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This article analyses a seemingly mundane feature of a mental health centre for immigrants and refugees in Paris: the documents used by budding therapists undertaking their apprenticeships. Supervisors developed these documents in order to train therapist apprentices to learn the explanatory models of patients, identify the voice of patients, and incorporate medical anthropology into their therapeutic practice. The documents were central to the experiences of therapist apprentices because they occupied most of their time and were a substitute for supervision and patient contact. Documents disciplined the speech of therapist apprentices and focused their attention on specific aspects of patients’ histories. Therapist apprentices found these documents and documentary practices to be problematic because they reduced patients’ complex migration and medical histories to a series of tick boxes and short answers. These documents generated new forms of uncertainty among therapist apprentices about how to present clinical information about patients to their supervisors. This article is part of a larger study that considers mental health services for immigrants and refugees as communities of practice in which therapist apprentices learned to develop clinical and caring skills for vulnerable patient populations. By drawing on and contributing to scholarship on apprenticeship, uncertainty, documents, and bureaucracy, this article demonstrates how bureaucratic processes and documentary artefacts may generate unnecessary forms of uncertainty and hinder participation in communities of practice.

The term tertiary education has gained prominence in recent policy debates in the UK [Morgan (2023). “Labour ‘would review whole landscape’ of tertiary education.” Times Higher Education, 28 November. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/labour-would-review-whole-landscape-tertiary-education]. This paper presents findings from a review of the use of the term in academic and policy papers in the UK over the last 80 years. The analysis reveals the role of international organisations in defining this term initially as a synonym for post-compulsory education before using it as a statistical measure which became a normative guide for many member states. More recently, the term tertiary education has been used as a descriptor of systems of educational governance and by the World Bank for specific systems of organisation. Using these definitions as a guide, the review demonstrates differences in government policy in the four nations of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Here there is evidence of periodic and partial policy change, but little sustained full engagement with this agenda. The review suggests that if future tertiary education policy initiatives are introduced they should cover all potential learners once they have left the compulsory phase of education and should be advanced by regional bodies with involvement from learners, employers and community representatives allocating funds from a single tertiary education budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a question posed in 2019 in the International Journal on Training and Development: 'How do we solve a problem like apprenticeship?' Data sources covering a substantial number of countries are used to present findings on, and analyse, initiatives that have been implemented or that have been considered, and then to develop some analytical constructs to help address the question. Fundamental issues such as the status of vocational education and training and the status of apprenticed occupations are important, but the nature of the apprenticeship arrangements, within countries and within industries are also major factors affecting perceived attractiveness. The paper therefore argues that the heterogeneity of apprenticeship systems and arrangements is a major barrier to solving the attractiveness problem. Moreover, the heterogeneity of potential apprenticeship applicants means that marketing campaigns or other efforts to attract more, and higher quality, apprentices need to be cognisant of individuals' backgrounds, characteristics, and aspirations. Some tentative ways of addressing these matters are presented, but the conclusion is that the topic needs large‐scale research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares within-country programmes of initial vocational education and training (IVET) in Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany and their outcomes. Specifically, it aims to analyse and compare the labour market success of graduates of different tracks at the ISCED 3 level in both early and later stages of their careers. The comparison is based on the analysis of PIAAC 2013 OECD study data. A composite multidimensional indicator was constructed to measure labour market success and subsequently used as a dependent variable in regression models. The results indicate that in the systems with dual IVET at the ISCED 3 level (Germany and Austria), graduates are indeed more successful at the labour market than their counterparts with other ISCED 3 tracks. However, their advantage diminishes in later stages of the career. Additionally, in Austria, the success of dual education young graduates is mediated by individual characteristics. In the system with only school-based IVET (the Czech Republic), this track does not guarantee substantively higher labour market success for young graduates compared to other ISCED 3 tracks and also to those with lower education. Czech apprentices in the later stages of career succeed even less than those with below ISCED 3 education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Becoming a professional worker involves a wide range of cognitive, social, and cultural processes that have received extensive attention over the past decades amongst various disciplines. It is also not external to language use and communication. Novices in any occupation have to learn technical terms and are expected to master specific discourse and communication genres. They also face explicit or implicit demands regarding how to deal with interactional tasks. This paper discusses the theoretical conditions under which connections between work, language use and learning can be investigated both conceptually and empirically. It illustrates some of these ideas by using empirical data, focusing on a specific educational context, that of the apprenticeship system as it exists in Switzerland. A fine-grained analysis of this material highlights some of the characteristics of verbal and non-verbal interactions between apprentices and trainers as they occur in workplaces. To finish, the paper elaborates on some practical implications and applications of these analyses for the field of teachers’ training and language teaching and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how an enskilment approach could be harnessed to guide coach education in Australian football (soccer). To do so, we first overview current coach education practices in Australian football, looking specifically into the foundation of Football Australia’s coach education model, rooted in a transmissive metaphor. Then, drawing on key ideas from Tim Ingold, we move towards a different approach to coach education, grounded in the relationality of enskilment. This leads us to reconceptualise the very notion of ‘education’ – moving from the transmission of secondary information, towards an approach in which people are led out into the world by experienced companions, encouraged to primarily experience things for themselves. Such a shift foregrounds the third section of our paper, where we explore a more situated approach to coach education, leaning into key concepts from Jean Lave and Étienne Wenger. In doing so, we propose an apprentice model to coach education that consists of three interwoven dimensions: exposure to real-world contexts; legitimate peripheral participation within communities of practice and mentorship. We bring life to each dimension through the presentation of examples in the context of football. In summary, to prepare Australian football coaches for the realities of coaching, coach education needs to consider a move from the transmission of secondary information, towards exposure to first-hand experiences of actual coaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific production on duality in vocational training has grown in parallel to the increased presence of this concept in the global discourse. However, there are hardly any studies that contribute to a general overview of this field of research that would facilitate access to knowledge. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to provide a detailed and international picture of Dual Vocational Education and Training (DVET). To this end, a systematic literature review was carried out in Web of Science (WoS), yielding a total of seventy-three papers which were subjected to bibliometric analysis. The main findings show that this is a fragmented research area despite the recent and intense growth of its production. It also highlights an intensive international collaboration between authors and institutions. Finally, the need to continue with this field of study is underlined, while future lines of research are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Origins-Intentions: The paper is based on the courses given by the author in the Arts Management Department at Yeditepe University, Istanbul between 2009 and 2016 and also on the Arts Management Internship Programme in Istanbul at halka sanat projesi between 2011 and 2020. The paper consists of three parts: A brief overview of the arts management as a field, assessments on the human cultural needs and reflections on the methodologies of managing in the art sector with the experience derived from directing an independent art initiative in Turkey. Scale - Human Resources: The focus of the paper leads towards rethinking the particular nature and widely shared elements of the cultural work regardless of its scale, popularity or connections. Human element is one of the most crucial assets in this dynamic. Management teams from senior members to fresh interns standing at diverse points of the cultural work take their place at the core of the discussion. Expertise-Apprenticeship - Continuous Learning: The paper centres around questions of what a good arts management is and why it is needed. The aim is to emphasize the importance of individual as well as collective practice, significance of the critical approach in management and the influence of continuous learning in the work environment to build upon the theoretical basis received at university level arts management education. The value of apprenticeship and the manifestations of diverse teaching methods will be highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses attempts to renew apprenticeship over the last three decades in three liberal market economies – US, England and Australia. We conceptualise institutional renewal as entailing both revival, or growth in apprentice starts, and extension, or widening its occupational base. The paper contributes to the literature by considering reasons for the attempted renewal and offering an assessment of the outcomes of renewal. It also contributes to research at the intersection of institutional and comparative training literature by developing the concept of institutional renewal and applying it to apprenticeship. It is concluded that in quantitative terms renewal had some success in England and Australia, but the effect of intervention is more uncertain in the US. The paper also identifies a paradox that policies to promote apprenticeships have undermined the quality of training in England and Australia, leading to questions about the sustainability of renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The science laboratory is a politically entrenched space where complex power relations interplay while social agents learn about the rules and routines to ensure safety, precision and reproducibility in research work. This paper presents a case study of two Singaporean students undergoing apprenticeship in a 3-year school-based School Scientist Programme. They engaged in an open and authentic science inquiry involving chemical synthesis in the school's science laboratory under the apprenticeship of an in-house School Scientist who started the programme. The goals of this paper are to offer an alternative—critical and nuanced—lens to the dominant positivist and social constructivist discourse about science research apprenticeship. Using visual ethnography approach, we collected videos and photographs of the students' and School Scientist's interactions during the science research over the first 18 months of the programme. The study documented critical events that showed shifts in control over knowledge construction and mastery of the chemical synthesis craft as the science research progressed. This paper contributes to the Foucauldian theory of power in offering an alternative view to the dialectical explanation of power and knowledge. First, it shows that while there is an overall gain in knowledge of chemical synthesis increased during the apprenticeship, the power relationship fluctuates when a different genre of chemical synthesis work was introduced. The fluctuation is related to the overtaking and relinquishing of control (power) with the latter leading to the construction of knowledge. Second, we show how the power relationship, involving the interplay of power and knowledge between the expert and apprentice, is more interconnected and complex. The findings of this study have implications for teachers who want to plan and enact authentic science inquiry with their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil faces complex challenges regarding the need to pursue economic growth coupled with the inclusion of diverse segments of society, including people with disability. This paper seeks to highlight historical aspects about the insertion of people with disability in the Brazilian labour market, to secure the need for public policies to guarantee the rights of persons with disability, to reveal some steps the country has taken in this direction, especially in the intersection between vocational training initiatives, mainly in apprenticeship programmes, and the labour market. The paper also highlights some contradictions and obstacles in this path as well some measures adopted for a possible overcoming and development in the inclusion of people with disability in the labour market through vocational education. Adopting bibliographical research regarding people with disability and apprenticeship programmes, we concluded VET programmes for this group helps everyone involved, promoting diversity among the labour market and improving organisational culture of companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims at bringing together two main current research interests: youth employability on the one hand, and use of econometric techniques in order to evaluate the impact of different policy measures, on the other hand. The topic of youth employability is very actual for Romanian labour market, as early school-leaving and the rate of youth not in employment, education or training are among the highest in EU and show no sign of going to decrease significantly on medium and long term. Work-based leaning, as apprenticeship or internship programs are lately promoted as efficient measures to address both the need for a better school-to-work transition, as well as a better education-job match. The paper provides some insights regarding the youth experience of apprenticeship in Romania and empirical evidence to support the hypothesis that work-based programs could increase youth employability. The empirical findings where obtained through a counterfactual approach, by applying the propensity score matching technique on a sample of respondents selected from the Flash Eurobarometer 378 dataset. Our results confirm a low but positive impact of apprenticeships on youth employment in Romania. Also, the analyses confirm that apprenticeships address more to low educated young persons, so the impact of the programs is even more relevant as could be an effective measure for increasing youth employability of disadvantaged youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European countries differ widely in terms of vocational education and training (VET) tradition and the delivery of VET at the upper secondary level. A statistical approach to build a classification of VET systems in Europe is presented in the present article on the grounds of the size of the vocational enrollment, on the one hand, and the percentage of vocational enrollment in programs in which work and school are combined, on the other hand. Twenty-two European countries with full available information are considered in the study: 18 European Union (EU) countries, three Schengen Area (non-EU) countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland), and the UK (non-EU state outside Schengen). Cluster analysis is a quantitative form of classification. The country groupings emerging from the K-means analysis performed in this paper allow us to distinguish mainly between vocational-oriented countries with high vocational specificity (e.g. Germany, Switzerland, and Austria), highly vocational-oriented countries with traditionally school-based VET programs (e.g. the Czech Republic and Slovakia), and less vocationally-oriented countries (general education-oriented countries such as Estonia and Spain). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Apprenticeships present an underutilized opportunity for people with disabilities to access in-demand jobs that provide stable employment at good wages, while meeting the needs of business for a skilled workforce. Numerous efforts are underway to increase the diversity of apprenticeships that are inclusive of people with disabilities. However, expanding the participation of people with disabilities in apprenticeship programs requires a long-term commitment to enhanced partnerships between public vocational rehabilitation (VR) and other disability programs, and state apprenticeship offices, as well as apprenticeship programs. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the VR system's role in partnership-building that includes mutual education and learning, and systematically addressing the full range of barriers that exist in order for people with disabilities to more readily access apprenticeship opportunities. This includes creating apprenticeship models that are flexible and can readily support and accommodate those with more significant disabilities. METHODS: To increase the number of individuals with disabilities in apprenticeship programs, VR agencies have expanded efforts regarding apprenticeship programs as a viable employment strategy. This includes advocating for and helping inform the changes needed to make apprenticeship programs fully inclusive, equitable, and accessible. RESULTS: While apprenticeships have tremendous potential for improving employment opportunities for people with disabilities, there are numerous challenges to accessing apprenticeships at individual, programmatic, and systemic levels. CONCLUSION: Building more inclusive apprenticeships for people with disabilities requires a long-term systematic approach that includes building strong partnerships between the disability and apprenticeship communities, mutual learning and education, testing out various models and approaches, and addressing the fundamental barriers that currently exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous apprenticeship contracts survive among the papyri of Graeco-Roman Egypt, but scholars have been left guessing whether this documentation offers a sound comparison to job training in Classical Greece. This paper points out that such apprenticeship contracts are firmly attested in a work of Xenophon, revealing that, by the mid fourth century b.c., Athens was already home to the practice of formal apprenticeship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share the experiences of designing, developing and implementing a higher degree apprenticeship programme.Design/methodology/approach The methodology used in this paper is a case study. Data have been gathered from students, employers and academic colleagues.Findings The findings from the case study are that the implementation of a higher degree apprenticeship programme for the first time is a complex and time-consuming process, but there are significant benefits and positive outcomes. The process of development and implementation requires commitment from all partners in the programme.Research limitations/implications This is only one case study and is based on the experiential findings from one institution with one employer. Whilst the findings cannot be generalised, it is hoped that others will gain insight from the shared experiences.Practical implications The practical implications from the case study are that there are a range of activities that need to be undertaken and completed before a degree apprenticeship programme can be implemented. Some of these activities can happen in parallel but others are dependent on each other. There are various stakeholders in the operation of the programme which adds to the complexity.Originality/value This case study is an original case study evaluating the experience of developing and operating a degree apprenticeship programme for the first time. It provides a description of the challenges and opportunities in developing and implementing the programme and as such hopefully will provide value to others as they go through similar processes of development and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the dynamic trends in the establishment and operation of art workshops in Africa. Workshop here does not refer to the space in which an artist produces their work; rather, it connotes a collaborative and interactive platform on which artists come together as peers, regardless of age, gender, social status and professional qualification, to share ideas and/or produce art. Thus, several artists have, through such platforms, fostered professional relationships, pushed their creative boundaries, as well as encountered and explored new materials, techniques and contexts. However, fundamental changes have occurred over the years in the operational methodologies of these art workshops, from the colonial era to the contemporary period. Adopting the postcolonial approach, this paper examines the shift in the operational aim and approach of these art workshops. The paper also considers the creative implications of such shifts in trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose In this rapidly changing world, we are experiencing the fourth industrial revolution, known as “Industry 4.0,” that requires education systems to redesign qualifications in order to meet the needs of an individual and the workplace of the digitized economy. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the relatively new approaches being explored mainly in the UK and Australia within the higher education (HE) sector and to propose a framework with selected career training pathways for the tertiary education system within the Australian context. The implementation plan postulated from the reports of recent studies conducted in England’s apprenticeship system is intended as a guideline for facilitating a sustainable career and technical education (CTE) with three pillars of innovation, integration and collaboration in order to improve employment outcomes required for the digitized economy in Australia.Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a descriptive, pragmatic research methodology to review and analyze education methods found in contemporary degree and vocation programs, particularly the degree apprenticeships adopted in England. This approach is used to explore, explain and develop a framework for student-centric apprenticeship options in CTE with graduate outcomes in the re-designed HE programs to successfully meet the needs of Industry 4.0 workplaces in Australia.Findings A student-centric framework is designed for HE programs with a proposal to include practical variations in apprenticeships to embrace flexible structures and industry responsiveness. The paper develops tactical plans and implementation flowcharts for the proposed framework with four CTE pathways, such as degree apprenticeships, start-up focus degrees, tailored studies and multiple majors that are designed for tertiary education programs to meet the dynamically changing employment needs of industry.Originality/value This proposal is a relatively new approach to improve employment outcomes of students undergoing degrees and vocational education with a focus on apprenticeship in four different forms. The strength of this pragmatic approach is in providing an insight into “what works” through a set of flexible, sustainable and practical implementation plan for the proposed CTE pathway framework in order to meet the future need of re-skilling and training for the digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apprenticeship is a time-tested learning model and workforce development strategy. In the United States, registered apprenticeship (RA)—a structured form of apprenticeship that is regulated and overseen by government agencies—has been expanding from skilled trades into new industries. To inform this expansion and contribute to the understanding of how the model serves apprentices and employers, the author undertook a systematic literature review and a qualitative synthesis of empirical research, interpreting findings on RA over a 30-year period. The review identified 36 scholarly studies and an additional 98 articles from the practitioner literature. The synthesis derived three themes: expansion, benefits, and outcomes for minoritized groups, revealing gaps in research on the curricular and instructional design elements of RA that promote retention, completion, career advancement, and learning for apprentices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of skills and human capital during England's Industrial Revolution is the subject of an old but still ongoing debate. This paper contributes to the debate by assessing the artisanal skills of watchmakers and watch tool makers in southwest Lancashire in the eighteenth century and their links to apprenticeship. The flexibility of the training regime and its evolution are discussed, as is the decline of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apprenticeship training is at the heart of government skills policy worldwide. Application of cutting-edge information and communication technologies (ICTs) can enhance the quality of construction training, and help in attracting youth to an industry that traditionally has a poor image and slow in uptaking innovation. This paper reports on the development of a novel mixed reality (MR) system uniquely targeted for the training of construction trade workers, i.e., skilled manual workers. From a general training viewpoint, the system aims to address the shortcomings of existing construction trades training, in particular the lack of solutions for enabling trainees to train in realistic and challenging site conditions, while eliminating occupational health and safety risks. From a technical viewpoint, the system currently integrates state-of-the-art virtual reality goggles with a novel cost-effective 6-degree-of-freedom (DOF) head pose tracking system supporting the movement of trainees in room-size spaces, as well as a game engine to effectively manage the generation of the views of the virtual three-dimensional environment projected on the VR goggles. Experimental results demonstrate the performance of the 6-DOF head pose tracking system, which is the main computational contribution of the research reported in this paper. Then, preliminary results reveal its value to enable trainees to experience construction site conditions, particularly being at height, in different settings. Details are provided regarding future work to extend the system into the envisioned full MR system whereby a trainee would be performing an actual task, e.g., bricklaying, while being immersed in a virtual project environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper assesses non-training firm's potential for free-riding on the training efforts of firms that train apprentices. In order to assess potential free-riding, the paper analyses whether training or non-training firms are more likely to recruit apprenticeship graduates that have been trained elsewhere. Firms without apprentices are less likely to hire apprenticeship graduates trained elsewhere than training firms. If these firms do hire apprenticeship graduates, they hire a smaller proportion compared to all new-hired skilled workers who have an apprenticeship degree than training firms. The paper discusses three potential explanations for this finding: lower demand for apprenticeship graduates, information disadvantage and apprentices' preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computational methods have been used extensively to solve problems in the education sector. This paper aims to explore the computational method's recent implementation in solving global Vocational education and training (VET) problems. The study used a systematic literature review to answer specific research questions by identifying, assessing, and interpreting all available research shreds of evidence. The result shows that researchers use the computational method to predict various cases in VET. The most popular methods are ANN and Na've Bayes. It has significant potential to develop because VET has a very complex problem of (a) curriculum, (b) apprenticeship, (c) matching labor market, and (d) attracting enrollment. In the future, academics may have broad overviews of the use of the computational method in VET. A computer scientist may use this study to find more efficient and intelligent solutions for VET issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the idea of migrant spatial integration through an approach focused on urban praxis. Joining other contributions concerned with the continuing significance of place and locality for the study of migrant settlement, this paper examines migrants’ urban apprenticeship and how it shapes their usage of city space. Departing from the idea that to ‘integrate’ urban space involves being able to navigate it and being aware of its resources, I introduce an exploratory tool, which brings together processes normally kept apart in social scientific research, namely urban experience and migrant integration. Drawing from ethnographic interviews carried with migrants in Lisbon, Portugal, I argue that looking at migrants as skilful agents in the practice of city life may capture how the mechanics of migrant emplacement work in the context of urban diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Undertaking a doctoral study has traditionally considered as a form of academic apprenticeship, and training inevitably has a part to play in producing the well rounded academician. PhD in Architecture is comparatively new in Indian Universities. Present paper discusses what a PhD stands for today with reference to architectural education in India. There are numerous misconceptions about the process and product of doctoral work which is adversely affecting the architectural education as a whole. True meaning of PhD is not known and the role of doctoral research in architectural profession and practice is largely under estimated. There is an urgent need to define PhD education process as well as product in architectural discipline which is aimed at the student’s empowerment and transformation as a professional and academician. It is stressed that doctoral study is not just an academic apprenticeship but it possess capability to develop and promote creative talent and enable students to become professional researchers or researching and scholarly professionals. This paper talks about epistemological and methodological considerations in doctoral studies. Various aspects of PhD education are highlighted , characteristic of a good PhD thesis is put forward which essentially is scholarship, which examiners defined as originality, coherence and student autonomy in addition, a well-argued, logical progression of ideas. Various initiatives to promote doctoral research are discussed in addition to its current status in India. The overarching aim of this paper is to provide an overall picture of doctoral studies in architecture in India in the interests of ensuring the best possible form of doctoral education. It has been found that the doctoral research in Indian architectural schools needs a paradigm shift in order to promote research culture in academia and practice holistically. To achieve this adoption of practice oriented research approach is suggested considering the demand of architectural discipline which is a nascent area of concern in current educational scenario in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates how learning and processes of becoming are shaped and enacted in retail apprenticeship in Norway. The analysis draws upon a qualitative study of managers and apprentices in different retail sub-sectors. The empirical point of departure is managers who, more or less deliberately, throw apprentices into tasks from day one. Thus, the apprentices have to handle tasks with limited instruction and guidance. The paper argues that the level of trust the apprentices are shown, and the responsibility they assume, fosters emotional engagement conducive to learning. The concept of learning environment is applied to understand the relationship between affordances and engagement. In linking the organisation of work to learning processes, emphasis is placed on how 'being responsible' is not merely a capacity residing within the individual, but embedded in and constituted by institutionalised work roles, task allocation and trust relations. The paper aims to nuance prevailing accounts of lack of guidance as purely detrimental to workplace learning. However, the weakly established tradition of vocational training in Norwegian retail requires a critical look into the kind of learning this practice implies. Contentious issues of throwing apprentices into the deep end are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undertaking a doctoral study has traditionally considered as a form of academic apprenticeship, and training inevitably has a part to play in producing the well rounded academician. PhD in Architecture is comparatively new in Indian Universities. Present paper discusses what a PhD stands for today with reference to architectural education in India. There are numerous misconceptions about the process and product of doctoral work which is adversely affecting the architectural education as a whole. True meaning of PhD is not known and the role of doctoral research in architectural profession and practice is largely under estimated. There is an urgent need to define PhD education process as well as product in architectural discipline which is aimed at the student's empowerment and transformation as a professional and academician. It is stressed that doctoral study is not just an academic apprenticeship but it possess capability to develop and promote creative talent and enable students to become professional researchers or researching and scholarly professionals. This paper talks about epistemological and methodological considerations in doctoral studies. Various aspects of PhD education are highlighted, characteristic of a good PhD thesis is put forward which essentially is scholarship, which examiners defined as originality, coherence and student autonomy in addition, a well-argued, logical progression of ideas. Various initiatives to promote doctoral research are discussed in addition to its current status in India. The overarching aim of this paper is to provide an overall picture of doctoral studies in architecture in India in the interests of ensuring the best possible form of doctoral education. It has been found that the doctoral research in Indian architectural schools needs a paradigm shift in order to promote research culture in academia and practice holistically. To achieve this adoption of practice oriented research approach is suggested considering the demand of architectural discipline which is a nascent area of concern in current educational scenario in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]