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Article
Publication date: 28 March 2023

Torrie A. Cropps

The purpose of this study is to examine how intersecting oppressed identities shape the socialization experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in agricultural disciplines at…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how intersecting oppressed identities shape the socialization experiences of Black women doctoral candidates in agricultural disciplines at historically white institutions. This paper addresses a gap in literature examining the experiences of Black women within the context of higher agricultural sciences education.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses narrative inquiry to examine the experiences of five Black women doctoral candidates through a set of three interviews per participant.

Findings

Three themes regarding participants’ socialization experiences were identified. Themes are presented according to its site of socialization: lack of trust in advising relationships, departmental belonging and negative interactions with department faculty and isolation and exclusion at conferences.

Originality/value

This study adds to the small body of research on Black women in higher agricultural sciences education. Further, this study contributes to the larger body of socialization research and the minimal research on socialization for marginalized populations in higher agricultural sciences education.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2023

Jesse McCain and Josipa Roksa

The purpose of this study is to examine how doctoral students in the biological sciences understand their research skill development and explore potential racial/ethnic and gender…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how doctoral students in the biological sciences understand their research skill development and explore potential racial/ethnic and gender inequalities in the scientific learning process.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on interviews with 87 doctoral students in the biological sciences, this study explores how doctoral students describe development of their research skills. More specifically, a constructivist grounded theory approach is employed to understand how doctoral students make meaning of their research skill development process and how that may vary by gender and race/ethnicity.

Findings

The findings reveal two emergent groups, “technicians” who focus on discrete tasks and data collection, and “interpreters” who combine technical expertise with attention to the larger scientific field. Although both groups are developing important skills, “interpreters” have a broader range of skills that support successful scholarly careers in science. Notably, white men are overrepresented among the “interpreters,” whereas white women and students from minoritized racial/ethnic groups are concentrated among the “technicians.”

Originality/value

While prior literature provides valuable insights into the inequalities across various aspects of doctoral socialization, scholars have rarely attended to examining inequalities in research skill development. This study provides new insights into the process of scientific learning in graduate school. Findings reveal that research skill development is not a uniform experience, and that doctoral education fosters different kinds of learning that vary by gender and race/ethnicity.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2023

Meghan J. Pifer, Tenisha L. Tevis and Vicki L. Baker

The purpose of this study, nested within a broader study about higher education leadership, was to generate knowledge about the ways in which doctoral education prepared people…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study, nested within a broader study about higher education leadership, was to generate knowledge about the ways in which doctoral education prepared people for leadership roles in postsecondary institutions within the USA. At colleges and universities, there is an interest in ensuring diverse leadership teams and welcoming campus environments. Yet, the research demonstrates challenges for and underrepresentation among higher education leaders. One point of intervention is doctoral programs in higher education and related fields, given the professional socialization, identity formation and knowledge acquisition that occurs through the doctoral journey.

Design/methodology/approach

By conducting interviews with women who hold doctorates in the field of higher education and who took on new leadership roles at postsecondary institutions in the USA during the global health pandemic, the authors identified specific areas for which doctoral-level training and experiences may be helpful in supporting leader development.

Findings

The authors identified specific areas for which doctoral-level training and experiences may be helpful in supporting leader development. Based on those findings, the authors offer initial propositions about how doctoral programs might support the development of equity-minded leaders in higher education, which should be tested and refined through further research, theory development and application to practice.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by providing a focus on the ways in which doctoral programs can equitably train and develop equity-minded leaders for a range of career goals including but not limited to academic appointments in higher education.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Business and Management Doctorates World-Wide: Developing the Next Generation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-500-0

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Heather Turner

This study aims to explore the motivation and satisfaction of part-time PhD students in the USA through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT).

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the motivation and satisfaction of part-time PhD students in the USA through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT).

Design/methodology/approach

Following an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, data sources consisted of a survey (N = 100) and focus groups (N = 20) of part-time PhD students.

Findings

Findings suggest that part-time PhD students achieve greater satisfaction when they are autonomously motivated. Part-time PhD student satisfaction may be increased through shifting motivation from an external to an internal locus of control, such as when doctoral work is framed within the context of solving practice-based problems. Facilitating this change requires those involved in the practice of research doctoral education to work toward satisfying students’ innate needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness with others, yet many part-time PhD students describe experiences within their doctoral education that do not meet these needs. Implications for research and practice are presented.

Originality/value

This paper tests the applicability of SDT, a widely used theory in doctoral studies, to part-time PhD students, an understudied student population in the USA.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2023

Vrinda Acharya and Ambigai Rajendran

This study aims to perform a scoping review of the recent studies on critical resources required for the doctoral program by mapping the resources at various levels of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to perform a scoping review of the recent studies on critical resources required for the doctoral program by mapping the resources at various levels of Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems and their underlying theories. The study proposes a holistic model of supportive resources in the doctoral education.

Design/methodology/approach

The current scoping review is supported by Arksey and O'Malley's five-stage methodological guidance The authors reported sixty-eight articles that were published between 2010 and 2023 and complied with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist.

Findings

The study identified two categories of resources that promote doctoral student well-being: personal resources such as research self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation of the doctoral student. Second, the contextual resources provided by supervisors, department, family, peers, institution and Government policy impact the well-being of doctoral students. The study relied on the self-determination and conservation of resources theory to determine doctoral students' stress-free, high-quality research journey.

Practical implications

The study findings can help higher education institutions, supervisors, peers and academicians plan and implement the finest resources to improve the well-being of doctoral students. The institutions can develop a wide range of strategies, tailored supportive programs, and interventions that can help in improving students' mental and emotional health, based on the developed multifaceted resource framework. Doctoral students can also use the review's findings to help them deal with program obstacles by encouraging themselves internally and participating in mentoring programs.

Originality/value

This review article proposes a comprehensive conceptual framework by considering Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems on multilevel resources that help to understand the inter-relationship between resources required in the doctoral student's program.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 37 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2023

Julianne A. Wenner, Megan Frary and Paul J. Simmonds

Historically, graduate education’s goal was to prepare academics; now most science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) graduate students (GSs) go on to nonacademic…

Abstract

Purpose

Historically, graduate education’s goal was to prepare academics; now most science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics (STEM) graduate students (GSs) go on to nonacademic careers. STEM GSs must be equipped for success regardless of career aspirations, which can be done by strengthening GSs’ professional identities. This study aims to explore an interdisciplinary partnership designed to strengthen STEM GS professional identity.

Design/methodology/approach

The STEM Partnership Project (SPP), asked STEM GSs to serve as disciplinary experts and teach STEM content to elementary teacher candidates (TCs) so the TCs could design and teach an elementary science lesson. GSs also enrolled in a one-credit course to support SPP participation and activities. Over five semesters, the authors collected data from 28 STEM GSs across different disciplines and degree programs in the form of course assignments, surveys and interviews.

Findings

The SPP supported the development of a professional identity by having GSs serve as and feel like experts; increasing GSs’ sense of belonging in their field; increasing GSs’ self-confidence that they could (learn to) teach a wide variety of audiences; and raising GSs’ awareness of their ability to serve others via their field.

Originality/value

The SPP’s outcomes were consistent across STEM disciplines, did not require GSs to take on large amounts of coursework, nor did it cost much beyond materials for the various lessons. Furthermore, the key components that strengthened GSs’ professional identities could be adapted for different contexts and institutions.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 15 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 January 2023

Deborah Tyndall and Shannon Baker Powell

This study aims to examine entry-level PhD students’ experiences with participating in Critical Friends, a peer review protocol, used to support learning the threshold concept of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine entry-level PhD students’ experiences with participating in Critical Friends, a peer review protocol, used to support learning the threshold concept of literature review. It also sought to determine if, and how, students used the peer review protocol electively during their first year of doctoral study.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a sequential, QUAL-qual mixed-method design to guide the study. Reflective learning journals, surveys and interviews were collected from three cohorts of PhD students (N = 18).

Findings

Thematic analysis revealed that giving and receiving writing critique was uncomfortable for these novice peer reviewers and many described emotional disciplining associated with vulnerability. Critical Friends offered a safe space to begin mastery of the literature review and begin transforming new researcher and writer identities. While Critical Friends was a positive experience for students, they struggled implementing the protocol on their own following the course.

Practical implications

These findings support the need for faculty to embed peer review opportunities in courses during the first year to facilitate role modeling and mentoring. The findings also demonstrate the need to engage students with peer review early in the program to increase comfort, cultivate student resiliency for accepting critical feedback and build capacity for students to learn with and from others.

Originality/value

This paper advocates for the use of peer review practices early in the doctoral study to promote the development of researcher identity and positioning within the research community.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 February 2023

Mohammad Namazi, Fahime Ebrahimi and Mehdi Sarikhani

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive conceptual internal whistleblowing model for accounting students and then test it empirically. To this end, by considering…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive conceptual internal whistleblowing model for accounting students and then test it empirically. To this end, by considering the mediating role of professional commitment (PC) and the moderating effect of the perceived moral intensity (PMI), the anticipatory socialization's impact on whistleblowing intentions has been investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

An ex-post quantitative research design has been adopted for this survey study. The statistical population of the study consisted of Iranian undergraduate accounting students close to graduation in 2020. The study utilized a self-administered survey of 211 accounting students from 8 public universities; besides, to examine the proposed hypotheses, it utilized the partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis.

Findings

The results of testing the hypotheses indicate that the constructs of anticipatory socialization (AS), PC and PMI have positive effects on whistleblowing intentions; besides, PC in the relationship between AS and whistleblowing intentions plays a complementary partial mediating role. In addition, PMI moderates the effect of PC on whistleblowing intentions, as well as the mediated effect of AS on whistleblowing intentions via PC.

Social implications

The results of this study indicate the importance of considering trait syntheses of ethics education for undergraduate students, and the need to address and familiarize students with ethical principles, goals and missions of the accounting profession in society.

Originality/value

This study, by providing a moderated mediation conceptual model, examines the important functions that AS, PC and PMI might have created in the whistleblowing process, and also provides some empirical evidence in this area; As a result, it leads to the expansion of theoretical and empirical knowledge in this field.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 15 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 April 2023

Sara E. Cavallo, Laura E. Cruz, Jamie Kim and Chas Brua

The purpose of this study is to explore how the phenomenon of academic professional development looks through the eyes of graduate students navigating the increasing complexity of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore how the phenomenon of academic professional development looks through the eyes of graduate students navigating the increasing complexity of postgraduate careers. This study pays particular attention to how current students navigate the interplay between their beliefs, intentions and behaviors when it comes to making choices regarding their engagement in professional development.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative study, based on a phenomenological analysis of seven in-depth interviews with advanced PhD students from the earth sciences college at a large, public, research-intensive university located in the mid-Atlantic area of the USA (Penn State).

Findings

Framed in the Theory of Planned Behavior, the findings of this study suggest that the interviewees varied across all aspects of Theory of Planned Behavior: in their beliefs about valued career paths, in their convergence or divergence from the departmental or institutional norms they perceived and in their sense of control over their career pathways. They all shared, however, a strong desire to successfully navigate the widening array of possibilities to achieve a range of personal and professional goals, but they often lacked the ability to align those intentions with actions related to professional development.

Originality/value

This study suggests that institutions may wish to rethink their positionality in the professional development of graduate students, moving away from centralized models of direct support and towards more indirect, informal and co-created means of exerting influence and building community.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

1 – 10 of 360