…
What makes a Thesis by Publication? An international study of policy requirements and restrictions
The thesis by publication is expanding across countries, institutions and disciplines, and so a more in-depth understanding of the format across contexts is warranted, to ensure that all stakeholders understand the implications of this format and implement it in a fair and transparent manner. This paper provides a cross-sectional analysis of policies related to the Thesis by Publication in six countries, investigating requirements and restriction…
Covid-19 impacts on early career trajectories and mobility of doctoral graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand
This article explores how doctoral graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey captured the employment and mobility situations of doctoral graduates from 2019 to early 2021 from six of the eight universities in NZ. The 406 survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, as well as drawing on Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory in an inductive analysis of freeform comments. Most re…
Intensive, Short-Term Presenting With a Science Outreach Program Enhances Positive Science Attitudes and Interest in Lifelong Learning About Science
This study investigated impacts of intensive, short-term participation as a science outreach presenter on attitudes towards science and interest in lifelong learning about science. Participants included high school and university students who volunteered to assist as presenters over 1 week when Science Caravan—an extensive science outreach program in Thailand, run by the National Science Museum—visited their locality. This study employed mixed me…
Geography Education: Fieldwork and Contemporary Pedagogy
Geographers have taken a leading role in post‐secondary pedagogic innovation, and this is reflected in a rapidly evolving landscape of teaching and learning within the discipline. Lectures used to involve the transmission of information from the lecturer to the student but are now much more interactive, with multimedia, student discussions, interactive exercises, and formative assessment based on “clickers.” Practical and laboratory work is now m…
Factors contributing to high PhD completion rates: A case study in a research-intensive university in New Zealand
This exploratory study determined PhD completions at a research-intensive university in New Zealand and considered factors affecting PhD completions. Completion data were calculated for PhD cohorts at the University of Otago from 2000 to 2012 (n = 2770) and survival models determined whether gender, enrolment status, age at admission, citizenship, scholarship status and academic field influenced completion. The impact of the doctoral programme an…
Geography Education: Fieldwork and Contemporary Pedagogy
Geographers have taken a leading role in post‐secondary pedagogic innovation, and this is reflected in a rapidly evolving landscape of teaching and learning within the discipline. Lectures used to involve the transmission of information from the lecturer to the student but are now much more interactive, with multimedia, student discussions, interactive exercises, and formative assessment based on “clickers.” Practical and laboratory work is now m…
Gender, academic careers and the sabbatical: A New Zealand case study
This article examines academics’ access to and perceptions of sabbaticals at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. Statistical and inductive analysis of survey data from 915 academics (47% of all academics employed) revealed inequalities in access to and experience of sabbaticals, and highlighted academic, personal and gender issues. Men and women were generally united in their views on how family circumstances, children, childcare, par…
A toolkit to implement graduate attributes in geography curricula
This article uses findings from a project on engagement with graduate outcomes across higher education institutions in New Zealand to produce a toolkit for implementing graduate attributes in geography curricula. Key facets include strong leadership; academic developers to facilitate conversations about graduate attributes and teaching towards them; ownership of the process by the teachers; the development of a contextualized set of graduate attr…
Assessing the doctoral thesis when it includes published work
In this article we explore how examiners assess a thesis that includes published work. An online survey was used to gather data on approaches to assessing publication-based theses (PBTs). The respondents were 62 supervisors who had experience examining PBTs across a range of disciplines at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. Nearly half of the respondents had examined ‘hybrid’ theses with papers inserted as chapters, 41% had examined …
Graduate attribute attainment in a multi-level undergraduate geography course
We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through a multi-level course programme, and that these broadly align with the stated graduate attributes of t…
Toward securing a future for geography graduates
Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge – particularly threshold concepts – as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning experiences. Through such experiences, students will be empowered to cope with being in an uncertain world. G…
Evaluating student perceptions of learning processes and intended learning outcomes under inquiry approaches
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is promoted as a teaching approach that can enhance student learning outcomes. IBL can be categorised according to scale (e.g. tasks, course/module/paper, degree), mode (structured, guided, open) and framing (information or discovery-oriented). Our research used a survey instrument to determine how student perceptions of learning processes and intended learning outcomes (ILOs) varied in response to courses with differ…
Can inquiry-based learning strengthen the links between teaching and disciplinary research
Inquiry‐based learning has been promoted as a student‐centred approach that can strengthen the links between teaching and research. This article examines the potential of inquiry‐based learning to strengthen the teaching–research nexus by analysing three case studies: a ‘structured inquiry’ third‐year endocrinology medicine module, a ‘guided inquiry’ second‐year political communications course and an ‘open inquiry’ third‐year ecology course. The …
Strengthening Teaching and Research Links: The Case of a Pollution Exposure Inquiry Project
In recent years there has been a move towards the strengthening of teaching and research links in the undergraduate curriculum. Inquiry-based learning offers an opportunity for students to engage in research tasks and consequently students can develop valuable research skills, as well as working on projects aligned to staff research interests. This paper describes a third-year undergraduate geography inquiry project exploring the factors that imp…
Where Might Sand Dunes be on Mars? Engaging Students through Inquiry-based Learning in Geography
This paper encourages readers to experiment with inquiry-based learning (IBL) in their courses in the interest of identifying more diverse styles of instruction, and developing a wider understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The aims of the paper are to unpack the meanings of IBL, describe some uses of IBL in geography, and discuss their benefits and challenges for students and teachers. IBL is essentially a question…
Implementing a Problem-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Research Methods in Geography
This paper first describes problem-based learning; second describes how a research methods course in geography is taught using a problem-based learning approach; and finally relates student and staff experiences of this approach. The course is run through regular group meetings, two residential field trips and optional skills-based workshops. Course evaluations improved markedly following the introduction of this approach and students appreciated…
Implementing a Problem-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Research Methods in Geography
This paper first describes problem-based learning; second describes how a research methods course in geography is taught using a problem-based learning approach; and finally relates student and staff experiences of this approach. The course is run through regular group meetings, two residential field trips and optional skills-based workshops. Course evaluations improved markedly following the introduction of this approach and students appreciated…
Toward securing a future for geography graduates
Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge – particularly threshold concepts – as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning experiences. Through such experiences, students will be empowered to cope with being in an uncertain world. G…
Can inquiry-based learning strengthen the links between teaching and disciplinary research
Inquiry‐based learning has been promoted as a student‐centred approach that can strengthen the links between teaching and research. This article examines the potential of inquiry‐based learning to strengthen the teaching–research nexus by analysing three case studies: a ‘structured inquiry’ third‐year endocrinology medicine module, a ‘guided inquiry’ second‐year political communications course and an ‘open inquiry’ third‐year ecology course. The …
Strengthening Teaching and Research Links: The Case of a Pollution Exposure Inquiry Project
In recent years there has been a move towards the strengthening of teaching and research links in the undergraduate curriculum. Inquiry-based learning offers an opportunity for students to engage in research tasks and consequently students can develop valuable research skills, as well as working on projects aligned to staff research interests. This paper describes a third-year undergraduate geography inquiry project exploring the factors that imp…
Where Might Sand Dunes be on Mars? Engaging Students through Inquiry-based Learning in Geography
This paper encourages readers to experiment with inquiry-based learning (IBL) in their courses in the interest of identifying more diverse styles of instruction, and developing a wider understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The aims of the paper are to unpack the meanings of IBL, describe some uses of IBL in geography, and discuss their benefits and challenges for students and teachers. IBL is essentially a question…
A toolkit to implement graduate attributes in geography curricula
This article uses findings from a project on engagement with graduate outcomes across higher education institutions in New Zealand to produce a toolkit for implementing graduate attributes in geography curricula. Key facets include strong leadership; academic developers to facilitate conversations about graduate attributes and teaching towards them; ownership of the process by the teachers; the development of a contextualized set of graduate attr…
Graduate attribute attainment in a multi-level undergraduate geography course
We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through a multi-level course programme, and that these broadly align with the stated graduate attributes of t…
Implementing a Problem-Based Learning Approach for Teaching Research Methods in Geography
This paper first describes problem-based learning; second describes how a research methods course in geography is taught using a problem-based learning approach; and finally relates student and staff experiences of this approach. The course is run through regular group meetings, two residential field trips and optional skills-based workshops. Course evaluations improved markedly following the introduction of this approach and students appreciated…
Where Might Sand Dunes be on Mars? Engaging Students through Inquiry-based Learning in Geography
This paper encourages readers to experiment with inquiry-based learning (IBL) in their courses in the interest of identifying more diverse styles of instruction, and developing a wider understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology. The aims of the paper are to unpack the meanings of IBL, describe some uses of IBL in geography, and discuss their benefits and challenges for students and teachers. IBL is essentially a question…
Strengthening Teaching and Research Links: The Case of a Pollution Exposure Inquiry Project
In recent years there has been a move towards the strengthening of teaching and research links in the undergraduate curriculum. Inquiry-based learning offers an opportunity for students to engage in research tasks and consequently students can develop valuable research skills, as well as working on projects aligned to staff research interests. This paper describes a third-year undergraduate geography inquiry project exploring the factors that imp…
Can inquiry-based learning strengthen the links between teaching and disciplinary research
Inquiry‐based learning has been promoted as a student‐centred approach that can strengthen the links between teaching and research. This article examines the potential of inquiry‐based learning to strengthen the teaching–research nexus by analysing three case studies: a ‘structured inquiry’ third‐year endocrinology medicine module, a ‘guided inquiry’ second‐year political communications course and an ‘open inquiry’ third‐year ecology course. The …
Evaluating student perceptions of learning processes and intended learning outcomes under inquiry approaches
Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is promoted as a teaching approach that can enhance student learning outcomes. IBL can be categorised according to scale (e.g. tasks, course/module/paper, degree), mode (structured, guided, open) and framing (information or discovery-oriented). Our research used a survey instrument to determine how student perceptions of learning processes and intended learning outcomes (ILOs) varied in response to courses with differ…
Toward securing a future for geography graduates
Geography graduates face an uncertain future. To help students think and practice as a geographer, we must teach disciplinary knowledge – particularly threshold concepts – as well as skills and attributes. We must role model and articulate our geographical reasoning using signature pedagogies and promote high-impact and signature learning experiences. Through such experiences, students will be empowered to cope with being in an uncertain world. G…
Graduate attribute attainment in a multi-level undergraduate geography course
We investigated students' perceptions of graduate attributes in a multi-level (second and third year) geography course. A case study with mixed methodology was employed, with data collected through focus groups and a survey. We found that undergraduate geography students can identify the skills, knowledge and attributes that are developed through a multi-level course programme, and that these broadly align with the stated graduate attributes of t…
Assessing the doctoral thesis when it includes published work
In this article we explore how examiners assess a thesis that includes published work. An online survey was used to gather data on approaches to assessing publication-based theses (PBTs). The respondents were 62 supervisors who had experience examining PBTs across a range of disciplines at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. Nearly half of the respondents had examined ‘hybrid’ theses with papers inserted as chapters, 41% had examined …
Gender, academic careers and the sabbatical: A New Zealand case study
This article examines academics’ access to and perceptions of sabbaticals at a research-intensive university in New Zealand. Statistical and inductive analysis of survey data from 915 academics (47% of all academics employed) revealed inequalities in access to and experience of sabbaticals, and highlighted academic, personal and gender issues. Men and women were generally united in their views on how family circumstances, children, childcare, par…
A toolkit to implement graduate attributes in geography curricula
This article uses findings from a project on engagement with graduate outcomes across higher education institutions in New Zealand to produce a toolkit for implementing graduate attributes in geography curricula. Key facets include strong leadership; academic developers to facilitate conversations about graduate attributes and teaching towards them; ownership of the process by the teachers; the development of a contextualized set of graduate attr…
Geography Education: Fieldwork and Contemporary Pedagogy
Geographers have taken a leading role in post‐secondary pedagogic innovation, and this is reflected in a rapidly evolving landscape of teaching and learning within the discipline. Lectures used to involve the transmission of information from the lecturer to the student but are now much more interactive, with multimedia, student discussions, interactive exercises, and formative assessment based on “clickers.” Practical and laboratory work is now m…
Geography Education: Fieldwork and Contemporary Pedagogy
Geographers have taken a leading role in post‐secondary pedagogic innovation, and this is reflected in a rapidly evolving landscape of teaching and learning within the discipline. Lectures used to involve the transmission of information from the lecturer to the student but are now much more interactive, with multimedia, student discussions, interactive exercises, and formative assessment based on “clickers.” Practical and laboratory work is now m…
Factors contributing to high PhD completion rates: A case study in a research-intensive university in New Zealand
This exploratory study determined PhD completions at a research-intensive university in New Zealand and considered factors affecting PhD completions. Completion data were calculated for PhD cohorts at the University of Otago from 2000 to 2012 (n = 2770) and survival models determined whether gender, enrolment status, age at admission, citizenship, scholarship status and academic field influenced completion. The impact of the doctoral programme an…
Intensive, Short-Term Presenting With a Science Outreach Program Enhances Positive Science Attitudes and Interest in Lifelong Learning About Science
This study investigated impacts of intensive, short-term participation as a science outreach presenter on attitudes towards science and interest in lifelong learning about science. Participants included high school and university students who volunteered to assist as presenters over 1 week when Science Caravan—an extensive science outreach program in Thailand, run by the National Science Museum—visited their locality. This study employed mixed me…
Covid-19 impacts on early career trajectories and mobility of doctoral graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand
This article explores how doctoral graduates in Aotearoa New Zealand are being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey captured the employment and mobility situations of doctoral graduates from 2019 to early 2021 from six of the eight universities in NZ. The 406 survey responses were analysed using descriptive statistics, as well as drawing on Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) theory in an inductive analysis of freeform comments. Most re…
AI and its implications for research in higher education: A critical dialogue
This article weighs in on the developing discourse on AI's role in higher education research through a structured dialogue between two diametrically opposed academics.Utilising a dialectical framework, the discourse transcends surface-level debates to grapple with ethical, methodological, and epistemological questions that are often overlooked, but are paramount to the field's integrity.Russell advocates for AI as an indispensable tool for academ…
Perceptions of graduate attribute development and application in PhD graduates from US and NZ universities
With increasing focus on the outcomes of doctoral education, especially regarding employability, we aimed to explore how PhD graduates from humanities and social sciences (HASS), and science disciplines perceived the development of a holistic set of graduate attributes during their doctoral study and the application of these attributes in the workplace. We analysed 136 survey responses and interviews with 21 PhD graduates from one NZ and two US u…
What makes a Thesis by Publication? An international study of policy requirements and restrictions
The thesis by publication is expanding across countries, institutions and disciplines, and so a more in-depth understanding of the format across contexts is warranted, to ensure that all stakeholders understand the implications of this format and implement it in a fair and transparent manner. This paper provides a cross-sectional analysis of policies related to the Thesis by Publication in six countries, investigating requirements and restriction…
Prominence, Promotion and Positioning of the ‘Thesis by Publication’ in Six Countries
The international nature of doctoral education creates interesting tensions where national systems, institutional policies, disciplinary customs, individual supervisor preferences, and doctoral researcher needs meet. The Thesis by Publication (TBP), a model where published works are included within the thesis, is available to doctoral researchers in many disciplines and institutions, but it is not a universally accepted format or approached in a …
Sub-warden and Student Perspectives of Pastoral Care in University Colleges
Following the tragic undiscovered death of a student in a university college (or hall of residence) in New Zealand in 2019, a Pastoral Care Code was introduced to ensure the safety and well-being of students. Although much research has been conducted on pastoral care in higher education, little is known about pastoral care in colleges. Consequently, this research explored sub-warden and student perspectives of pastoral care and how it is implemen…
Preserving doctoral integrity – an international study of examiner perspectives on the role of the oral examination in doctoral study
Globally, many countries include a viva or oral examination as part of the doctoral examination. However, there is no universally agreed way to conduct the viva, and in recent years online and hybrid format have become commonplace. This study explores examiner perspectives on how the viva contributes to the overall doctoral examination process. We utilised a qualitative approach interviewing examiners in three case study universities (six Mediter…
Psychology (17 works) · Pedagogy (14 works) · Political science (13 works) · Sociology (12 works) · Mathematics education (11 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions (8 works) · Geography Education and Pedagogy (8 works) · Medical education (8 works) · Medicine (7 works)