Professional and Personal Development in Contemporary Gerontology Doctoral Education

This article reports on the Gerontology Doctoral Student Assessment Model (GDSAM), a comprehensive web-based system premised on developing an evaluation mechanism attuned to the special requirements of advanced graduate education at the doctoral level. The system focuses on longitudinal tracking of selected dimensions of intellectual, professional, and personal progress. This involves interlocking elements of online personal dossier development, student self-rating assessment, faculty assessment of student progress, and a means of communicating interactive and iterative feedback among students and faculty. Preliminary findings from initial data collection using the assessment system indicate that students who have completed and passed their qualifying examinations are more confident in their ability to articulate diverse ideas in professional settings, work in direct contact with research participants, present research findings to scientific audiences, and adjust to the rigors of doctoral education. Additional feedback from participants in the system suggests that, although important ethical issues of confidentiality and appropriate use must be recognized and monitored, the GDSAM has strong potential to provide an appropriate assessment tool at the doctoral level. Implementation of such a system throughout doctoral education in gerontology provides a unique opportunity for tracking the impact and effectiveness of doctoral education in an emergent field as additional programs come on line.     

The McNair Program as a Socializing Influence on Doctoral Degree Attainment

The quality of doctoral students’ academic and social experiences is a key element of their success in graduate school programs. These experiences support the completion of doctoral programs, especially for first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds. Framed by Weidman's (1989) undergraduate socialization model, the author interviewed 18 former participants in Ronald McNair Programs (McNair Program),who completed their doctoral studies in order to determine how such programs can serve as a socializing agent to facilitate the successful completion of graduate study. Several themes emerge from the interviews conducted that distinguish McNair Programs from other interventions to promote integration or preparation, including the presence of academic and social integration. Such integration had a positive influence on the participants’ doctoral experience and contributed to the development of their competence, self-confidence, social and academic connectedness, and academic identity. Participants derived the greatest benefits from academic program components and academic counseling. Moreover, social components such as mentoring, cultural activities, and personal encounters in summer research internships also contributed to a positive doctoral experience.     

Vicarious racism: a qualitative analysis of experiences with secondhand racism in graduate education

In this article, the authors examine the role of vicarious racism in the experiences of doctoral students of color. The researchers conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 26 doctoral students who self-reported experiencing racism and racial trauma during their doctoral studies. The analysis generated four themes that detail the different ways in which doctoral students of color in the study experienced vicarious racism and the consequences of this secondhand racism. These themes are (a) observed racism, (b) trickledown racism, (c) normalization of racism, and (d) racial resistance. The article concludes with implications for future research and practice.     

A Student Portfolio Approach to Conducting Doctoral Social Work Comprehensive Examinations

ABSTRACT

This report describes using a student portfolio approach to the structure and conduct of doctoral-level comprehensive examinations in the field of social work. Portfolios have been used as the primary method (one exception in over 40 students) to conducting social work comprehensive examinations at the author's former university, and this doctoral program appears to be unique in this regard among North American social work programs. The approach to organizing the written and oral components of comprehensive examinations using a portfolio is described, along with some of the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. Other doctoral programs are encouraged to include this method as one option in evaluating student readiness to conduct dissertation research and attainment of pedagogical objectives.     

EXPERIENCE OF RETIREMENT By Robert S. Weiss

A survey was conducted in the 1989‐1990 academic year of 421 American Psychological Association (APA) approved programs offering graduate study at the doctoral level in psychology and associated fields. The purpose was to provide continuing documentation of opportunities for doctoral training in adult development and aging. Results were compared to similar surveys conducted in 1975 and 1984. From 1975‐1984 there was dramatic growth in programs offering specialized training in adult development and aging. For the 1984‐1990 time period, growth proceeded at a much slower rate. Additional survey results indicate that most programs offering specialized training in adult development and aging are located in developmental psychology programs in general psychology departments. In addition, respondents were asked to provide information about opportunities for professional experiences offered doctoral students specializing in adult development and aging. Approximately 50% of programs with specialized doctoral training offer students some combination of teaching, research, or practicum/internship experiences. The need for continued growth in programs offering doctoral students specialized training in adult development and aging is discussed.     

博士生课程参与困境的诱因及其调适 ——基于“双一流”高校教育学博士生的个案研究

博士生群体构成的日益多样化呼唤博士生培养模式的变革。当前博士生课程存在学生参与度低等问题,其合理性正面临挑战。对我国三所“双一流”高校教育学专业博士生的深度访谈发现,课程制度设计的模糊性与有限性导致学生选课决策更多表现为既定约束下的次优博弈。此种选课机制与课程教学质量的不确定性相结合,最终引致学生课堂参与行为的分异。博士生通过旁听、权变等非制度化实践,一定程度上彰显了学习者在教育场域中的能动性。未来,有必要增加博士生课程制度的弹性,重申有效互动的价值。     

学术互动对博士生国际期刊论文产出的影响 ——基于2017年全国博士毕业生调查数据的分析

博士生是科学研究的生力军,也是高校科研产出的重要贡献者。然而,博士生从“学术学徒”到“独立研究者”的蜕变过程,必定要借助来自外界的经验丰富的同行们的学术指导、交流、共享和帮助。那么,以知识共享为核心的学术互动对博士生培养质量有什么样的影响呢?运用标准负二项回归对“中国博士生毕业调查数据”的全国61所高校8207份博士生数据进行分析。结果显示,“与导师的学术互动频次和质量”和“与其他教师的学术互动频次与质量”均对博士生国际期刊论文产出具有正向影响;“与博士生同学的学术互动频次和质量”对国际期刊论文产出的影响不显著。     

Black First-Generation Social Work Doctoral Students

Black students are underrepresented in doctoral programs in social work, and the disparity calls for greater attention to the preparation of such students for doctoral programs. Toward this goal, this article examines the sociocultural influences on the matriculation of Black students in social work who are the first in their family to pursue a doctoral degree. The author expands on the general concept of first-generation college students to capture a more inclusive population of students who may be equally disadvantaged in doctoral programs in social work. The author also identifies strategies social work faculty and administrators can use to facilitate the entry and achievement of Black students in the doctoral pipeline.     

International doctoral students’ experience of supervision: a case study in a Chinese university

Internationalisation in higher education is now a worldwide phenomenon but there is little attention paid to internationalisation at doctoral level, although this phenomenon has grown exponentially in recent years. This study focuses on a university in China to examine how international doctoral students and their supervisors perceive supervision and the relations between supervisor and student. It describes and analyses the experiences of supervisors and students, and the concepts they used to articulate and reflect on them. Semi-formal interviews were conducted with six doctoral students and their supervisors. Analysis shows that, apart from formal supervision, informal enculturation through social and academic networks, the tongmen, plays an important role in supervision and in socialising the doctoral researchers into the community of practice. The study adds to the field a new case from a specific epistemological and intellectual tradition and challenges existing theories concerning methods and concepts of supervision.     

近二十年俄罗斯副博士学位研究生培养情况透视

1992～2010年最新统计数据显示,近二十年俄罗斯研究生教育发展迅速,副博士学位研究生在导师和培养单位、报考和录取、人员结构和在各学科分布、毕业和就业意愿等方面出现了许多新情况和新问题,反映出该领域人才培养的发展趋势。     

Tools for reflection on the academic identities of doctoral students

In this paper, we explore the usefulness of three different approaches to facilitating reflexivity and a critical awareness of emerging academic identities for doctoral students. This paper stems from a longitudinal research project entitled The Next Generation of Social Scientists, which was conducted across three research-intensive British universities and based at the University of Oxford. The research examined how doctoral students in a range of social science disciplines develop (or do not develop) notions of ‘academic’ identity as they move along the doctoral trajectory and into academic positions. In what follows we describe how three different data collection tools – weekly logs, interviews and a card-sorting activity – were used to encourage doctoral students to consider the process of constructing academic identities more actively and self-reflectively. We then consider how the use of these tools at two workshops further revealed how they can be utilised by academic developers to explore the needs of doctoral students and improve the support in place for this student group.     

Positive and negative experiences related to doctoral study conditions

ABSTRACT

During their doctoral studies, students undergo an emotionally and intellectually intensive process involving a wide range of positive and negative experiences. This article analyses PhD students’ perceptions of the most positive and negative experiences related to doctoral study conditions. Previous researchers have primarily focused on analysing experiences that negatively affect doctoral work and have related these experiences to institutional, social and individual variables. However, little is known regarding positive experiences and how both positive and negative experiences are interpreted and related to variables connected with doctoral study, such as discipline, funding, enrolment type, and the stage of the doctoral process. In total, 1173 doctoral students from 56 Spanish universities completed an open-ended online survey. The findings indicate that opportunities for PhD students to communicate their scientific advances, receive expert feedback and interact with other researchers have a high positive influence on their doctoral journey. However, funding difficulties, particularly for students in the social sciences, and relationships with the research community, principally with the supervisor, were perceived as the main negative challenges. Experiences related to research design, data collection and analysis were perceived either negatively – primarily for mid-level students – or positively. These results should be considered in future doctoral programme policies to determine when, how and why to provide specific support during the doctoral process.     

International Counseling Doctoral Students' Teaching Preparation: A Phenomenological Study

We conducted a phenomenological study of teaching preparation with 11 international counseling doctoral students. We identified four primary themes: (a) international identity becomes salient in teaching, (b) acculturation occurs in teaching, (c) teaching is relational, and (d) support system is critical to teaching preparation. Multicultural implications for preparing international doctoral students as emerging counselor educators are provided.     

Doctoral studies as an initiatory trial: expected and taken-for-granted practices that impede PhD students’ progress

ABSTRACT

Intellectual abilities alone are not sufficient to successfully progress through doctoral studies. Research indicates that modes of training and the context and conditions in which doctoral studies take place also have a significant impact on the process. However, few studies examine how taken-for-granted and self-evident practices in academia likely impede students’ progress. To address this gap, a qualitative inquiry was conducted according to an instrumental case study design. Six human and social sciences faculties at a Canadian university were selected to define the case. In addition to analysing institutional documents pertaining to doctoral studies in this specific context, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 PhD students, 14 thesis supervisors and five academic administrators. Based on Giddens’ theory of structuration, the analysis revealed an enduring perception of doctoral studies as an ‘initiatory trial’ that affects both the formal and tacit organisation of the process, and consequently its underlying challenges.     

博士生的学术经历、学术志趣与科研能力增长的关系

博士生的学术经历和学术志趣对科研能力增长的重要作用已得到实证研究的支持,不过很少有研究能够综合考察不同方面的学术经历以及学术志趣对科研能力增长的预测作用。基于1286份博士生调查数据进行相关探索,结果发现：（1）博士生的学术志趣对科研能力增长的正向预测作用最大,超过了前沿涉猎、导师指导、课程学习等学术经历的预测作用;（2）导师指导是对博士生学术志趣正向预测作用最大的变量;（3）与人文社科博士生相比,理工科博士生的学术志趣与科研能力增长具有更强的关联;（4）学术志趣在前沿涉猎、导师指导、课程学习等学术经历与科研能力增长之间存在中介效应。上述结果支持了学术志趣在博士生学术训练中的重要性,而导师在博士生学术志趣的激发方面扮演着关键角色。     

Why do students consider dropping out of doctoral degrees? Institutional and personal factors

Despite the increasing popularity of doctoral education, many students do not complete their studies, and very little information is available about them. Understanding why some students consider that they do not want to, or cannot, continue with their studies is essential to reduce dropout rates and to improve the overall quality of doctoral programmes. This study focuses on the motives students give for considering dropping out of their doctoral degree. Participants were 724 social sciences doctoral students from 56 Spanish universities, who responded to a questionnaire containing doctoral degree conditions questions and an open-ended question on motives for dropping out. Results showed that a third of the sample, mainly the youngest, female and part time students, stated that they had intended to drop out. The most frequent motives for considering dropping out were difficulties in achieving a balance between work, personal life and doctoral studies and problems with socialization. Overall, results offer a complex picture that has implications for the design of doctoral programmes, such as the conditions and demands of part-time doctoral studies or the implementation of educational proposals that facilitate students’ academic and personal integration into the scientific community in order to prevent the development of a culture of institutional neglect.     

The Cohort Leadership Development Model: Student Perspectives

This study examined how graduate students enrolled in a university-based cohort community college leadership doctoral program perceived their leadership development experiences. A total of 50 doctoral students enrolled in the Morgan State University (MSU) doctoral program were surveyed. A separate group of students (20) participated in a focus group. Results indicated that although doctoral students generally reported positive experiences, some students reported that certain factors or characteristics and behaviors of cohort members were not beneficial to the cohort experience. The positive results (structure, instructors, networking, and curriculum) of the cohort experience seem to support the findings of a number of works in the previous research relating to cohort learning environments. The findings further indicated that such factors such as dominant group members, lack of commitment to the cohort, failure to meet group expectations, traditional instructional modalities, and inadequate facilities negatively impacted perceptions of the cohort experience.     

博士生教育内涵式发展中关键培养环节分析——基于个体隐性知识增长的视角

教育的内涵式发展是国家和社会发展的重大战略需求,高质量的博士培养是实现内涵式发展的重要手段。文章从个体隐性知识增长过程的角度,明确博士生高质量发展中关键培养环节,综合以上内容构建博士生培养系统,同时根据系统动力学反馈机制,考察博士生培养环节对隐性知识增长过程每个阶段的作用,并在此基础上探索博士生隐性知识增长过程中关键培养环节的具体实施方案,以期顺利实现博士生教育内涵式发展。     

Learning relations of knowledge transfer (KT) and knowledge integration (KI) of doctoral students during online interdisciplinary training: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

Interdisciplinary training for doctoral students is an emerging scenario in higher education. The learning relations of knowledge transfer (KT: transferring knowledge from one person to another) and knowledge integration (KI: integrating or synthesizing perspectives from different disciplines) built by doctoral students play an important role in the process of interdisciplinary training. This study explores how doctoral students from a wide range of disciplines build learning relations of KT and KI during online interdisciplinary training. A mixed-methods approach was applied. First, longitudinal social network analysis (SNA) was employed to investigate the patterns of KT and KI relations over a seven-month training period. Subsequently, interviews were conducted to triangulate the SNA findings. SNA results show that the establishment of KI relations is significantly less than that of KT. Qualitative results show three themes explaining the challenges of KI relations, including challenges of online settings, the design of the training modules, and student involvement. Practical implications are drawn for the improvement of online interdisciplinary training, such as suggestions to promote KI and strategies for group learning.