The Quality of University Dissertations’ Vivas in The Field of Educational Sciences at Minia University: A Field Study

The current research aimed at discovering the quality of the vivas of university dissertations in the field of educational sciences in the Faculty of: Education, Specific Education, Physical Education, Education for Early Childhood and Art Education. The researchers used the descriptive method to describe and analyse the degree of achieving the quality of the vivas with their three phases (pre viva, while viva and post viva) in the field of educational sciences. A questionnaire prepared by the researchers was applied and the actual total number of the research sample was (263), including: (147) staff members, and (116) research students at the level of Master and PhD levels.
Results revealed that the quality of the university dissertations’ vivas in the field of educational sciences is achieved with a medium degree as the mean of response is (0.62) which ranges between the minimum and the maximum boarder of the confidence limits. The procedures and mechanisms of preparing for the viva and also these carried out after the viva were the most problematic aspects. As for the procedures and mechanisms followed during the viva session, they are achieved with a medium degree. The responses of the research sample assured that there were no statistically significant differences between the responses of both the staff members and the research students about the quality of the vivas, that is, the research sample agreed that the quality of the vivas is not in the hoped and desired way; This prevents vivas from achieving their goals. And it negatively affects their outcomes represented in: firstly, the scientific dissertation which represent an original scientific contribution in the cognitive field and secondly, the research student and his role as an independent researcher in the future.
The research recommended that faculties have to design a program for preparing the research students for their vivas, put an obligatory roster including all quality regulations and indicators for evaluating the vivas, put shared specific and previously agreed upon standards that regulate the process of selecting the potential examiners which is based on a database, provide their libraries with the most updated books, references, researches and studies pertaining to viva, and prepare archives (videos) of the vivas inside the departments.