In the Eye of the Beholder: Students’ Views of Mentors in Psychology

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry A. Cronan ◽  
Charles Van Liew ◽  
Julia Stal ◽  
Nicole Marr ◽  
Alan Patrus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
The Other ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
Faculty Mentors

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether students’ views of mentors have changed as a function of the increased number of faculty members conducting research and the inclusion of undergraduate students in faculty mentors’ research teams, using reports from current students. The participants were 227 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at two large, Western public universities located in the United States. One institution was a research-intensive university and the other was not. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire about whether they had a mentor, the characteristics of their mentors, and their perceptions of their mentors. The findings indicated that 28.5% of undergraduates and 95% of graduate students had mentors. Undergraduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors for being inspiring instructors, and graduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors because of interest in their research. The most important characteristic of both good and bad mentors was personality. Students at all levels perceived their mentors as very interested in their futures. Mentor satisfaction was high among students at all levels. The findings are encouraging, and they provide evidence that psychology has adapted well to the increased number of faculty conducting research and to the inclusion of undergraduate students in research.

scholarly journals Engaging Actively with Issues in the Responsible Conduct of Science: Lessons from International Efforts Are Relevant for Undergraduate Education in the United States

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 596-603 ◽  
Author(s):  
John D. Clements ◽  
Nancy D. Connell ◽  
Clarissa Dirks ◽  
Mohamed El-Faham ◽  
Alastair Hay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Responsible Conduct

Numerous studies are demonstrating that engaging undergraduate students in original research can improve their achievement in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and increase the likelihood that some of them will decide to pursue careers in these disciplines. Associated with this increased prominence of research in the undergraduate curriculum are greater expectations from funders, colleges, and universities that faculty mentors will help those students, along with their graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, develop an understanding and sense of personal and collective obligation for responsible conduct of science (RCS). This Feature describes an ongoing National Research Council (NRC) project and a recent report about educating faculty members in culturally diverse settings (Middle East/North Africa and Asia) to employ active-learning strategies to engage their students and colleagues deeply in issues related to RCS. The NRC report describes the first phase of this project, which took place in Aqaba and Amman, Jordan, in September 2012 and April 2013, respectively. Here we highlight the findings from that report and our subsequent experience with a similar interactive institute in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Our work provides insights and perspectives for faculty members in the United States as they engage undergraduate and graduate students, as well as postdoctoral fellows, to help them better understand the intricacies of and connections among various components of RCS. Further, our experiences can provide insights for those who may wish to establish “train-the-trainer” programs at their home institutions.

Resources and practices to help graduate students and postdoctoral fellows write statements of teaching philosophy

2011 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine D. Kearns ◽  
Carol Subiño Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Junior Faculty ◽  
The United States ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Background Information ◽  
Teaching Philosophy ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
The Many ◽  
Faculty Mentors

students and postdoctoral fellows currently encounter requests for a statement of teaching philosophy in at least half of academic job announcements in the United States. A systematic process for the development of a teaching statement is required that integrates multiple sources of support, informs writers of the document's purpose and audience, helps writers produce thoughtful statements, and encourages meaningful reflection on teaching and learning. This article for faculty mentors and instructional consultants synthesizes practices for mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members as they prepare statements of teaching philosophy. We review background information on purposes and audiences, provide writing resources, and synthesize empirical research on the use of teaching statements in academic job searches. In addition, we integrate these resources into mentoring processes that have helped graduate students in a Health Sciences Pedagogy course to collaboratively and critically examine and write about their teaching. This summary is intended for faculty mentors and instructional consultants who want to refine current resources or establish new mentoring programs. This guide also may be useful to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty members, especially those who lack mentoring or who seek additional resources, as they consider the many facets of effective teaching.

Whose History?: The Americas and Music Curricula in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-460
Author(s):  
M. Leslie Santana
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Undergraduate Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Concert Music ◽  
Music Department ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Western European ◽  
Teaching Music

One moment from the much-discussed 2017 curriculum reform in the Music Department at Harvard University has stuck with me and transformed the way I approach teaching music in higher education. In one of the meetings leading up to the revision, graduate students in the department led an activity in which attendees—who included undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty alike—got into small groups and discussed the relative merits of three hypothetical models for the new undergraduate curriculum. Each of the models involved decentering to some extent the existing curriculum's emphasis on the history of Western European music and dominant music theoretical approaches to it. After a short while, we all gathered back together and one person from each group shared a bit about what had transpired. From the circle of desks nearest the door, an undergraduate student rose to speak and expressed enthusiasm for a broadening of curricular coverages. But, they said, their group also had some reservations about jettisoning the overall focus on Western European concert music altogether. “We still need to learn about our history,” they said, while a faculty member nodded behind them.

Understanding Information Seeking Behavior of Faculty and Students

2012 ◽  
pp. 1-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Falciani-White
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Resource Discovery ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

This chapter reviews significant information seeking literature, focusing on general models that can provide a framework for those not familiar with the research in that area. It then explores models and characteristics that are unique to academic users, specifically undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty members, highlighting similarities and differences among these groups of users. Changes to information seeking that have resulted from technological advances are also examined. The chapter concludes with a look at resource discovery tools in light of what is known about the information seeking behaviors of academic users, and recommendations are provided for those considering adoption of resource discovery tools.

Knowledge Sharing Behavior of Graduate Students

2011 ◽  
pp. 113-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaheen Majid ◽  
Sim Mong Wey
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
The Other ◽  
Knowledge Sharing Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sharing Behavior ◽  
Share Information

Active knowledge sharing is considered an important activity in the learning process. However until now, the focus of many studies has been on understanding the impact of information and knowledge sharing on the performance of corporate and public organizations. On the other hand, its implications in the educational arena have been relatively unexplored. The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions, nature and extent of knowledge sharing among graduate students in Singapore. It also investigated the factors and class activities that would either promote or inhibit knowledge sharing among students. A questionnaire was used for data collection and 183 students from two public universities in Singapore participated in this study. The study revealed that the participants were primarily motivated to share information and knowledge in an attempt to build relationships with their peers and email was the preferred communication channel for this purpose. However, intense competition among the students to outperform their classmates and the lack of depth in relationship were the two most important factors hindering the knowledge sharing activity. The study suggests that academic institutions should review their instruction approaches to make the learning process less competitive which would help improve knowledge sharing among students.

Navigating the Academic Developmental Maze

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Kathleen P. King ◽  
Lu Norstrand ◽  
Julie A. Leos
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
College And University ◽  
The Past ◽  
International Graduates ◽  
International Doctoral Students ◽  
Faculty Mentors ◽  
University Classrooms ◽  
Research Recommendations

As an increased number of international students join College and University classrooms across the United States, their transition and acclimation to campuses has received attention over the past few years, particularly, in the areas of preparation and acculturation. This topic is important because faculty mentors can play a pivotal role in the professional development of international doctoral students. This article addresses these needs with a model which integrates adult learning and mentoring strategies to support international doctoral students. The model includes developing the skills which not only international graduates, but all graduates will benefit from in the 21st century. The significance of this model is its contribution to develop the valuable capabilities of proactive, problem solving, self-directed learners/academics able to self-reflect and navigate different cultural environments than their own. The discussion also provides future research recommendations.

Identity Development and Mentoring in Doctoral Education

2009 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Hall ◽  
Leslie Burns
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Formal Curriculum ◽  
Faculty Mentors ◽  
Diverse Groups

In this essay, Leigh Hall and Leslie Burns use theories of identity to understand mentoring relationships between faculty members and doctoral students who are being prepared as educational researchers. They suggest that becoming a professional researcher requires students to negotiate new identities and reconceptualize themselves both as people and professionals in addition to learning specific skills; however, the success or marginalization that students experience may depend on the extent to which they attempt to enact identities that are valued by their mentors. For this reason, Hall and Burns argue that faculty mentors must learn about and consider identity formation in order to successfully socialize more diverse groups of researchers, and they believe that formal curriculum designs can be used more intentionally to help students and faculty understand the roles identity plays in professional development and to make doctoral education more equitable.

scholarly journals Faculty/librarian collaborations enhance doctoral student success: Strategies for retention and graduation

2018 ◽  
Vol 79 (10) ◽  
pp. 560
Author(s):  
Yu-Hui Chen
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Attrition ◽  
Success Strategies ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Attrition Rates ◽  
Retention And Graduation Rates

Doctoral study is perhaps the most rigorous educational experience anybody can have. In higher education, a great amount of effort has been focused on increasing retention and graduation rates of undergraduate students. Yet, there has been little discussion about effective qualitative measures for retaining and graduating doctoral students. This neglect masks the reality that doctoral student attrition rates in the United States have been problematic for several years. A meta-analysis conducted in 2001 showed that about 50% to 71% of doctoral candidates in the humanities did not complete their degrees.1

International Students’ Social Outcomes, Educational Status, and Country of High School Graduation

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 589-606
Author(s):  
Nelson C. Brunsting ◽  
Megan Mischinski ◽  
Wenjin Wu ◽  
Tenisha Tevis ◽  
Risa Takeuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High School ◽  
International Students ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
International Student ◽  
Educational Status ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Outcomes ◽  
Future Research

Despite the increase in methodological sophistication and complexity of models being tested for international student adjustment to universities in the United States (U.S.), researchers often do not test or control for salient demographic differences between students, including their educational status (i.e., graduate or undergraduate) and country in which they graduated high school. The current study was designed to examine whether demographic variables are associated with a range of social outcomes. Participants ( N = 245) from 23 U.S. colleges and universities completed a survey in Fall 2017. Undergraduate students reported having a higher number of close friends at their institution than did graduate students; however, they also reported a lower sense of belonging than did graduate students. Students who graduated from high school in the United States reported less social support from international students at university. Implications for students and for future research are provided.

But I Do Academic Anthropology!: Advocacy, Ethics, and the Politics of Research

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
Rachel Adler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Political Rhetoric ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Political ◽  
Ethical Problems ◽  
Political Sphere ◽  
Political Milieu ◽  
Conducting Research ◽  
The U.S

Conducting research among immigrants in the United States can pose ethical problems not encountered by anthropologists working abroad. Research occurs, of course, in the context of a political milieu. When anthropologists are working outside of their own societies, it is easier to dissociate themselves from the political sphere. This is because foreign anthropologists are not expected to embrace the political rhetoric of societies of which they are only observers. Ethnographers inside the U.S., on the other hand, often become politicized, regardless of their academic intentions.

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