Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities

Conceptualization of academic neglect among graduate students: A case study of Kurdistan University

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

Ali Aminibagh 1
Parisa Simani 1
Jamal Salimi 2

1 Ph.D. Student in Higher Education Development Planning, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Associate Professor in Curriculum Studies, Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22035/isih.2026.5670.5243
Abstract
This study employs a grounded theory approach to explain academic neglect among graduate students. The participants consisted of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Kurdistan, selected through purposive sampling, with 15 individuals ultimately included in the study. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed via open, axial, and selective coding. The findings indicate that academic neglect is a multidimensional and institutional phenomenon shaped through the interaction of causal factors—such as a sense of educational meaninglessness, weak student–supervisor interaction, limited research resources, and economic pressures—with contextual conditions including suspended academic identity, uncertainty in academic trajectories, and weakened institutional belonging. Moreover, dysfunctional educational structures, the absence of psychological support, and cultural discontinuities act as intervening conditions that intensify this phenomenon. Accordingly, strategies such as restructuring the institutional culture of universities, empowering faculty members as facilitators of academic growth, strengthening psychological and social support systems, and reforming motivational and reward structures are recommended. The consequences of academic neglect manifest at both positive (enhanced self-awareness and reflective capacity) and negative (academic isolation and reduced professional engagement) levels. Overall, the results suggest that academic neglect is not an individual deficit but a reflection of deeper structural and cultural gaps within higher education, underscoring the need to redefine the university’s role and its connection to students’ lifeworlds.

Keywords

Academic neglect
data-based theory
graduate students
academic motivation and commitment

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 19 October 2025
  • Revise Date 07 November 2025
  • Accept Date 07 December 2025

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