scholarly journals An Archetypal Analysis of Doctoral Education as a Heroic Journey

10.28945/4408 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 525-542
Author(s):  
Daniel W. Salter
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Archetypal Analysis ◽  
Conceptual Paper ◽  
Heroic Journey ◽  
Key Aspects

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to align key aspects of the heroic journey archetype with existing research and writing about doctoral students, thereby extending previous discussions of this topic. Background: While obtaining a doctoral degree is often described as a heroic journey, that assertion has not been fully explored from a depth psychology standpoint. Because myth is a form of pedagogy, key heroic archetypes (Pearson, 1986; 1991) provide a means to describe and understand the student experience. Methodology: This synthesis of the scholarship on doctoral education is framed within an alignment of the heroic journey monomyth described by Campbell (2008) to the progression of doctoral student experiences (Gardner, 2009). Various movie characters are used to illustrate the three primary stages of the heroic journey: the departure, initiation, and the return. Contribution: Consistent with other applications of archetypal psychology to education (e.g., Mayes, 2010), the paper presents a way for faculty and students to understand and reflect on the overall educational process. Findings: A more elaborated view of the doctoral journey is provided, including the sequence of challenges faced by students in the process and the types of Hero energies expressed at different points. Recommendations for Practitioners: The responsibilities of doctoral program faculty to create an experience that helps assure success and to mentor students appropriately are reinforced. Recommendation for Researchers: While not a research study, the discussion in this conceptual paper provides a broader context for use of the monomyth as an organizing framework for studies of doctoral education. Impact on Society: The commonly recognized 50% success rate of the best-and-brightest in higher education speaks to the size and scope of the challenge and the resulting stresses from taking this journey. Based on the apparent congruency of the monomyth to the process of doctoral education, continued use of this archetype to address these challenges would seem to be indicated.

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

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.

scholarly journals The Internationalization of Doctoral Social Work Education: Learning from a Partnership in Ethiopia

10.18060/201 ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice K. Johnson Butterfield
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Social Work Education ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
First Semester ◽  
International Perspectives ◽  
Work Education

What does it mean to internationalize doctoral education by working abroad? What does it mean to internationalize doctoral education in one’s home country? This article offers a perspective based on the Social Work Education in Ethiopia Partnership, which established Ethiopia’s first-ever master’s degree in social work in 2004. To ensure sustainability of the MSW program, a doctoral program in Social Work and Social Development was launched in 2006. This article describes the development and research base of the doctoral program. Beginning in the first semester, teams of doctoral students join with poor communities in action research.Overall, these efforts lead to an emerging model of university-based development. Through engaged action research, faculty and students use human capital resources and the educational process to function as “development actors.” Some ideas for internationalizing doctoral education are offered. Deans and directors in the United States and Canada are challenged to expand doctoral education within a developing country and to prepare doctoral students to include international perspectives in their teaching and research.

scholarly journals Academic Culture in Doctoral Education: Are Companies Making a Difference in the Experiences and Practices of Doctoral Students in Portugal?

10.28945/4665 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 685-704
Author(s):  
Patrícia Silva Santos ◽  
Maria Teresa Patrício
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Academic Culture ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Academic Trajectories ◽  
The Future ◽  
Hybrid Trajectories

Aim/Purpose: This article examines the experience and practice of doctoral students by focusing on different dimensions of the PhD socialization process. It addresses the question of whether university collaborations with businesses influence the experience and practice of PhD students. Background: The study explores the academic culture in the PhD process through the analysis of the experiences and practices of doctoral students in two groups – those without business collaborations (academic trajectories) and those with business collaborations (hybrid trajectories). Academic trajectories are seen as traditional academic disciplinary based doctoral education, while hybrid trajectories cross boundaries collaborating with companies in the production of new knowledge. Methodology: The article uses a qualitative methodology based on extensive interviews and analysis of the curriculum vitae of fourteen Portuguese PhD students in three scientific domains (engineering and technology sciences, exact sciences, and social sciences). The doctoral program profiles were defined according to a survey applied to the directors of all doctoral programs in Portugal. Contribution: The study contributes to the reflection on the effects of collaboration with companies, in particular on the trajectories and experiences of doctoral students. It contributes to the understanding of the challenges associated with business collaborations. Findings: Some differences were found between academic and hybrid trajectories of doctoral students. Traditional products such as scientific articles are the main objective of the PhD student, but scientific productivity is influenced by trajectory and ultimately by career prospects. The business culture influences the trajectories of doctoral students with regard to outputs such as publishing that may act as a barrier to academic culture. PhD students with academic trajectories seem to value international experiences and mobility. Minor differences were found in the choice of topic and type of research activity, revealing that these dimensions are indicative of the scientific domain. Both hybrid and academic students indicate that perceptions of basic and applied research are changing with borders increasingly blurred. Recommendations for Practitioners: It is important for universities, department chairs, and PhD coordinators to be concerned with the organisation, structure, and success of doctoral programs. Therefore, it is useful to consider the experiences and trajectories of PhD students involved with the business sector and to monitor the relevance and results of such exchange. Key points of contact include identifying academic and business interests, cultures, and practices. A student-centred focus in university-business collaboration also can improve students’ well-being in this process. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should consider the processes of interaction and negotiation between academic and business sectors and actors. It is important to understand and analyse the trajectories and experiences of PhD students in doctoral programs and in university-company collaborations, since they are the central actors. Impact on Society: This analysis is relevant to societies where policy incentives encourage doctoral programs to collaborate with companies. The PhD is an important period of socialization and identity formation for researchers, and in this sense the experiences of students in the context of collaboration with companies should be analyzed, including its implications for the professional identity of researchers and, consequently, for the future of science inside and outside universities. Future Research: More empirical studies need to explore these processes and relationships, including different national contexts and different scientific fields. Other aspects of the academic and business trajectory should be studied, such as the decision to pursue a PhD or the focus on perceptions about the future career. Another point that deserves to be studied is whether a broader set of experiences increases the recognition and appreciation of the doctoral degree by employers inside and outside the academy.

A New Partnership in Doctoral Education in Business Administration

2018 ◽  
pp. 1450-1468
Author(s):  
Florence Richman ◽  
Brian W. Sloboda
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Business Administration ◽  
Business Training ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Support Students

The existence of doctoral programs in business since the 1960s has advanced the knowledge of business both academically and practically that enabled a wide dissemination of research in management, finance, accounting, marketing, and leadership. However, pursuing a doctoral degree in business should support students pursuing a range of professional paths that includes positions in academia and outside of academia. That is, training in doctoral business training should encourage doctoral business students to develop new career paths that bridges business and the academy. Despite the selection of the traditional or the professional doctoral degree, the expectations of the graduates differ, and these expectations affect the administration of the doctoral program. The focus of this chapter is to examine the need for an evolution of doctoral education models in business administration to make the doctoral education more accessible while providing high quality teaching and research to business schools and making societal contributions.

A New Partnership in Doctoral Education in Business Administration

2017 ◽  
pp. 198-216
Author(s):  
Florence Richman ◽  
Brian W. Sloboda
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Business Administration ◽  
Business Training ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Support Students

The existence of doctoral programs in business since the 1960s has advanced the knowledge of business both academically and practically that enabled a wide dissemination of research in management, finance, accounting, marketing, and leadership. However, pursuing a doctoral degree in business should support students pursuing a range of professional paths that includes positions in academia and outside of academia. That is, training in doctoral business training should encourage doctoral business students to develop new career paths that bridges business and the academy. Despite the selection of the traditional or the professional doctoral degree, the expectations of the graduates differ, and these expectations affect the administration of the doctoral program. The focus of this chapter is to examine the need for an evolution of doctoral education models in business administration to make the doctoral education more accessible while providing high quality teaching and research to business schools and making societal contributions.

Social work doctoral education: Are doctoral students being prepared to teach?

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandy R Maynard ◽  
Elizabeth M Labuzienski ◽  
Kristina S Lind ◽  
Andrew H Berglund ◽  
David L Albright
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Assessment Methods ◽  
Course Content ◽  
Social Work Practitioners

Summary Longstanding tensions exist around the purpose of social work doctoral programs, particularly around the extent to which doctoral program should prepare their students to teach. Indeed, social work programs in the United States have been criticized for failing to prepare graduates for teaching; however, it has been a number of years since doctoral curricula have been reviewed. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which US social work doctoral programs are training their students to teach by assessing the extent to which pedagogical training is explicitly integrated into doctoral curricula and examining the scope and content of required doctoral courses on teaching. Content analysis of social work doctoral program curricula ( n = 72) and teaching and learning related course syllabi ( n = 24) was conducted by two coders. Syllabi were coded and analyzed to produce a profile of course objectives, readings, teaching strategies, assessment methods, and course content. Findings Of the 72 PhD programs, 90% included a goal related to the preparation of their students for teaching; however, only 37 (51%) required a course on teaching. Course content, teaching, and assessment methods were found to vary across courses. Applications Training the next generation of social work practitioners to engage in effective social work practice is critical to the profession; however, the preparation of doctoral students to provide quality education to future social work practitioners seems to be largely neglected. Implications for doctoral education are discussed.

scholarly journals Midcourse Corrections and Life Satisfaction in a Sample of Mid-Career Doctoral Students

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Hiltz-Hymes ◽  
Susan Spicer ◽  
Elizabeth Hardy ◽  
Manuela Waddell ◽  
Sherry Hatcher
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Advanced Degree ◽  
Traditional Age ◽  
Geographically Distributed ◽  
The Mean

The focus of this study was to examine motivations and reactions in context of a midlife decision to seek a doctoral degree. Participants were 116 non-traditional age, men and women graduate students and recent alumni from one of three geographically distributed and blended delivery model doctoral programs. Demographic information was collected, including career history and goals, age, gender, and ethnicity. The mean and median ages were between 41 and 50. The research questionnaire featured narrative questions regarding “midcourse corrections,” any experienced trauma, and life satisfactions. Autobiographical material was also analyzed thematically, providing further illustrative examples of the midlife experiences in the course of negotiating a doctoral education. Both the narrative responses and autobiographies were analyzed using content analysis (Ryan & Bernard, 2000). Forty-four percent of the sample reported seeking the doctoral degree as part of a career change plan, while 56% sought to achieve an advanced degree in their current fields. Despite a high rate of reported regret, surprise, and even trauma, considerable life satisfaction (91%) was reported as the result of seeking doctoral education in midlife, by definition a “midcourse correction.”

scholarly journals Interaction Equivalency Theorem: Towards Interaction Support of Non-Traditional Doctoral Students

10.28945/4238 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 187-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constance D Graham ◽  
Liezel Massyn
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Students At Risk ◽  
Risk Profiles ◽  
Identification Process ◽  
Conceptual Paper

Aim/Purpose: This conceptual paper proposes interaction support based on the Interaction Equivalency Theorem (EQuiv) to support interaction for non-traditional doctoral students who have been identified as attrition risks. Background: The master-apprentice form of doctoral education consists primarily of interaction with the supervisor for academic purposes. If this interaction is impaired, it may affect the ability to complete the dissertation due to insufficient knowledge, and it may also create a sense of isolation, which can lead to attrition. Nontraditional students have many characteristics that may inhibit this interaction such as being part-time or studying at a distance. Institutions have been urged to develop profiles of students at risk of dropping out based on past trends and offering intervention to students at risk. In conjunction with risk profiles, the EQuiv offers the potential to individually optimize interaction under time and resource constraints, with a view towards deep and meaningful learning. Methodology: The paper is a conceptual paper using a systematic review of the literature, covering 50 years. Articles were sourced from various databases and journals. Contribution: This article offers recommendations for improving interaction opportunities for nontraditional doctoral students in the master-apprentice form of doctoral education who are at risk of dropping out. It sheds a light on a distinct population whose needs are often overlooked. Additionally, the envisioned use of the EQuiv by organizations and academic departments is an expansion of its intended use by course designers. Additional original work is demonstrated by (a) the development of an EQuiv quality matrix to assess and rank the EQuiv literature, (b) a model of how the EQuiv might be employed to compensate for insufficient interaction, and (c) a representative model of socialization agents and knowledge transmission. Findings: The doctoral experience and EQuiv literature have shortcomings regarding interaction support to non-traditional doctoral students. The literature on the doctoral experience does not capture the invisible problems of the nontradi-tional doctoral student who is under the master-apprentice form of doctoral education. Although institutions are urged to develop risk profiles based on characteristics of students who have dropped out, it still does not capture this specific group of students. Additionally, the socialization requirements of traditional doctoral students under the master-apprentice system are unclear, so the requirements of nontraditional doctoral students under this system are also not specified. Most EQuiv research does not pay attention to the cautions of Anderson (2003a), so the literature is based on situations that do not reflect the intent of the EQuiv. However, it is proposed that the EQuiv could be used as a substitution or augmenting of the S2T interaction in the master-apprentice model. Recommendations for Practitioners: The proposed recommendations might assist practitioners in developing a risk identification process to support non-traditional doctoral students at risk within cost and time constraints for both students and departments. Recommendation for Researchers: An empirical study of nontraditional doctoral student interaction experiences and requirements should be conducted, followed by an analysis of the interactions in the EQuiv. Additionally, the role of socialization of nontraditional doctoral students in the master-apprentice form of education should be explored. Furthermore, a literature review on various risk profiles might be of use to institutions wishing to develop preliminary profiles. Further research on the Interaction Equivalency Theorem is proposed. The EQuiv in its current form has been largely confined to the distance education discipline, mostly focusing on structured courses. The article enlarges the scope of the theory to also contribute to the field of doctoral education. Further research could focus on exploring the applicability of interaction pref-erences, substitutability and the strength of the interactions with this cohort of students. An adaptation of the EQuiv might assist practitioners in developing a risk identification process to support non-traditional doctoral students at risk within cost and time constraints. Impact on Society: Support to non-traditional doctoral students in other countries may improve if the interaction is optimized, which in turn may affect persistence. Future Research: Exploration of management models in support of doctoral student interaction.

Insights from a survey “comments” section: extending research on doctoral well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Sverdlik ◽  
Lynn Mcalpine ◽  
Nathan Hall
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Process Work

Purpose The purpose of this study is to better understand the declines in doctoral students’ mental and physical health while pursuing their doctoral degrees, by revealing the major themes of students’ voluntary comments following a survey that primed students to reflect on these topics. Design/methodology/approach The present study used qualitative thematic analysis to uncover themes in doctoral students’ voluntary comments on a large-scale, web-based survey of graduate students’ motivation and well-being. Findings A thematic analysis revealed six major emerging themes: timing in the degree process, work-life balance, health/well-being changes, impostor syndrome, the supervisor and hopelessness. Research limitations/implications The themes uncovered in the present study contribute to the literature by highlighting important underexplored topics (e.g. timing in the degree process, hopelessness) in doctoral education research and they are discussed and situated in the context of existing literature. Practical implications Implications for doctoral supervisors and departments are discussed. Social implications The present study highlights some pressing concerns among doctoral students, as articulated by the students themselves and can contribute to the betterment of doctoral education, thereby reducing attrition, improving the experiences of doctoral students and possibly affording more candidates to achieve a doctoral degree. Originality/value The present study makes the above-mentioned contributions by taking a novel approach and analyzing doctoral students’ voluntary comments (n = 607) on a large-scale, web-based survey. Thus, while some of the themes were primed by the survey itself, the data represent issues/concerns that students perceived as important enough to comment about after already having completed a lengthy questionnaire.

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.

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