Graduate Transitions

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 264-285
Author(s):  
Jordan Stouck ◽  
Lori Walter
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Institutional Expectations ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Perceived Experiences

This exploratory study researches the experiences of Canadian graduate students as they pursue writing tasks for their degree. It also explores the supports currently utilized by such students and the need for additional supports. The research uses a case study design based on qualitative focus group interviews to provide detailed information regarding graduate students’ perceived experiences with their academic writing tasks and available supports. The approach is informed by academic literacy theory. Graduate students who participated in this study identified a transition in voice, increased pressure to publish and professionalize, and misalignments between their own and supervisory and institutional expectations, which resulted in some interrogation of institutional norms. They utilized Writing Centre, online and supervisory supports, but called for additional ongoing and peer support. The study has implications for the development of new, collaborative and peer-based writing supports, as well as identifying future research areas related to interdisciplinary degrees.

scholarly journals Graduate Transitions

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 264-289
Author(s):  
Jordan Stouck ◽  
Lori Walter
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Academic Literacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Institutional Expectations ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Perceived Experiences

This exploratory study researches the experiences of Canadian graduate students as they pursue writing tasks for their degree. It also explores the supports currently utilized by such students and the need for additional supports. The research uses a case study design based on qualitative focus group interviews to provide detailed information regarding graduate students' perceived experiences with their academic writing tasks and available supports. The approach is informed by academic literacy theory. Graduate students who participated in this study identified a transition in voice, increased pressure to publish and professionalize, and misalignments between their own and supervisory and institutional expectations, which resulted in some interrogation of institutional norms. They utilized Writing Centre, online and supervisory supports, but called for additional ongoing and peer support. The study has implications for the development of new, collaborative and peer-based writing supports, as well as identifying future research areas related to interdisciplinary degrees.

scholarly journals CHALLENGES IN PRESENTING ACADEMIC CRITICISM: CASE STUDY OF INDONESIAN STUDENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Nova Ariani
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Critical Literacy ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Critical Discussion ◽  
Literacy Practice ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
Group Interviews

Presenting academic criticism in academic papers is one of the most challenging study tasks for students from Non-English-Speaking Background (NESB) countries studying in Australia. Most lecturers in Australian university expect students to engage in critical discussion and put their adversarial position in academic writing. This study investigates the challenges experienced by Indonesian students studying in Australia in presenting academic criticism. Data were collected through questionnaires along with two focus group interviews of Indonesian graduate students in Australia. The study has found that cultural values, socio-political situations, and previous educational experience in Indonesia have contributed to participants’ limited writing experience and limited critical literacy practice. All of these have manifested to their struggle of presenting academic criticism and writing according to the expected dominant discourse in Australia.

Learning From Parents of Children With Disabilities

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 64-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald M. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Music Education ◽  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Final Examination ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Empathic Understanding ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this intrinsic case study was to examine the impact that interactions with parents of children with disabilities might have on 10 graduate students (6 men and 4 women) between the ages of 22 and 32 years ( M = 26.7 years, SD = 3.5) enrolled in a 3-week intensive music education course. Participants attended the course, 5 days a week, 3 hours a day for a total of 13 class sessions, followed by a final examination. In addition to class discussions based on assigned readings, each day included a presentation from a parent of a child with a disability. Data were generated from daily focus group interviews, daily journal submissions, and individual interviews. Throughout the course, students demonstrated a learning process that progressed from sympathetic concern to empathic understanding.

scholarly journals International EFL/ESL Master Students’ Adaptation Strategies for Academic Writing Practices at Tertiary Level

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 620-643
Author(s):  
Manjet Kaur Mehar Singh
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
International Graduate Students ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
International Graduate ◽  
Group Interviews

The present research provides insights into the different forms of adaptation strategies employed by international graduate students to overcome the challenges faced in the academic writing practices and gain access to their disciplinary communities of practice at Master’s level. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured in-depth focus group interviews. Respondents were 70 international graduate students enrolled in various Master-level programs. Semi-structured focus group interviews allowed the international graduate students to share their own experiences in the employment of suitable adaptation strategies to overcome the challenges faced in their academic writing practices in the Master programs. The adaptation strategies employed include enhancing their English language proficiency, referring to non-formal advisory services, and improving their academic writing style.

Experiential Learning in the Large Classroom Using Performative Pedagogy

2020 ◽  
pp. 105256292096562
Author(s):  
Paul Donovan ◽  
Alison Hood
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Student Performance ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Music Department ◽  
Ensemble Performance ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Performative Pedagogy

Experiential learning (EL) is widely believed to lead to enhanced student engagement. This form of learning, however, may be difficult to implement in the large class sizes so common today. This case study describes an initiative involving performative pedagogy using interdisciplinary teaching and learning in an undergraduate class of 150 students from a change management module in the School of Business and an ensemble performance module in the Music Department in an Irish University. The students utilized acting, music, dance, and role-play in a large enrolment setting. Postprogram surveys and focus group interviews of students found that students responded positively to the initiative. Students also rated the class as more engaging than other subjects in which they were registered. Reflective essays written by students showed evidence of deep reflection and learning and these formed the basis for our discussion of the implications of this approach for management education. Future research should examine the effects of performative learning on student performance in terminal examinations.

scholarly journals Evaluating a methodology for assessing the strategic alignment of a mining company recruitment function

2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adelé Janse van Rensburg ◽  
Gerhard Roodt
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Strategic Alignment ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Mining Company ◽  
Strategic Objectives ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Group Interviews

In the human capital era, the strategic importance of measurement is unmistakable.  Therefore, the  objective  of  this  study  was  to  qualitatively  evaluate  a  methodology  for  assessing  the strategic alignment of a recruitment function. Persons working in the recruitment best practice community of a mining company were targeted as the case study for this research.  Individual (one-on-one) and focus group interviews were conducted to elicit the research data.  Thematic coding was used to identify the emerging themes from the research data.  The findings indicated that  this methodology can be used effectively  to determine  the alignment of  the  recruitment function with the strategic objectives of the company.  However, the bottom line contribution is still unclear.

scholarly journals Classroom inside writing activities from perspective of pre-service teacherÖğretmen adaylarının perspektifinden sınıf içi yazma çalışmalarının değerlendirilmesi

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 1534
Author(s):  
Seyit Ateş
Keyword(s):  
Student Teaching ◽  
Teaching Experience ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Writing Practices ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
Pre Service Teacher

Writing, which is defined as a statement of thoughts, emotions, and knowledge in a writing form, is an important skill used by any individual during lifelong. Due to this fact, writing skill have drawn more attention from educators and researchers and a number of empiric and theoretical researches have been conducted on how to acquire and develop this skill. Additionally, how this skill is transferred into classroom setting has an interest. The current research aimed to explore the writing practices in the classroom settings from the pre-service teachers’ perspectives. This research employed qualitative case study method and the data was collected though the structured observations and semi-structured focus group interviews. The fourth-year pre-service teachers studying at elementary school classroom teaching and their experienced teachers in their student teaching experience schools constituted the research sample. The data was analyzed by using descriptive techniques. The overall findings of the research showed that there was a relative lack of the practice used for developing writing skills in the classroom setting. While the grade level changed, the practices for writing di not differentiated. Based on the research findings, the recommendations were given. Extended English abstract is in the end of PDF (TURKISH) file. ÖzetZihindeki duygu, düşünce ve bilgilerin yazılı bir şekilde ifade edilmesi olarak tanımlanan yazma bireyin hayatı boyunca kullanacağı önemli bir beceridir. Bu nedenle yazma her zaman eğitimcilerin ve araştırmacıların ilgi odağı olmuş, bu becerinin kazanımı ve geliştirilmesiyle ilgili kuramsal ve uygulama temelli çok sayıda araştırma yapılmıştır. Bu araştırmaların sınıflara nasıl yansıdığı ise merak konusudur. Bu araştırmada öğretmen adaylarının perspektifinden sınıfta gerçekleştirilen yazma çalışmalarının betimlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma nitel yaklaşımla gerçekleştirilmiş olup veriler yapılandırılmış katılımlı olmayan gözlemler ve katılımcılarla yapılan odak grup görüşmeler yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Sınıf öğretmenliği eğitimi son sınıf öğrencileri ve bu öğrencilerin staja gittikleri okullardaki öğretmenler araştırmanın çalışma grubunu oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada gözlem ve görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler betimsel analizle çözümlenmiştir. Araştırmadan çıkarılan en genel sonuç ilkokul sınıflarında yazmanın geliştirilmesine yönelik uygulamaların yetersiz olduğu yönündedir. Sınıf düzeyinin değişmesine rağmen yazma öncesinde, yazma sırasında ve yazma sonrasında sınıflarda yapılan çalışmalar farklılaşmamaktadır. Araştırmada elde edilen sonuçlar doğrultusunda uygulamaya yönelik öneriler geliştirilmiştir.

scholarly journals What Makes a Good Program? A Case Study of a School Admitting High Academic Achievers

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1027-1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ching Man Lam
Keyword(s):  
Administrative Support ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
Program Success ◽  
Project Coordinator ◽  
Clear Vision ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Group Interviews

This paper reports the results of a qualitative study that explored the administration and implementation of the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 1 Curriculum) of the Project P.A.T.H.S. The case study method was used to explore perceptions of the teachers and the project coordinator of program effectiveness, and to identify various factors for program success. A school admitting high academic achievers was selected, and site visits, as well as individual and focus group interviews, were conducted with the program coordinator, social worker, and course teachers. The results suggested that clear vision and program goals, high quality of curriculum, helpful leadership, positive teacher attitude, and strong administrative support are factors for program success. Analyzing the data enables the researchers to understand the characteristics of a successful program as well as the interplay among factors for producing success.

Case Study of the CUForum @ CUHK

2010 ◽  
pp. 238-258
Author(s):  
Peter Jakubowicz
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Learning Environment ◽  
Communication Course ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Group Interviews

In contrast to the formal school setting where learning is often linear, structured and controlled (be it online or face-to-face), for the ‘net generation,’ (Google, MySpace, MSN, YouTube and Yahoo) learning is often incidental and a sense of ‘fun’ is frequently of great importance. Such students’ learning is often non-linear, unstructured and explained well by the tenets of Anderson’s theory of online learning. This research discusses the benefits of fostering non-linearity in an online learning environment. A case study of an online business communication course at a university in Hong Kong is used to illustrate the importance of non-linear online learning by demonstrating how participants in this course adopted learning approaches that are consistent with, and a reflection of, the theory of online learning. Qualitative data from complete sets of online communication (including focus group interviews) collected over a one-semester, tertiary level course conducted at a university in Hong Kong are analyzed. The findings show that Chinese-speaking learners’ online interactions, categorized into three broad areas (cognitive, affective and social), demonstrate that interactivity is a key feature of an online learning environment. Its nature is exposed and discussed, not least the finding that for the participants in this study, learning was incidental and a sense of ‘fun’ was important. The study suggests ways in which online theory can contribute to, as well as help in, understanding this phenomenon and makes recommendations for future research.

Evaluating IT-Enabled Transformation in Public Services

2009 ◽  
pp. 379-394
Author(s):  
Sevgi Ozkan ◽  
Murat Cakir
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Management Support ◽  
Government Organization ◽  
Top Management Support ◽  
Relative Term ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Organizational Features

While the paradigm for organizations evolves into an information perspective and information systems’ (IS) role shifts from efficiency to effectiveness, among the top issues of IS management is measuring and improving IS effectiveness. This chapter offers an IS effectiveness evaluation methodology applied on a government organization in Turkey. IS maturity is taken as a reference for determining independent variables of the research. The chapter supports that “IS effectiveness” is a relative term conceptualized by organizational features. The case study suggests future research areas. A number of findings and propositions have been presented, including the alignment of technology and business process, integrating stakeholders’ trust and commitment, the significance of top management support, top-down vs. bottom-up approaches, which can enhance the adoption and institutionalization of information systems implementations within a government organization.

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