Cultivating a Culture of Undergraduate Research at a Public Comprehensive University

Abstract

Winthrop University is a public comprehensive university of about 6000 students, 5000 of whom are undergraduates. The Department of Mathematics offers a baccalaureate degree in mathematics, but has no graduate degree programs. As late as 2009, there was essentially no undergraduate research in the department. At this time, faculty made efforts to cultivate a research program that would motivate faculty to pursue more scholarly opportunities and include undergraduates in their scholarship. These efforts began with in-house-sponsored summer programs that lasted a few weeks and grew over the subsequent 5 year period to several externally funded undergraduate research programs, including a National Science Foundation-sponsored Research Experience for Undergraduates program. In this paper, we discuss some lessons we learned in developing a culture of undergraduate research. We focus on the advantages and challenges of undergraduate research at primarily undergraduate universities, offer advice for starting or growing a research program, and provide resources for funding undergraduate research.     

Identifying the required knowledge elements for the effective detection,investigation, and prosecution of high technology crime: The perspective of academe

This is a selective bibliography of 89 references on recruitment of minority students and faculty for graduate and professional schools and programs. Education, social sciences, and law literature were scanned for the years 1981 to 1991. Resources on recruitment in graduate and professional education are included, as well as a few relevant references of somewhat broader scope on diversity in higher education. This bibliography is divided into two parts: Part 1 is on student recruitment, Part 2 on faculty recruitment. Each part is subdivided into three sections—general literature, strategies and programs, and literature pertaining to particular fields of study or professions.     

Preparing professionals for lifelong learning: Comparative examination of master’s education programs

There has been continued debate regarding educational policies and practices regarding the lifelong learning social order with significant focus upon the preparation of educators of children and youth for this global lifelong learning society. However, there has been limited discussion and research regarding the professional preparation of lifelong learning adult educators. This article investigates the current status of graduate professional programs to prepare lifelong learning adult educators (individuals who are prepared and credentialed through a professional graduate master's degree in adult education and human resource development). Because of differing international policies and structures of graduate education, this discussion will present a comparative examination of current structures and characteristics of master's degree programs at two institutional sites located in Denmark and the USA. Current objectives, characteristics, and understandings of graduate professional preparation programs will be delineated between these two case studies. Contextual issues and influences in the preparation of lifelong learning adult educators will be discussed, with comparative discussions of cultural norms and policies regarding graduate professional preparation, innovative programmatic and instructional efforts, engagement of theory and best practices in lifelong learning, and comparative cultural differences between program students and faculty.     

Socialization of Doctoral Students to Academic Norms

Using the framework for graduate and professional student socialization developed by Weidman, Twale, and Stein (2001), this study addresses socialization of doctoral students to the academic norms of research and scholarship. Data are presented about the perceptions doctoral students in a social science discipline (sociology) and in educational foundations at a major research university have of the scholarly and collegial climates of their departments. Data on students' social relationships with faculty and peers as well as their reported participation in scholarly activities are also reported. A multivariate analysis provides support for the framework, affirming the importance of social interaction among both students and faculty as well as collegiality among faculty for creating a supportive climate for doctoral study that also has the potential to provide a strong foundation for subsequent academic and/or research careers by stimulating students' research and scholarly productivity.     

Graduate teaching assistants: motives,difficulties and professional interactions and their relationship to perceived benefits

ABSTRACT

Graduate students play a major role in teaching in higher education, particularly in undergraduate programs. The purpose of the present study was two-fold: first, to identify graduate students’ motives for working as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), describe some aspects of their work, and ascertain their perceived benefits; second, to predict GTAs’ benefits as a function of their individual background characteristics, motives, job difficulties, and richness of professional interactions with the course instructor. Data were collected from 189 GTAs who led discussion groups at a large research university in Israel by means of an internet questionnaire. Findings revealed that graduate students accepted the position of GTA mainly for extrinsic reasons, such as salary and convenience. They claimed to have faced few difficulties and that their professional interactions with the course instructors focused more on job responsibilities and less on pedagogical issues. They reported having gained a greater understanding of course content and improved teaching skills due to their experience as GTAs. Richness of contact with the course instructor, motives, difficulties, and faculty match significantly contributed to predicting perceived benefits. The implications of the results are discussed.     

A Review of: “Seeing Beyond Blindness Shelley Kinash”

This project addresses the challenge of preparing educational leaders for future roles in administration in K–12 schools. Through a project-based learning scenario set in a 3-D virtual world, graduate students in school administration and instructional technology worked together in simulated school teams to develop proposals for integrating technology into a fictitious school. The scenario provided parameters within which each team developed a proposal to a superintendent for the use of iPads, which included developing plans for professional development, collaboration among faculty and staff, infrastructure to support the technology, alignment with curriculum, and budgets. Teams worked independently of classes to develop proposals that were then posted in the virtual world for review by instructors and other students. The simulation offered opportunities to develop shared leadership and skills in collaboration outside the usual comfort zone of graduate school classes. Student perception of the value of participation provided insight into the design of the project, which will inform future such collaborative efforts among faculty. Results of student surveys and written reflections are shared as examples of the types of data collected for this project.     

African American female faculty at large research universities: Their need for information

African American female faculty at large research universities are given the same responsibilities as other faculty. They must teach, conduct research, engage in worthwhile service to the university community, and regularly disseminate the results of their work in scholarly publications. Rewards from the university are directly tied to the level of success that the faculty member experiences. The minority label is often a barrier to the African American female faculty member's search for full standing in the university's community of scholars. To overcome this barrier, African American women must find and use the best information available to help them. This includes finding a good mentor, mastering a variety of information sources, and building a strong personal and professional network.Melvin M. Bowie is an associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Instructional Technology at the University of Georgia. She received her A.B. degree in history and French from Tougaloo College; an M.S. in library science from the University of Illinois; and, a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instructional Media from Iowa State University. Her current research interests, including studies carried out for the National Reading Research Center, focus on collection development and resource-based teaching. Her teaching areas include technical services in school media centers, collection development, and administration of school media programs.     

Item Analysis in Introductory Economics Testing

Abstract

An interdisciplinary mentoring program for graduate teaching assistants, the GTA mentoring program, offers the needed support for graduate students in their training as teacher-scholars. Authors outline the vision and structure of the program and highlight student, faculty, and institutional benefits. This program involves regular meetings of small teams consisting of graduate students and a faculty mentor, as well as larger group meetings of all participants. Benefits include the development of personal and professional relationships, an open forum for the discussion of teaching and research issues, increased professional support, and greater confidence in classroom instruction.     

Graduate Study of Teaching and Teacher Education: A Problem-Solving Agenda for the PETE Professorate

This paper offers ideas for graduate study in physical education teacher education (PETE). It discusses professional versus scientific degree options, and argues that pedagokinetics (the art and science of teaching movement) should be the central focus of the curriculum for both practitioners and researchers. To overcome major obstacles to academic excellence, a problem-solving agenda is outlined for the PETE professorate, with emphasis on critical issues such as (a) governance and control of teacher education, (b) the proper location of PETE units at educational institutions, (c) regional networks of research universities, undergraduate colleges, and local school districts, (d) faculty competence and differential graduate orientations, (e) the shortage of exemplary teachers and teaching in physical education, (f) recruitment of bright graduate students for PETE, and (g) cultivation of a knowledge base to support practice and research in pedagogical physical education. In addition, the paper reports on a new generation of scholars at work, for over a decade, to increase PETE'S credibility with other physical education disciplines as well as the generic teacher education enterprise.     

ASSISTING QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND IMPROVEMENT IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS OF SLOVENIA

There are two universities in Slovenia which undertake research and teaching and offer professional services. The quality of the research performed by faculty members is assured by strict quantitative bibliographical criteria employed in the faculty rank award procedure. The criteria for teaching quality are less well defined. The new Higher Education Act of 1993, organized university staff development, the appearance of an integrated information system, and student evaluation of faculty teaching performance with the aid of student questionnaires can all be regarded as extrinsic assistance to intrinsic efforts on the part of faculty, students, and their organizations. Slovenia will endeavour to broaden and deepen its co‐operation with international organizations and foundations in the field of quality assessment and improvement of higher education institutions, particularly the quality of the teaching they offer.     

Experiential education at the graduate level: A perspective on faculty role and development

Adult development is an implicit component of graduate education. Yet, this idea is often ignored as traditional programs continue to view graduate education as largely a process of intellectual growth, usually detached from other life experience. Sponsored experiential learning provides one context through which adult developmental and intellectual goals may be simultaneously recognized and pursued. Required are a recognition of new roles for faculty and new efforts to help faculty in implementing these roles. The issues surrounding faculty role and faculty development are addressed in the context of a nontraditional graduate program which maximizes opportunities for the use of experiential learning.Dr. Byxbee is Program Director for the Saint Mary's College Graduate Programs in Human Development, Education, and Educational Leadership. He has consulted widely on the topic of nontraditional program development and has recently been active as a consultant to Latin American Educators on the topic of Nontraditional Education and Public Service Administration.     

When inputs are outputs: The case of graduate student instructors

We examine graduate student teaching as an input to two production processes: the education of undergraduates and the development of graduate students themselves. Using fluctuations in full-time faculty availability as an instrument, we find undergraduates are more likely to major in a subject if their first course in the subject was taught by a graduate student, a result opposite of estimates that ignore selection. Additionally, graduate students who teach more frequently graduate earlier and are more likely to subsequently be employed by a college or university.     

Exploring the complexities of the relationship between K-12 and college faculty in a nontraditional professional development program

In this collaborative research project, we used qualitative methods to explore the complexities of the relationship between K-12 and college faculty, both in the context of graduate school (to improve professional development), and as colleagues whose goal it is to improve education for children through collaborative partnership. Ultimately, we wanted to understand what constitutes a transformative relationship. The research team found that through a collaborative and reciprocal process of struggling together to understand the inconsistencies created as we work to transform teacher education and K-12 education, we could foster intellectual development for both faculty and students.     

Teaching and research. The relationship between the supervision of graduate students and faculty research performance

This article examines the relationship between the supervision of graduate students and university faculty research performance. We find that the supervision of Ph.D. students who have projects related to their supervisor's research has an independent effect on faculty members' scientific productivity in the natural and medical sciences and technology, but not in the humanities and social sciences. The relationship between the supervision of project related major subject students and the faculty members' productivity is only significant in the social sciences. These results are generally supported by data on faculty attitudes toward the supervision of graduate students. Those who supervised Ph.D. students gave a considerably more favourable assessment of the importance of supervision for their own research than those who only supervised major subject students, and the proportion of faculty members who answered that supervision of Ph.D. students was part of their own research to a great extent, was very much higher in the natural and medical sciences and technology than in the humanities and social sciences.     

Professorship: A faculty development program

A faculty development program was designed to enhance the ability of graduate faculty members to supervise research activities of graduate students. The program was developed to stress interpersonal problem solving in advisement and professional issues. The classroom techniques of discussion teaching, case method, and psychodrama were used to encourage and enhance the full participation of the faculty. Participants indicated that the program enabled them to examine their own beliefs and knowledge regarding issues surrounding graduate education.     

An analysis of the current crises in the discipline of science education

Demographic information concerning the thirty-five largest graduate centers for science education was collected. The information verified the decrease in the average number of graduates, number of faculty members, external support for special projects in such centers for science education. Programs have remained static over the twenty-year period. Faculty members at the institutions are stable and possess similar backgrounds; research interests of the faculty members vary and do not represent major commitments for many. When perceptions of discipline problems are studied, lack of agreement concerning goals and objectives are most frequently cited. This is followed by perceived lack of vision and leadership in the profession. Other perceived problems include public and parental apathy toward science and science education, limited budgets and facilities, and limited dialogue among professionals and the public. Science educators have proposed solutions to discipline problems as further evidence of crisis. The most common solutions proposed include (1) development of a theory base for the discipline, (2) structuring of a rationale for the discipline, (3) greater financial and public support, and (4) improved programs, including inservice education. As a view of the future is provided, the central issue emerges regarding the absence of goals in science education that are relevant to contemporary priorities in science, society, and education. Suggestion is made that failure to correct this deficiency will result in further deterioration in all areas of the current crisis.     

Anticipatory socialization of graduate students

Most observers in higher education and most faculty agree that more student-oriented teachers are needed; but there is no consensus on how to get them. Options include finding new faculty and/or changing present faculty. The latter seems practically impossible, since most faculty are intransigent, and faculty development is addressed to too few. Graduate education, too, is unlikely to change, as present faculty guide its directions. The alternative is to find students with the proper dispositions on entrance to graduate schools. The question addressed herein is whether among current admittees to graduate schools there are sufficient numbers of persons with orientations significantly different from those of current faculty. The article reports on empirical assessments of preferences for 320 discrete tasks in the academic role by accepted graduate school applicants and younger and older faculty.This paper was presented at the 17th Annual Meeting of the Association for Institutional Research, Montreal, Canada, May 9, 1977. The research was supported by a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

Why Universities Need Institutional Researchers and Institutional Researchers Need Faculty Members More Than Both Realize

This paper provides an overview of research that I have conducted during my career using data sets collected by offices of institutional research. Many of the examples discussed in the paper deal with graduate education. The paper illustrates how valuable the data collection efforts by these offices are to academic researchers interested in helping to formulate institutional, state and national higher education policies. It concludes with suggestions for how the usefulness of institutional researchers to colleges and universities can be improved and stresses that institutional researchers and administrators would be wise to involve more faculty members in research that aids in institutional decision making and the formulation of public policy towards higher education.     

Institutional correlates of faculty outlooks and professional behaviours: A study of Indian engineering faculty

This paper investigates the relationship between institutional affiliation and scholarly activities and outlooks for a sample of Indian engineering faculty. The research is based on a survey of Indian academics conducted in 1971–72.Respondents at various types of engineering institutions were compared in terms of their research productivity, professional involvement, attitudes toward professional life in India and job satisfaction. Significant differences were observed between faculty employed by affiliated colleges and those at other types of engineering institutions with respect to these measures. Affiliated college faculty are accorded a marginal role in India's system of technical education and much demoralisation is apparent. This has important implications for educational policy.