Doctoral programmes are responsible to provide the superior quality of disciplinary researches tackling very specific link between science, research and society issues. On the other hand, PhD degree is the only requirement necessary to guarantee university study programme on the bachelor level as stated by the current trends of the national educational policy. In the case of educational sciences, the subject of research is hardly separated from the different areas of work of the researcher, it seems like “hybrids of the humanities and the sciences” (Golde, 2007). This tackles the question of interpreting Humboldt's idea of linking teaching and research  in the university environment. The aporia is strengthened by influence of neoliberalism and manifested by the lack of holistic perspective on quality of PhD education. To capture the diverse perspectives  thus seems to be essential. Especially on the teaching mission, the query emerges on whether qualified graduates have been prepared to enrich the practical (e.g. by becoming an excellent teacher /curriculum designer  for the first tertiary cycle)  or the academical dimension of educational sciences. Therefore the diverse view of supervisors, students, educational policy etc.  needs to be considered(Barnes & Austin, 2008; Hanbook, 2012) and complemented by the framework as stated in the written curricula.

The paper is aimed at the analyses of the concept of quality in terms of doctoral education from different perspectives. To meet with the objective, the quality is researched from different perspectives including the perceived ideal of doctoral study programme in educational science as stated in the documents of educational policy on both national and  European level and in curricula and the effect of doctoral study programmes in educational sciences from the perspective of the PhD graduates and supervisors. The core of the research lies within the analyses of available PhD curricula of the last two decades in the Czech Republic complemented by the identified changes in (inter)national educational policy. The life stories of PhD graduates are analysed to interpret the effect of doctoral study on their professional path by undertaking the grounded theory. To complement the data, interviews with their supervisors are being conducted.

The paper will answer these two main research question stated as follows: What is the target and/or perceived quality of PhD graduates in educational sciences? Has it changed anywise in the last two decades? The research is based on the analyses of curricula of PhD study programmes in educational sciences (analyses of the structure, of particular dimensions and concepts) from three different universities, analyses of (inter)national relevant policy documents, interviews with supervisors and life stories of PhD graduates.

The analyses of the gained data will be focused mainly on the current concept of quality of PhD study programmes in educational sciences but also on possible changes of the concept of quality in the following three periods: till 2000, 2000-2008, and from 2008 till today (as these are the milestones of changes in educational policy in higher education). At the coference, the results of current research will be presented.

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