Turned Off from an Academic Career: Engineering and Computing Doctoral Students and the Reasons for Their Dissuasion

Aim/Purpose: We sought to understand factors that dissuade engineering and computing doctoral students in the United States from pursuing a career in the professoriate. Background: Many PhD students start the doctoral process excited about the possibility of becoming a professor. After a few years of doctoral education, however, many become less interested in academic careers or even come to loathe the idea of a faculty position. Methodology: Participants in a larger study (N = 744) completed a comprehensive survey about their educational experiences and career aspirations. This study focused on a subset of these respondents (n = 147), who indicated they did not want to pursue faculty positions and explained their reasoning with a brief open-ended response. We coded these open-ended responses. Contribution: We found a general lack of interest in the professoriate and disgust over the associated pressure-filled norms and culture; this aversion is the article’s focus. Respondents were critical of institutional norms that emphasize research (e.g., stress related to grant writing, publishing, and promotion as junior faculty) and described their own experiences as PhD students. Findings: Findings support rethinking the outdated faculty model and interchanging it with healthier and more holistic approaches. Recommendations for Practitioners: These approaches might include advocating for and emphasizing the contributions of research, teaching, and professional excellence as well as removing the secrecy and toxicity of tenure and promotion that discourage individuals from becoming the next generation of engineering and computing educators and knowledge makers. Recommendation for Researchers: Future researchers should explore in greater depth the extent to which junior faculty’s experiences in the professoriate influence doctoral students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ attitudes toward working in academia. To the extent that this is the case, researchers should then explore ways of improving faculty experiences, in addition to improving doctoral students’ experiences that are unrelated to their socialization. Impact on Society: Having a deeper understanding of the reasons why some doctoral engineering and computing students are uninterested in the professoriate is critical for removing barriers toward becoming faculty. Future Research: Researchers should explore the factors that would improve doctoral students’ perceptions of the professoriate, and better understand how they might disproportionately affect members of historically underrepresented groups.

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Navigating the Academic Developmental Maze

International Journal of Adult Vocational Education and Technology ◽

10.4018/ijavet.2015010101 ◽

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.

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

International Journal of Doctoral Studies ◽

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?

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Re-envisioning Doctoral Mentorship in the United States: A Power-Conscious Review of the Literature

International Journal of Doctoral Studies ◽

10.28945/4735 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

pp. 237-252

Author(s):

Genia M. Bettencourt ◽

Rachel E. Friedensen ◽

Megan L Bartlett

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Doctoral Education ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Power Dynamics ◽

Research Findings ◽

Direct Applicability ◽

Important Form ◽

The U.S

Aim/Purpose: Multiple barriers exist within doctoral education in the United States that can undermine the success of students, particularly for students with marginalized identities. While mentorship can provide an important form of support, it must be done in an intentional way that is mindful of issues of equity and power. Background: By applying a power-conscious framework to current practices of doctoral mentorship in the U.S., we propose key considerations to help support doctoral students and shift power imbalances. Methodology: As a scholarly paper, this work draws upon a comprehensive review of existing research on doctoral mentorship in the U.S. Contribution: As a relatively recent development, the power-conscious framework provides an important tool to address issues of inequity that has not yet been applied to doctoral mentorship to our knowledge. Such a framework provides clear implications for mentorship relationships, institutional policies, and future research. Findings: The power-conscious framework has direct applicability to and possibility for reshaping doctoral mentorship in the U.S. as well as elsewhere. Each of the six foci of the framework can be integrated with research on doctoral students to help formal and informal mentors enhance their practice. Recommendations for Practitioners: Throughout our analysis, we pose questions for mentors to consider in order to reflect upon their practice and engage in further exploration. Recommendation for Researchers: Research on doctoral mentorship should explicitly engage with broader dynamics of power, particularly as related to understanding the experiences of marginalized student populations. Impact on Society: The demanding nature of and precarity within U.S. doctoral education leads to high rates of departure and burnout amongst students. By re-envisioning mentorship, we hope to begin a broader re-imagining of doctoral education to be more equitable and supportive of students. Future Research: To examine these claims, future research should explore doctoral student mentorship relationships and how power dynamics are contained therein both within the U.S. and in international contexts.

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

International Journal of Doctoral Studies ◽

10.28945/4195 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 133-159 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

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).

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Preparing for PhD: exploring doctoral students’ preparation strategy

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education ◽

10.1108/sgpe-03-2019-0038 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 89-106 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ahmad Thamrini Fadzlin Syed Mohamed ◽

Ahmad Fahimi Amir ◽

Nur Khadirah Ab. Rahman ◽

Emily Abd Rahman ◽

Afifah Quraishah Abdul Nasir

Keyword(s):

Doctoral Students ◽

Academic Career ◽

Future Research ◽

Small Scale ◽

Content Type ◽

Preparation Phase ◽

Personal Level ◽

Preparation Strategy ◽

Professional Doctorates ◽

The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to give insight on the important preparation task needed to be considered by prospective PhD candidates prior to the start of their study. As pursuing and obtaining a higher degree qualification is becoming more eminent for those who want to advance their academic career, crucial preparation is needed before embarking on the doctoral quest. Design/methodology/approach A small-scale study of the PhD experience was carried out in a public university in Malaysia using semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight successful doctoral students representing three different faculties to assess respondents’ experiences concerning the preparation aspect, challenges faced and strategies used to overcome the problem. Findings From the interview data, three overarching themes emerged: motives, task and financial and health as important dominators that could influence a successful venture of a PhD journey. Research limitations/implications As the present research respondents were few, further research with bigger number of respondents may shed better light in identifying other important aspect in preparation for PhD. The authors are unable, in the space of this paper, to fully explore the implications of the data, and the work of others that it builds on, for the future of professional doctorates or other types of PhD awards. As professional doctorates are fully concentrated on their professional endeavour, i.e. nursing and education, the preparation needed may include different groundwork. In addition, this study was carried out in Malaysia, where the system may not necessarily share the same characteristics to other doctoral systems in other countries. Cultural differences, the impact of age, gender and race, were other variables that could be weighed by future research in the same area. Practical implications The university’s graduate office should line-up courses to inform future doctoral candidates on the aspect of preparation at personal level that the students need to carry out. Social implications The study provides new views where potential doctoral students should be helped and guided to become more consciously aware of their decision in pursuing a higher degree. This paper provides suggestions on the guidelines of the initial preparation needed before embarking on a PhD journey and managing their own learning. Originality/value The paper establishes the important aspect of the preparation phase needed to be considered by future doctoral students before pursuing their doctoral quest.

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A Mentorship Program for Academic Obstetrician Gynecologists that Improved Publication and Overall Confidence for Success

Seminars in Reproductive Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0039-1697934 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 37 (05/06) ◽

pp. 257-264

Author(s):

Susan Nasab ◽

John S. Rushing ◽

James H. Segars ◽

Emily Evers ◽

Victoria L. Handa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measures ◽

Career Advancement ◽

Academic Career ◽

Predictor Variable ◽

Junior Faculty ◽

Grant Writing ◽

Control Group ◽

Mentorship Program ◽

Research Education ◽

The Impact

AbstractThis article aims to evaluate the impact of a mentorship program to enhance the training of clinical and research scientists in obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN). A departmental course was developed for junior faculty and fellows based on their areas of interest. The research was IRB-approved. The curriculum consisted of monthly interactive workshops for an interdisciplinary group of trainees in OBGYN. Themes included research, education, and leadership in academic OBGYN. There was a strong emphasis on participatory exercises. Examples of curriculum topics included manuscript publication and review, grant writing, working with an IRB, promotion, and time management. Pre- and post-course questionnaires assessed participants' confidence in skills related to the course topics. Generalized linear models were used to assess changes in post-course response, using each question as the dependent variable and an indicator for post-course as the predictor variable. The control group was composed of junior faculty and fellows before the course was initiated. Outcome measures included the number and impact factor of published manuscripts. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to assess outcome measures. Of the 118 attendees, 26 (22.0%) were junior faculty, 35 (29.66%) were clinical fellows, and 28 (23.7%) were research fellows, other research staff, or students. For each 3-year course series, an average of 20 participants completed the post-course surveys, of which 72% were clinical fellows, 22% were assistant professors, and 5% were instructors. The data revealed a statistically significant change in the participant's overall confidence in skills related to research, education, and leadership when comparing the cumulative results from the pre-to-post course surveys (p < 0.001). Specifically, participants noted improved confidence in their skills related to clinical and translation research (p < 0.001) and leadership and academic career advancement (p = 0.001). Additionally, junior faculty and clinical fellows who attended the course had a higher number of publications during the course period compared with controls (p = 0.003 and p = 0.008, respectively). This subspecialty-tailored, departmental training program was effective in increasing junior faculty and clinical fellows' confidence in skills related to career advancement and research and in the number of peer-reviewed publications.

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The Permanence of Racism in Teacher Education

Teachers College Record ◽

10.1177/016146811511701406 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 117 (14) ◽

pp. 75-102

Author(s):

Vanessa D. Dodo Seriki ◽

Cory T. Brown ◽

Kenneth J. Fasching-Varner

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Teacher Education ◽

Critical Race Theory ◽

Students Of Color ◽

Junior Faculty ◽

The United States ◽

Teacher Education Programs ◽

Faculty Position ◽

White Allies ◽

Permanence Of Racism

Using the chronicles of three friends, this chapter presents a counterstory that sets the stage for the examination of racism in teacher education, within the United States of America, using critical race theory (CRT) as an analytical tool. The setting of these chronicles is during a time when postracial rhetoric in the United States was at its highest—just after the 2008 election of President Barack Obama. The three friends take the readers on a journey through their graduate experience in teacher education and into their first faculty position in teacher education. Their experiences, as students and junior faculty, are akin to what many faculty and students of color and their White allies experience daily in teacher education programs across the United States. The analysis of their chronicle, using CRT, reveals that postracial discourse has disguised racism and racial microaggression in teacher education. Racial microaggres-sion is as pernicious as other forms of racism and, through its passive-aggressive orientation, validates institutional and individual lack of attention to issues of race.

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Academic promotion and tenure: a user’s guide for junior faculty members

Hematology ◽

10.1182/asheducation-2009.1.736 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 2009 (1) ◽

pp. 736-741 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

George R. Buchanan

Keyword(s):

Academic Career ◽

Junior Faculty ◽

Faculty Members ◽

Junior Faculty Member ◽

Faculty Position ◽

Academic Promotion ◽

Promotion And Tenure ◽

The Road ◽

Academic Tracks ◽

Definition Of

Abstract Securing a junior faculty position is an important early step in an academic career in hematology. Shortly thereafter one should begin to plan for eventual promotion and possible tenure. The process is not straightforward, as the “rules of the road” regarding academic positions, academic tracks, assessment and evaluation metrics, and timelines vary immensely from one institution to another. It is critically important, therefore, for the new junior faculty member to become knowledgeable about the institutional policies and “culture” regarding this process. This understanding includes the definition of and criteria for achieving tenure, the academic tracks and the policies for advancement on each track, and the process by which the institutional committee responsible for promotion and tenure conducts its activities. Learning the rules and successfully navigating the academic pathway will help ensure success by achieving the desired promotion and the self-satisfaction, prestige, and financial awards that may accompany it.

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The Philosophical Approach of Sankofa: Perspectives on Historically Marginalized Doctoral Students in the United States and South Africa

International Journal of Doctoral Studies ◽

10.28945/4463 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 783-801

Author(s):

Pamela Felder

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

South Africa ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Doctoral Education ◽

Doctoral Degree ◽

The United States ◽

Student Experiences ◽

Future Research ◽

Philosophical Approach ◽

Doctoral Experience

Aim/Purpose: This work contributes to the expansion of dialogue on doctoral education research in the United States, South Africa, and within the context of higher education internationalization. There is an emphasis on identifying and reinterpreting the doctoral process where racial and cultural aspects have been marginalized by way of institutional and systemic exclusion. An underlying premise is to support representation of marginalized doctoral student experiences to raise questions about participation and contributions within the dialogue on doctoral education research and practice. Background: Decades of reporting provide evidence of statistical portraits on degree at-tainment. Yet, some large-scale reporting does not include representation of historically marginalized doctoral students until the 1970s in the United States, and the 2000s for South Africa. With the growth of internationalization in higher education, examination of the impact of marginalization serves to support representation of diversity-focused discussions in the development of regional international education organizations, multilateral networks, and cross-collaborative teaching and research projects. Methodology: The philosophical approach for this conceptual paper embraces the Sankofa tradition as a process of going back to previous trends in literature on doctoral degree completion to identify opportunities for interrogation and reinterpretation of the doctoral experience. A dimensional framework of diversity and critical race theory, CRT, guides interpretation of racial and cultural perspectives focused on exclusion, structural diversity, and the psychological/behavioral experiences related to doctoral degree completion in the United States and South Africa. A purposeful sampling strategy is used to identify of literature sources where these dimensions are identified. Contribution: A major contribution of this work is the use of a dimensional diversity framework in doctoral education in both the US and South Africa. Findings: Interpretation of previous studies reveal critical insight for understanding the racial and cultural aspects of the doctoral process through comparison of perspectives on the historically marginalized doctoral experience in the United States and South Africa. They include consideration of the social developments leading to the current predicament of marginalization for students, awareness of the different reporting strategies of data, implementation of cultural philosophies to broaden the focus on how to understand student experiences, and an understanding of the differences in student-faculty relationships. Recommendations for Practitioners: Recommendations for practitioners highlight the application of cultural approaches in the development and implementation of practical strategies for supporting historically marginalized doctoral students. Recommendations for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers consider the application of cultural ap-proaches in the development of scholarship supporting historically marginal-ized doctoral students within a global context. Impact on Society: Intended outcomes for this work include increasing awareness about historically marginalized doctoral students. Recommendations are focused on improving their academic and career experiences in the United States and South Africa with global implications regarding their contributions. Future Research: Future research should consider the application of cultural philosophical ap-proaches when examining the historically marginalized doctoral experience within global, national, and local contexts.

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“How do I get From Here to There?” An Examination of Ph.D. Science Students’ Career Preparation and Decision Making

International Journal of Doctoral Studies ◽

10.28945/2280 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 237-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Heather Thiry ◽

Sandra L Laursen ◽

Heidi G. Loshbaugh

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Doctoral Students ◽

Academic Career ◽

The United States ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Graduate Studies ◽

Developmental Networks ◽

Education Practice ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Career Options

Drawing on developmental networks theory, this qualitative research study explores the professional preparation and career decision-making processes of doctoral students in the sciences. The study is based on 95 semi-structured interviews with informants at three research universities in the United States. Though many students were interested in non-academic career tracks, they were largely unaware of the breadth of their choices or how to best prepare for these careers. Unable to cultivate networks in non-academic careers, many students turned to peers to fill the career development gap. Due to their lack of knowledge about career options, among other factors, students often delayed selecting and preparing for careers until the end of their graduate studies. Implications for doctoral education practice are discussed.

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