Abstract
While doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them. Previous research has explored reasons for attrition, but little research has examined persistence, and none have looked at persistence for women during and after pregnancy. This qualitative study explored female doctoral students and graduates’ (n=28) attributions of persistence to completion in their professional healthcare doctoral programs (57% social work) after a pregnancy and/or birth. Two primary themes emerged from this study. First, women attributed their persistence in the program to internal resources such as determination, organization, discipline, and the ability to assess needs and shift resources, schedules, plans, or expectations to meet those needs. Second, some women attributed their ability to persist in their program to good luck, in terms of fertility, pregnancy timing, expectations of the student, and family friendly advisors and programs. Dissertation chairs and advisors can use these findings to more effectively support pregnant and parenting students, including helping them build important skills and reflect on implicit messages about caregiving women who are doctoral students.
Highlights
While doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them
The advertisement was emailed to social work doctoral program directors belonging to the Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education (GADE) with a request to share with students and alumnae
The topic of persistence within doctoral education has received little research attention, and no research has explored persistence for pregnant and parenting women doctoral students. This is true in social work, where there is a dearth of research on the experiences of doctoral students (Anastas & Kuerbis, 2009)
Summary
While doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them. Mirick & Wladkowski/MAKING IT WORK progression or leading them to leave programs altogether (Gardner, 2009b; Mason, Wolfinger, & Goulden, 2013) These barriers include the balance of multiple roles and responsibilities (Castelló, Pardo, Sala-Bubaré,, & Suñe-Soler, 2017; Dickerson et al, 2014; McAlpine & Norton, 2006; Smith, Maroney, Nelson, Abel, & Abel, 2006), childcare needs (Brown & Watson, 2010; Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012), financial challenges (Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012; Wao & Onwuegbuzie, 2011), and a lack of systemic supports for doctoral student parents (Springer, Parker, & Leviten-Reid, 2009). Little is known about how women doctoral students understand their ability to persist through doctoral education and the factors to which they attribute their success (McAlpine & Norton, 2006)
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