Trends of psychology’s doctoral theses in the higher education

Abstract

Trends of psychology’s doctoral theses in the higher education

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the trends of psychology docotal theses that have been obtained in higher  education in Sudan. To achieve this aim content analysis was employed as a method as well as a tool. Both stratified and simple random sample technique was used in the selection of 50 theses and special scale was designed for the content analysis. The results of the study showed that 46% of studies were carried out in the field of educational psychology and 12% in psychological health and the percentage of the rest field (40%) and there is a neglect of pure, experimental, cognitive, biological and neurological  psychology. It showed that the most investigated social group was students (50%), patients (10%) and the rest (40%) and there was a neglect  for studying traditional sectors that contribute more to the national economy such as peasants, nomads and illiterates. Therefore, psychology is biased towards the minority in the modern sector and discriminate against the numerical majority in the traditional sector. The study shows that researchers select small (48%) and unrepresentative sample and then generalize their findings to the population in general. It showed that the researchers in their sampling designs neglect the early childhood as well as later adulthood which is in contrast to the international trends. The study showed that majority of the sample was selected from Khartoum, the capital of Sudan (56%), however, the percentage of sample drawn from all other  cities including Arab counties is only represented by (44%). Finally, several impilications for further research were reached not only for postgraduate students but for the Ministry of Higher Education.

Keywords: Attitudes, PhD thesis, higher education, Sudan, scientometry, content analysis