An instrument assessing the learning environment during the doctoral phase 

A doctorate is always embedded in a specific learning environment, which is characterized by different dimensions of learning conditions and thus leads to individual learning experiences. The learning environment in the doctoral phase can be described theoretically and recorded empirically using the so-called SSCO model (Structure - Support - Challenge - Orientation) (Bäumer et al. 2011).
The instrument consists of 33 items covering eleven distinct facets of structure, support and challenge. Factor analyses show that the measurement model adequately fits the empirical data. Multiple group analyses confirm its applicability in different formal and disciplinary contexts.