Graduate Research in a Pandemic: The Role of Gender and Academic Discipline in Shaping Chinese Students’ Experiences | Chapter 5 | Crisis, AI and the Future of Higher Education

Over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted graduate research activities in China, prompting a critical need to understand its differential impacts across gender and academic disciplines. Existing studies have primarily focused on undergraduate education or general research productivity, leaving a gap in research on graduate students’ experiences, particularly regarding how gender and discipline shape pandemic-related challenges. This study addresses this gap by surveying 2,298 master’s and doctoral students from mainland Chinese universities (44.4% male, 55.6% female) using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Data were analysed via independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis to examine disparities in research exchange, data acquisition, publication processes, funding applications, and internship/career development. Key findings revealed significant gender differences: Female students reported greater challenges in internship/career development (M=3.44, SD=1.11) and problem-solving efficiency, while male students faced more severe disruptions in data acquisition (M=3.12, SD=1.13) and laboratory access (p<0.05). Discipline-wise, engineering and medicine students experienced higher impacts on research exchange and data access, whereas humanities students reported greater effects on publication timelines (F=3.07, p<0.05). Correlation analysis showed strong associations between data acquisition and publication processes (r=0.528, p<0.01), underscoring their interdependency. This study highlights the need for targeted support measures, such as gender-sensitive funding policies and discipline-specific research infrastructure adjustments. By integrating quantitative evidence on pandemic impacts, the findings inform higher education policies to enhance graduate students’ resilience in crisis contexts.

 

Author(s) Details

Yuanyuan Shi
School of Teacher Education, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212013, China.

 

Please see the link:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/mono/978-81-990398-9-6/CH5