Abstract

The present study explored facilitators of and barriers to academic adaptation among master’s students. It was conducted using a focus group interview with 23 participants who had completed their master’s degree programs. Collected data was analyzed using the consensual qualitative research approach. The results indicated that there were 12 categories and 30 subcategories of facilitators and 11 categories and 28 subcategories of barriers. Facilitators included various activities, namely, preparation, goal-setting and execution, managing academic motivation, and interacting with graduate colleagues, including peer cooperation, senior support, and professorial guidance. Further facilitators were academic activities both inside and outside of the laboratory and the external environment and systems. These results highlight the importance of not only effectively managing individual academic tasks but also interpersonal interactions and support to academic adaptation. Barriers to academic adaptation included a lack of experience and capacity, research and writing difficulties, professorial guidance methods and attitudes, limited interaction with colleagues, laboratory culture and systems, and the external environment and systems. In unfamiliar and uncertain graduate programs, the primary challenge is conducting research and writing papers due to a lack of research abilities and experience. Students faced difficulties arising from inadequate professorial guidance and struggles focusing on studies due to various factors. By identifying facilitators and barriers to master’s program academic adaptation, we can develop insights about how to quantitatively investigate graduate school academic adaptation. Furthermore, these findings can be used to enhance the quality of graduate education and develop graduate student support.