Doctoral student persistence and progression: a program assessment

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 753-765
Author(s):  
Shawn C. Boone ◽  
Linda De Charon ◽  
Marcia (Marty) Hill ◽  
Amy Preiss ◽  
Debbie Ritter-Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Student Persistence ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Program Assessment ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
First Year ◽  
Content Type

PurposeGlobally, traditional and online doctoral programs face difficulties with student persistence and progression. An online doctoral school implemented a first-year program sequence taught by a cadre of 20 specialized faculty members who engage in best practices to assist students in persisting and progressing toward program completion.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative program assessment using content analysis examined the program effectiveness of one online doctoral program's first-year program sequence. Two research questions guided this program assessment, they were: RQ1. Based on online doctoral students' perspectives, what motivators contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression in an online doctoral program? RQ2. How do online faculty contribute to online doctoral student persistence and progression? Data collection included myriad of program metrics: content area meetings (CAMs); closing the loop assessment data; faculty and student end of course survey data; and faculty and student semistructured interviews.FindingsThe resultant themes indicated that students are motivated by support from family, friends and religious beliefs; and students persist based on support from fellow doctoral students and faculty members. Additional themes revealed that faculty members motivate students through building faculty–student relationships, individual coaching, providing university resources and through clarification of program requirements; and faculty members perceive that face-to-face doctoral residencies greatly contribute to student persistence and progression through interpersonal interaction and through improved clarity.Originality/valueImplications of this program assessment have far-reaching impact on how doctoral granting institutions can structure small cadres of faculty to develop interpersonal relationships with doctoral students with focus on support and development.

scholarly journals Examining Doctoral Student Development of a Researcher Identity: Using the Draw a Researcher Test

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Micki M Caskey ◽  
Dannelle D Stevens ◽  
Marie Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Student Development ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
First Year ◽  
Core Identity ◽  
Researcher Identity

With a core identity as working professionals, education doctoral students struggle with seeing themselves as researchers. Because research is essential in a doctoral program, the sooner doctoral students include researcher as an identity, the smoother and more successful their journey will be. To support doctoral student researcher identity development, we focused on scaffolding and embedding academic writing experiences in the first year seminar in a U.S. doctoral program.  The purpose of this study was to describe and explain doctoral students’ development of a researcher identity as measured by the Draw-a-Researcher Test (DART).  In the fall and spring, we collected drawings and narrative reflections about their drawings of researchers from nine students. We created a five-dimension DART scoring guide.  In the fall, the drawings revealed students’ uncertainty about the agency and the research process dimensions; in the spring, however, the drawings showed students’ clearer understanding of these two dimensions.  In the narrative reflections, students noted the influence of writing expectations and experiences on their role identity as researchers.  Implications, as measured by the DART, are that an embedded writing support model seems to assure the development of doctoral students’ core identity as researchers during the first year of the program.

scholarly journals Filling the gaps: how the non-faculty mentor role contributes to the doctoral program support structure

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kat R. McConnell ◽  
Rachel Louise Geesa
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Virtual Mentoring ◽  
Faculty Mentor ◽  
Program Support

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate mentors' and mentees' perspectives of the mentor role within an education doctoral mentoring program at a mid-sized public institution.Design/methodology/approachData from individual interviews with mentors and mentees were collected as part of a larger case study of a doctoral mentoring program. Mentees were doctor of education (EdD) students in their first and second years of the program. Mentors were identified as individuals who graduated from or are further along in the doctoral program. Five (N = 5) mentees and seven (N = 7) mentors participated in interviews, which were then transcribed and coded to identify emergent themes, along with transcripts of presentations given by the mentors.FindingsFour themes emerged within the data: differentiating support roles, mentoring as a way to identify gaps in doctoral student needs, mentoring as support for doctoral student success and ways to provide suggestions for mentoring program improvement. Results indicated that mentors and mentees viewed the mentor role as being unique from the roles of faculty advisor and dissertation chair. Mentors and mentees alike responded positively to virtual mentoring.Research limitations/implicationsParticipation by mentors and mentees was limited to first- and second-year doctoral students; thus, dissertation-stage students' perceptions of mentoring could not be determined. Implications include the value of mentoring in filling the gaps of support for doctoral students and the capability of mentoring programs to be adapted to unexpected circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis study targets scholar-practitioner students in an EdD program, who are often overlooked by mentoring literature, and distinguishes research between faculty mentoring and mentoring performed by other students/recent graduates. Additionally, the pandemic gave the authors an opportunity to explore adapting mentoring to virtual formats.

The Importance of Tough-Love Mentoring to Doctoral Student Success: Instruments to Measure the Doctoral Student/Proteges’ Perspective

10.28945/4630 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 485-516
Author(s):  
Laura Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduation Rates ◽  
Validation Study ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Program Administrators ◽  
High Standards

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine tough-love mentoring theory (TLM) as a potential way to address the problem of low graduation rates among doctoral students. Background: In order to address this purpose, the researcher presents the following: a) a validation study for assessment tools pertaining to TLM and b) a validation study of TLM theory and its two sub-theories: mentor integrity and trustworthiness sub-theory (MIT) and the mentor high standards sub-theory (MHS). Methodology: The researcher tested the validity of the mentor integrity and trustworthiness scale from the protégés’ perspective (MIT-P), the mentor high standards scale from the protégés’ perspective (MHS-P) and the protégés’ perceptions of their own independence (PPI) scale. The sample consisted of 31 doctoral protégés recruited with multi-phase sampling at four education-related doctoral programs in the eastern part of the United States. Contribution: The study provides evidence to support TLM as a strategy to address the problem of low graduation rates among doctoral students. In addition, the study contributes validation of assessment tools that can be used to measure doctoral protégés’ perceptions of their mentors. Findings: For each scale, the data show acceptable levels of internal consistency and evidence of content validity. The data are consistent with the TLM theory and its two sub-theories. The unique contribution of the current study is that it draws from the protégés’ perspective. Recommendations for Practitioners: The researcher presents a) strategies protégés can use to find trustworthy mentors with high standards and b) strategies program administrators can use for professional development of doctoral mentors. The researcher also provides the Right Angle Research Alignment (RARA) table to help protégés organize and manage the research methods section of their dissertation. Recommendation for Researchers: It is recommended that researchers use experimental methods to test TLM theory and the sub-theories, MIT and MHS. Impact on Society: This theory may be useful in business and in the arts and in other teaching relationships such as coaching and tutoring. The researcher encourages scholars to test TLM theory in these other contexts. Future Research: Further research questions that arise from this study are as follows: How can protégés find mentors who have high standards and who are trustworthy? What can doctoral program administrators do to help mentors develop high standards and trustworthiness?

Reading routines: strategies of recall in graduate education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Alan Fine ◽  
Hannah Wohl ◽  
Simone Ispa-Landa
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduate Program ◽  
Graduate Training ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Note Taking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose This study aims to explore how graduate students in the social sciences develop reading and note-taking routines. Design/methodology/approach Using a professional socialization framework drawing on grounded theory, this study draws on a snowball sample of 36 graduate students in the social sciences at US universities. Qualitative interviews were conducted to learn about graduate students’ reading and note-taking techniques. Findings This study uncovered how doctoral students experienced the shift from undergraduate to graduate training. Graduate school requires students to adopt new modes of reading and note-taking. However, students lacked explicit mentorship in these skills. Once they realized that the goal was to enter an academic conversation to produce knowledge, they developed new reading and note-taking routines by soliciting and implementing suggestions from advanced doctoral students and faculty mentors. Research limitations/implications The specific requirements of the individual graduate program shape students’ goals for reading and note-taking. Further examination of the relationship between graduate students’ reading and note-taking and institutional requirements is warranted with a larger sample of universities, including non-American institutions. Practical implications Graduate students benefit from explicit mentoring in reading and note-taking skills from doctoral faculty and advanced graduate students. Originality/value This study uncovers the perspectives of graduate students in the social sciences as they transition from undergraduate coursework in a doctoral program of study. This empirical, interview-based research highlights the centrality of reading and note-taking in doctoral studies.

The role of conferences in doctoral student socialization

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aliya Kuzhabekova ◽  
Aizhan Temerbayeva
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Professional Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Conference Attendance ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Student Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student Socialization

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role scholarly conferences play in professional socialization of doctoral students.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 20 interviews on conference experiences of student attendees of a North American conference in social sciences, as well as on the conference experiences of students from various disciplines at a private research intensive university in the USA, the authors explored how research identity of doctoral students change over time as result of participation in conferences, how the process of socialization is shaped by advisers and peers and how the experiences vary depending on the characteristics of the participants.FindingsThe authors found that conferences play an important role in socialization, and the effect from conference attendance increases with the number of conferences attended. The study also showed that students undergo several stages in the process of their socialization, throughout which they develop greater agency and independence as scholars, as well as a more positive image of themselves as researchers, and become more strategic in their behavior. The results also point to the key role of adviser and peers in the process of socialization, whereby the former can provide direction and orientation, while the latter may offer support and opportunities for mutual learning or future collaboration. The authors also found a notable difference in the support provided by advisers between teaching and research-oriented universities.Originality/valueThe paper applies doctoral student socialization theory to the analysis of informal doctoral experiences outside the program of study.

scholarly journals Transforming doctoral education: preparing multidimensional and adaptive scholars

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-34
Author(s):  
Clinton A. Patterson ◽  
Chi-Ning Chang ◽  
Courtney N. Lavadia ◽  
Marta L. Pardo ◽  
Debra A. Fowler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Career Adaptability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Curricular Design

Purpose Concerning trends in graduate education, such as high attrition and underdeveloped skills, drive toward a new doctoral education approach. This paper aims to describe and propose a transformative doctoral education model (TDEM), incorporating elements that potentially address these challenges and expand the current practice. The model envisions discipline-specific knowledge coupled with a broader interdisciplinary perspective and addresses the transferable skills necessary to successfully navigate an ever-changing workforce and global landscape. The overarching goal of TDEM is to transform the doctoral student into a multi-dimensional and adaptive scholar, so the students of today can effectively and meaningfully solve the problems of tomorrow. Design/methodology/approach The foundation of TDEM is transformative learning theory, supporting the notion learner transformation occurs throughout the doctoral educational experience. Findings Current global doctoral education models and literature were reviewed. These findings informed the new TDEM. Practical implications Designed as a customizable framework for learner-centered doctoral education, TDEM promotes a mentor network on and off-campus, interdisciplinarity and agile career scope preparedness. Social implications Within the TDEM framework, doctoral students develop valuable knowledge and transferable skills. These developments increase doctoral student career adaptability and preparedness, as well as enables graduates to appropriately respond to global and societal complex problems. Originality/value This proposed doctoral education framework was formulated through a review of the literature and experiences with curricular design and pedagogical practices at a research-intensive university’s teaching and learning center. TDEM answers the call to develop frameworks that address issues in doctoral education and present a flexible and more personalized training. TDEM encourages doctoral student transformation into adaptive, forward-thinking scholars and thriving in an ever-changing workforce.

Applying cultural capital and field to doctoral student socialization

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan Gopaul
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Socialization ◽  
Doctoral Student Socialization

Purpose Although the production of a dissertation and the transition to an independent researcher undergird the outcomes of doctoral education, this study aims to emphasize issues of inequality in doctoral study through the use of Bourdieu’s (1977, 1986) concepts of cultural capital and field. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study with 15 doctoral students in Engineering and in Philosophy revealed that activities in doctoral study that tend to socialize students possess value, given the conventions of various contexts or social spaces related to academe. Findings Doctoral students who attain particular accomplishments experience doctoral study in ways that suggest that doctoral study is a system of conventions and norms that imbue particular activities with value, which then impact students’ doctoral education experiences. Originality/value Inequality is tied to students’ portfolio of achievements, as the value of these achievements suggests differential socialization experiences, such that different students learn about the norms and practices within doctoral study in different ways.

scholarly journals Factors Associated With Student Attrition And Retention In An Educational Leadership Doctoral Program

2004 ◽  
Vol 1 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Nadine Stallone
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Student Attrition ◽  
Program Completion ◽  
Factors Associated

The purpose of the study was to examine the factors behind doctoral student attrition.  Findings indicated that doctoral students perceive human factors to be the most significant for program completion.

Preparing for dissertation writing: doctoral education students’ perceptions

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Ciampa ◽  
Zora Wolfe
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dissertation Writing ◽  
Directed Learning

Purpose This paper aims to investigate doctoral students’ perceptions of and satisfaction with their doctor of education program, specifically related to dissertation writing preparation. The results offer a complex picture that has implications for the design of doctoral education programs that aim to help students prepare for culminating academic writing products such as dissertations. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data, by means of an anonymous online survey with open-ended questions, were used to ascertain 115 doctoral students’ writing experiences in a doctoral program at one university in the USA. Findings The findings of this study suggest the importance of intrapersonal factors, specifically the ability to engage in self-directed learning; interpersonal factors, such as peer and faculty support; and institutional factors, namely, faculty’s writing-based pedagogical practices, in supporting doctoral students’ academic writing. Practical implications This study suggests in addition to selecting and nurturing students’ ability to engage in self-directed learning, there are a number of specific strategies and practices doctoral faculty can engage in and use to prepare students for successful dissertation writing. Originality/value This study provides the perspective of former and existing doctoral students to illuminate the needs they perceive as they engage in dissertation writing. The study provides practical strategies based on common themes in student responses.

Developing researching professionals in an EdD program

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray R. Buss ◽  
Ron Zambo ◽  
Debby Zambo ◽  
Tiffany R. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Identity Status ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Identity Statuses ◽  
Education Doctorate ◽  
Leader Identity ◽  
Entering Students

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how entering students and graduating students from an education doctorate (EdD) program viewed themselves as learners, leaders, and action researchers. Further, the paper examines differences in the identity trajectories between the two groups. Finally, the paper suggested a new identity status – scholarly and influential practitioners (SaIP) emerged from melding the three identity statuses. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed a mixed method design. Findings – Results indicated students new to the program held strong identities as learners and leaders, but not as action researchers; whereas graduates held stronger views of each type of identity, especially as researchers. Program features such as cycles of action research (CAR), and leader-scholar communities were instrumental in influencing graduates’ identities as researching professionals. Research limitations/implications – SaIP emerge when doctoral programs enhance the learner and leader identity statuses of doctoral students while at the same time fostering the construction of a researching professional identity status. Practical implications – Development of researching professionals can be accomplished by fostering a researcher ethos during their participation in a doctoral program. For working professionals, this can be accomplished by requiring and supporting ongoing CAR in a doctoral program. Social implications – With respect to social implications, researching professionals, especially those in education offer substantial promise of achieving the educational reforms the school so desperately need. Originality/value – This research examines how one institution has attempted to develop researching professionals during their preparation in an EdD program, which is based on Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED) working principles and design features.

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