scholarly journals A Preliminary Examination of Doctoral Student Retention Factors in Private Online Workspaces

10.28945/3958 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 079-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathrine (Cathy) Ames ◽  
Ronald Berman ◽  
Alex Casteel
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Descriptive Study ◽  
Student Attrition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Retention Factors ◽  
Preliminary Examination ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive ◽  
Online Doctoral Programs

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative descriptive study is to provide a preliminary examination of students’ retention factors of engagement, communication, and isolation that may be affected by the introduction and use of online communities for dissertation development within an online doctoral program. Background: This research is a continuation of the university’s 5-year research initiative to address the high national rate of doctoral attrition by investigating whether private online workspaces provide a virtual platform to increase student interaction, enhance student communication, and reduce student perception of isolation. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive study of 698 doctoral students (n1 = 355, n2 = 179, n3 = 184) in the online environment across three survey periods over a span of 30 months. Contribution: In 30 months, student engagement increased, perceptions of effective communication by students with dissertation committees improved, and student perceptions of isolation remained unchanged. Findings: The implementation of online workspaces for doctoral students addressed factors experienced in online doctoral programs. The introduction of private doctoral workspaces significantly improved doctoral students’ perceptions of more effective communication with their dissertation committees. Perceptions of isolation remained unchanged with the introduction of the technology. Recommendations for Practitioners: Universities and faculty should make proactive efforts to utilize the online tools available to them to facilitate improved communication and reduce isolation within online doctoral programs. Recommendation for Researchers: The implementation of online workspaces appears to mitigate some factors associated with student attrition, but the extent of these changes is unknown. Future research should continue to examine the factors of retention as a pathway to reducing attrition within the online learning environment. Impact on Society: The implementation of private online workspaces appears to lessen factors associated with student attrition, providing opportunities for improved utilization of personal and university resources, improved professional standing for graduates, and an enhanced reputation for online learning programs. Future Research: Further examination is needed to determine to what extent various communication methods affect a student’s experience and increase connectivity between the student and the institution, as well as research to better understand the phenomenon of students’ perceptions of isolation within online environments.

scholarly journals Student Support Networks in Online Doctoral Programs: Exploring Nested Communities

10.28945/3676 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 033-048 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharla Berry
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Students ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Online Doctoral Programs

Aim/Purpose: Enrollment in online doctoral programs has grown over the past decade. A sense of community, defined as feelings of closeness within a social group, is vital to retention, but few studies have explored how online doctoral students create community. Background: In this qualitative case study, I explore how students in one online doctoral program created a learning community. Methodology: Data for the study was drawn from 60 hours of video footage from six online courses, the message boards from the six courses, and twenty interviews with first and second-year students. Contribution: Findings from this study indicate that the structure of the social network in an online doctoral program is significantly different from the structure of learning communities in face-to-face programs. In the online program, the doctoral community was more insular, more peer-centered, and less reliant on faculty support than in in-person programs. Findings: Utilizing a nested communities theoretical framework, I identified four subgroups that informed online doctoral students’ sense of community: cohort, class groups, small peer groups, and study groups. Students interacted frequently with members of each of the aforementioned social groups and drew academic, social, and emotional support from their interactions. Recommendations for Practitioners: Data from this study suggests that online doctoral students are interested in making social and academic connections. Practitioners should leverage technology and on-campus supports to promote extracurricular interactions for online students. Recommendation for Researchers: Rather than focus on professional socialization, students in the online doctoral community were interested in providing social and academic support to peers. Researchers should consider how socialization in online doctoral programs differs from traditional, face-to-face programs. Impact on Society: As universities increase online offerings, it is important to consider the issues that impact retention in online programs. By identifying the social structures that support online community, this study helps build knowledge around retention and engagement of online students. Future Research: Future research should continue to explore the unique social networks that support online students.

Summer Mentoring Experiences for Students in Online Doctoral Programs

2021 ◽  
pp. 109-131
Author(s):  
Julie Smit ◽  
Elizabeth Jones ◽  
Michael Ladick ◽  
Mellinee Lesley
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
University Faculty ◽  
Student Centered ◽  
Self Worth ◽  
Online Doctoral Programs

University faculty created the Llano Estacado Writers' Alliance (LEWA) in response to improving the quality and rigor of online doctoral programs. The goal for LEWA was to promote meaningful academic writing and transform doctoral students' identities as agentic academic writers. After LEWA's inception, the authors incorporated the perspectives of their alumni and advanced doctoral students to help address students' needs. This chapter documents the four-year journey of forming LEWA and developing new approaches to mentoring online doctoral students. Specifically, the authors recount the evolution from the faculty-led, week-long summer intensives that addressed students' anxieties and uncertainties about the doctoral program to the writing intensives that were more student centered, responsive, and primarily focused on the mores of academic writing. Results demonstrated the benefits of professor-led and peer-led networks in developing students' sense of belonging, sense of accountability to their peers, and a sense of self-worth as capable academic writers.

An Empirical Investigation of Mental Illness, Impostor Syndrome, and Social Support in Management Doctoral Programs

2020 ◽  
pp. 105256292095319
Author(s):  
Adam Pervez ◽  
Lisa L. Brady ◽  
Ken Mullane ◽  
Kevin D. Lo ◽  
Andrew A. Bennett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Impostor Syndrome

Scholars in multiple cross-disciplinary studies have found rates of mental illness among graduate students exceed the reported averages. Yet mental illness among management doctoral students remains largely unexplored. In this study, we surveyed 113 management doctoral students to ascertain the prevalence of symptoms for two common mental illnesses, depression and anxiety, as well as experiences of impostor syndrome and perceived sources of social support. Empirical findings from the first phase of our research suggest that management doctoral students are at greater risk than the general population of experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and feelings of being an impostor. However, social support from a supervisor and from friends was negatively related to symptoms of depression and anxiety, indicating that these sources can be helpful. In phase two of our research, a thematic analysis of data from structured interviews with nine management doctoral students revealed themes linking impostor syndrome with social support, highlighting that the type of social support may be as beneficial as the source of social support. Recommendations for future research, as well as for students, supervisors, and administrators, are provided.

scholarly journals The Validation of Using Assessment Tools and a Theory to Mentor Doctoral Students with Integrity and Trustworthiness

10.28945/4475 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 029-056
Author(s):  
Laura Roberts
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Graduation Rates ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
The United States ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Safe Haven

Aim/Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to reveal the assessment tools and a theory preferred to mentor doctoral students with integrity and trustworthiness. The connection between mentors’ feelings of trustworthiness and protégé success were explored. Background: This study examines the concept presented in 1983, 1985, and 1996 by Kram of mentor relations (MR) theory, which illustrates that graduation rates can improve with effective mentoring. In the United States, doctoral programs have low graduation rates. Scholars and researchers agree that doctoral programs must develop ways and means to improve their graduation rates. This researcher examined an extension of Kram’s mentor relations theory by employing the Mentor Integrity and Trustworthiness (MIT) theory, which depicts that mentors with a strong sense of integrity and trustworthiness provide a safe haven for protégés to succeed. As supported by Daloz, a trustworthy mentor provides a safe haven for protégés to take the intellectual risks required to produce an original contribution to the canon of scholarly knowledge in the form of a doctoral dissertation. Methodology: A quantitative research methodology of data collection ensued including the researcher generated MIT scale and the mentors’ perceptions of protégés’ independence (MPPI) scale, a survey to establish acceptable levels of internal consistencies for items on the two scales, a supported evidence of the content validity of the two scales, the researcher’s analysis of the validity of the MIT theory, and a multi-stage sampling method to recruit a research sample of 50 mentors from four universities in the eastern part of the United States from several education-related doctoral programs. The doctoral programs were diverse in terms of selectivity, type of degree, and mentors’ years of experience. Contribution: This research study contributes to existing literature knowledge by generating the relationship between mentors’ feelings of trustworthiness and protégés’ success as measured by graduation rate and the number of awards won by protégés. The validation of the mentor integrity and trustworthiness (MIT) scale and the mentor perceptions of protégé independence (MPPI) scale, and the supported evidence of content validity and reliability for both scales will deepen and extend the discussion of doctoral mentoring in higher education. Findings: Results indicated that mentors’ feelings of trustworthiness were correlated with the number of dissertation awards won by protégés and with graduation rates. Graduation rates and dissertation awards rates were not measured directly, but were reported by the mentors. In addition, the researcher found that mentors perceived their protégés to be independent scholars, in general, however, minimally in the area of writing the research methods section of their dissertation. Recommendations for Practitioners: The researcher discussed the practical implications for mentors’ professional development in trustworthiness and integrity. The researcher also provided the Right Angle Research Alignment table to help protégés organize and manage the research methods section of their dissertation. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should continue to explore MIT theory with experimental methods to attempt to improve the internal validity of the theory. Impact on Society: The researcher encourages scholars to test the MIT theory in mentoring relationships that go beyond doctoral studies such as mentoring in business and in the arts. The researcher also encourages scholars to test whether the MIT theory is relevant in other kinds of teaching relationships such as coaching and tutoring. Future Research: Further research questions that arise from this study are as follows: What can mentors do to improve their integrity? What can mentors do to improve their feelings of trustworthiness? How can the MIT and MPPI instruments be refined and improved?

scholarly journals Preparing Doctoral Students for the Professoriate through a Formal Preparatory Course

10.28945/4174 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 033-067
Author(s):  
Mohammed S Alkathiri ◽  
Myrna R Olson
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Graduate Preparation ◽  
Multiple Data ◽  
The Impact

Aim/Purpose: This study aimed to investigate doctoral student preparation for the professoriate through a formal course entitled “The Professoriate.” Background: Many studies addressed the need for improved graduate preparation, however, the study of doctoral student experiences in preparation courses, designed as part of the doctoral academic programs, has received less attention. Methodology: Eleven doctoral students (one withdrew from the study) were enrolled in a formal course that was designed to prepare them for the professoriate. The study was conducted using an ethnographic case study approach with multiple data collection methods that included observation, interviews, member checking, and examination of related documents. Contribution: Acquainted with critical realist ontology, the researchers argued that it was necessary to investigate the concerns and preparation of doctoral students in order to better clarify the complex experiences that underlie their practices of making meaning and maintaining balance and well-being in the professoriate. Findings: Three prominent themes emerged that pointed out the experience of doctoral students with regard to their preparation for the professoriate: (1) Perceived concerns with regard to working in the professoriate; (2) Students’ preparatory practices and preparatory opportunities available to them; and (3) Students’ perspectives about “The Professoriate” course and its value. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings highlighted that educators in doctoral programs need to address and evaluate students’ concerns and preparatory activities in order to make adjustments for students that enhance their success in the program as well as in the professoriate in future. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings suggest further research into the formal preparatory opportunities available for students within doctoral programs and the barriers affecting students’ ability to participate in informal preparatory activities. Impact on Society: The findings supported the importance of providing formal preparatory courses as part of doctoral programs. Formal courses within doctoral programs allow students to devote their time for preparation which will help them to better understand the professoriate and plan for their careers. Future Research: Future research may continue the study of formal opportunities to prepare for the professoriate that are available for doctoral students from different disciplines, the experiences of doctoral students taking part in such opportunities, and the impact on doctoral student readiness for the professoriate.

scholarly journals An Effective Doctoral Student Mentor Wears Many Hats and Asks Many Questions

10.28945/4195 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 133-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura R. Roberts ◽  
Christa M Tinari ◽  
Raymond Bandlow
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews

Aim/Purpose: Doctoral student completion rates are notoriously low; although statistics differ depending on which study one consults, a typical completion rate is about 50%. However, studies show mentors can use strategies to improve students’ graduation rates. Our purpose was to learn from effective mentors about the processes they believe are most important in guiding doctoral students to the successful completion of a dissertation and, specifically, the strategies they implement to help students with writing and research methods. The study was confirmatory and exploratory; we posed several hypotheses and we were attentive to emergent themes in the data. Background: This paper addresses the problem by providing practical strategies mentors can use to help students succeed. Methodology: We conducted semi-structured interviews of 21 effective mentors of doctoral students representing highly ranked educational programs at universities across the United States. We conducted conventional and summative content analysis of the qualitative data. Contribution: This research showed that effective mentors provide students with technical support (e.g., scholarly writing and research methods), managerial support (e.g., goal-setting and time management), and emotional support in the form of encouragement. This research goes beyond prior studies by providing specific strategies mentors can apply to improve their practice, particularly regarding support with research methods. Findings: The data showed that encouragement, help with time management, and timely communication were key strategies mentors used to support students. Mentors also provided resources and directed students to use skills learned in previous coursework. Many mentors spoke about the importance of writing a strong research question and allowing the question to guide the choice of methods rather than the other way around. Mentors also said they pushed students to conform to APA style and they used Socratic methods to help students develop the logical organization of the manuscript. Many mentors referred students to methodologists and statisticians for help in those areas. Recommendations for Practitioners: Individual mentors should conduct a self-assessment to learn if they need to improve on any of the technical, managerial, and interpersonal mentoring skills we identified. Moreover, doctoral programs in educational leadership and related areas are advised to conduct careful assessments of their faculty. If they find their faculty are lacking in these mentoring skills, we recommend that they engage in professional development to increase their capacity to provide effective mentoring. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend that future researchers continue to explore strategies of effective mentors. In particular, researchers should interview mentors who specialize in quantitative methods to learn if they can offer clever and innovative approaches to guide doctoral students. Impact on Society: We conclude this paper with practical strategies to help mentors become more effective. We also make some policy recommendations that we believe can improve the mentoring process for doctoral programs in education. We believe better scholarship at the doctoral level will provide new knowledge that will benefit society at large. Future Research: This research was a springboard for some new research questions as follows. We recommend future researchers to study how often effective mentors meet with students, how quickly they provide feedback on written drafts, and their strategies for delivering tough feedback in a caring way (i.e., feedback that the student’s work did not meet expectations).

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.

scholarly journals Developing Care and Socio-Emotional Learning in First Year Doctoral Students: Building Capacity for Success

10.28945/4064 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 233-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A Rogers-Shaw ◽  
Davin J Carr-Chellman
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Emotional Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
First Year ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Caring Relationships

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore and describe the role of care and socio-emotional learning in the first year of doctoral study. In particular, understanding the nature of the caring relationships doctoral students experience and their development of effective socio-emotional capacity are the primary foci of this study. It may provide institutions with data necessary to add specific supports to graduate orientation programs and/or introductory doctoral courses that will mitigate problems these beginning students face and lead to greater success and quality of life. Background: This study examines the caring relationships of students in two education doctoral programs using the features of socio-emotional learning (SEL), the ethics of care, and learning care to understand the effects of caring relationships on first year doctoral students and to explore how their subsequent use of socio-emotional skills impacts success and quality of life. Methodology: The study used a phenomenological methodology focusing on the initial experiences of returning adult doctoral students in the field of education during the first semester of their studies. A total of seven students from two different cohorts of Ph. D. and Ed. D. programs were interviewed. A deductive process was subsequently pursued, applying the central concepts of care and socio-emotional learning to the data as categories, resulting in the findings of this study. Contribution: As the importance of care is often trivialized, particularly in the most advanced levels of education, it is important for doctoral programs to examine what can be done to enhance relationship-building in order to increase student success and quality of life. This study calls for more attention to care in doctoral study. Findings: Participant responses identified self-awareness as key to how they managed stress, maintained motivation and academic discipline, organized their time in order to accomplish tasks and meet responsibilities, and set goals. Participants attributed their academic discipline and ability to handle stress to perseverance, drive, and work ethic. These doctoral students were very conscious of the decisions they made and the reasons behind these decisions. In their discussion of the relationships that supported them throughout their study, they clearly identified emotions triggered by these relationships, and they discussed how those who cared for them helped them to recognize their own strengths and gain more self-confidence. The presence of caring was clear as participants’ reasons for engaging in doctoral study were often rooted in their care for others in their family and their caring about marginalized populations in society. Recommendations for Practitioners: Examining the nature of the care doctoral students receive and their development of effective socio-emotional abilities may provide institutions with data necessary to add specific supports to graduate orientation programs and/or introductory doctoral courses that will mitigate problems these beginning students face, leading to future success. Recommendation for Researchers: While most research and instruction involving socio-emotional learning has focused on K-12 learners, this study investigates how the experiences of doctoral students reflect the importance of addressing the emotional side of learning at all levels of education. Despite the plethora of extant literature concerning doctoral student experiences related to socialization, the significance of socio-emotional learning, and the importance of care as a facilitator of learning, there are gaps in the literature connecting doctoral students in the first stages of their studies to affective learning. This study will fill that gap and opens the door to future qualitative studies, elaborating the lived experiences of caring relationships and socio-emotional learning. Additionally, these initial qualitative studies provide direction to quantitative researchers looking for ways to measure these concepts. Impact on Society: Elements of care, especially as they relate to socio-emotional learning correlate strongly with successful outcomes in educational contexts. To the extent that doctoral students and doctoral programs experience greater success and increased satisfaction and quality of life, this research will have significant societal impact. Future Research: As a qualitative study using inductive and deductive approaches, it is important for future research to translate the themes and concepts of this study into measurable, quantifiable, and replicable units. This translation will facilitate the generalizability of our findings. The application of the concepts of care and socio-emotional learning to first year doctoral students opens the door to additional qualitative approaches as well, which will greatly increase our understanding of what these concepts mean as they are lived-out.

scholarly journals Defining Doctorateness: A Concept Analysis

10.28945/3939 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 031-148
Author(s):  
Shahram Yazdani ◽  
Foroozan Shokooh
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Concept Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Doctoral Studies ◽  
Academic Degree ◽  
New Concepts

Aim/Purpose: This study analyses the concept of doctorateness and its defining characteristics and gives a definition for it by examining the various ways it is used in doctoral education literature. Background: The term ‘doctorateness’ is an immature unclarified concept referred to as a common quality for all doctoral awards. With the emergence of different types of doctoral studies worldwide, a clear definition for this concept is a requirement. Defining doctorateness can result in major implications for research and the practice of doctoral education, as determining attributes of doctorateness will pose serious expectations regarding standard setting for the process and outcome of doctoral programs and requirements of doctoral students. Methodology: In this study, Walker and Avant’s eight step method of concept analysis is used. The method is a systematic approach frequently used to analyze relatively new concepts. Contribution: The current study moves beyond the earlier studies by isolating defining attributes of the concept and giving a clear conceptual definition for doctorateness. Findings: Five defining attribute of doctorateness refined from literature include independent scholar, developmental and transformative apprenticeship process, original conceptual contribution/scholarship, highest academic degree, and stewardship of the discipline. Based on the defining attributes a definition is formulated for the concept of doctorateness. In addition to giving a definition a conceptual model consisting of five conceptual areas of purpose, process, product, prerequisite, and impact according to the usage of concept in the literature is also presented. Recommendations for Practitioners: By using the conceptual model and defining attributes presented in this study practitioners and professionals in doctoral education can study the effective design for doctoral programs and utilize the definition as a basis for evidencing doctoral awards. Future Research: Defining attributes can also contribute to psychometric researches related to tool development and constructing tools with explicit criteria for doctorate judgment.

Mentoring Dissertation Students in Online Doctoral Programs

2017 ◽  
pp. 118-135
Author(s):  
Colleen M. Halupa
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Transactional Distance ◽  
Online Programs ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face ◽  
Doctoral Work ◽  
Online Doctoral Programs ◽  
Dissertation Process ◽  
Improve Student Learning

Mentoring doctoral students in online programs can be even more challenging than mentoring in the face-to-face educational environment. Factors such as geographic and transactional distance can result in student isolation and attrition during the dissertation process. Students often are not prepared for the intensity of doctoral work and the discipline required to complete a dissertation. Effective mentoring techniques can decrease transactional distance boundaries to enhance the online dissertation process. Dissertation chairs must understand how mentoring can improve student learning. Rather than mentoring students based on personal beliefs or past experience, online dissertation chairs must familiarize themselves with best practices in mentoring throughout the dissertation process to provide a quality educational experience for their students, as well as to decrease attrition.

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