Current Doctoral Students Research Articles

A Study on the Quality of Doctoral Education Based on the IPOD Framework: A Case of Agriculture-Related Disciplines

Based on the input-process-output-development (IPOD) framework, a survey of current doctoral students and doctoral graduates from six agricultural universities in China found that doctoral students in agriculture have higher graduation delay rates, relatively consistent academic backgrounds, a longer learning input time, and fewer foreign research and teaching experiences, along with insufficient career guidance, and expectations for academic careers. Doctoral graduates have diversified career paths, but their jobs tend to match their specialty. The degree of fit between individuals and jobs is higher than that between individuals and employers. In addition, the satisfaction of current doctoral students is lower than that of doctoral graduates. The survey results indicate that the three-year doctoral education system is not well adapted to the needs of doctoral students, and appropriate adjustments to the length of study should be based on differences between disciplines. Doctoral students have a significant utilitarian motivation, and their rational understand should be enhanced; they also lack career preparation, and their career guidance should be strengthened.

Scenic Figure: A Step Towards the Phenomenological Grasp of the Problem

Abstract This text is a posthumous work by Assoc. Prof. Josef Vinař (1934–2015), a lecturer at the Theatre Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Before his death Josef Vinař asked his colleague Jan Vedral to take care of his unfinished theoretical work and make it available. Acting upon this wish and the wish of Vinař’s heirs, Jan Vedral put together a team from some of Vinař’s students (current doctoral students), who compiled Vinař’s theoretical ideas about theatre. The present study is a summary of some of Josef Vinař’s findings and especially his phenomenological ideas about the art of acting. The author prepared it for the Slovak Theatre journal.

Doctoral conceptual thresholds in cellular and molecular biology

ABSTRACTIn the biological sciences, very little is known about the mechanisms by which doctoral students acquire the skills they need to become independent scientists. In the postsecondary biology education literature, identification of specific skills and effective methods for helping students to acquire them are limited to undergraduate education. To establish a foundation from which to investigate the developmental trajectory of biologists’ research skills, it is necessary to identify those skills which are integral to doctoral study and distinct from skills acquired earlier in students’ educational pathways. In this context, the current study engages the framework of threshold concepts to identify candidate skills that are both obstacles and significant opportunities for developing proficiency in conducting research. Such threshold concepts are typically characterised as transformative, integrative, irreversible, and challenging. The results from interviews and focus groups with current and former doctoral students in cellular and molecular biology suggest two such threshold concepts relevant to their subfield: the first is an ability to effectively engage primary research literature from the biological sciences in a way that is critical without dismissing the value of its contributions. The second is the ability to conceptualise appropriate control conditions necessary to design and interpret the results of experiments in an efficient and effective manner for research in the biological sciences as a discipline. Implications for prioritising and sequencing graduate training experiences are discussed on the basis of the identified thresholds.

The deconstruction and reconstruction of sports coaching: An interview with Professor Robyn Jones

Robyn Jones is arguably the world’s leading researcher and scholar in the microsociology of sports coaching. Viewing coaching as a ‘complex socio-pedagogical process’ he has drawn especially from Erving Goffman’s work on stigma, interaction and impression management, in addition to educational perspectives such as Nel Noddings’ feminist ethic of care. This article and the accompanying commentaries from Robyn’s current and past doctoral students, as well as some colleagues from academia, is focused on the ontology, epistemology and methodology of research in sports coaching.

Resilient Scholars: Reflections from Black Gay Men on the Doctoral Journey

Using an intersectionality and Black queer studies framework, this article presents reflections from Black gay men who are current doctoral students or recent graduates of higher education, student affairs, and leadership studies programs to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges and successes that they experienced during their doctoral journey. The authors conclude with recommendations for providing comprehensive support for doctoral students who are at the intersection of identities, specifically Black gay men.

Preparing Geographers for Interdisciplinary Research: Graduate Training at the Interface of the Natural and Social Sciences

Recent debates about the state of geography raise valuable questions about how the discipline can and should change in response to shifting institutional realities. Focusing on the breadth and interdisciplinarity of geography, these discussions often overlook the role of pedagogy—particularly graduate training—in adapting the discipline to new institutional landscapes. Drawing on experiences as current and recent geography doctoral students, we identify institutional seedlings of opportunity that can be cultivated toward a spectrum of alternative doctoral training models. These alternatives offer significant opportunities to better prepare early-career geographers for success and to solidify geography's position as a leader in interdisciplinary research.

NEW STUDENT TRAVEL GRANT OPPORTUNITY

This award from the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research supports current undergraduate, masters’ and doctoral students who wish to 1) present their results on research projects at professional meetings in either an oral or poster session, or 2) attend workshops approved by the Cushman Foundation. The research projects or workshops should address microfossils or the organisms that make them. The currently approved meetings (sponsored by the Foundation) include:

An Analysis of Doctoral Students' Perceptions of Mentorship During Their Doctoral Studies

Context Mentorship has been established as a key facilitator of professional socialization for athletic trainers into various professional roles. Understanding how current doctoral students are trained to serve in future faculty roles is critical, as there is an increased demand for athletic trainers to serve in this capacity. Objective Gain an understanding of the relationship that develops between a doctoral student and the athletic training faculty mentor. Design Qualitative study. Setting Universities with athletic training doctoral students. Patients or Other Participants Twenty-eight doctoral students (19 females, 9 males; average age = 28 ± 3 years) participated in our study. The doctoral students were certified for 6 ± 3 years and represented 5 different National Athletic Trainers' Association districts and 9 different universities. Main Outcome Measures One-on-one telephone interviews following a semistructured script were recorded with all participants. Upon completion, each interview was transcribed and analyzed using a thematic approach. Peer review, multiple analyst triangulation, and stakeholder checks ensured trustworthiness. Results Three themes emerged from our thematic analysis procedure: (1) The relationship between the student and the faculty mentor needs to be one that is supportive, yet viewed as yielding autonomy and collaboration; (2) the relationship between the student and the faculty mentor needs to include opportunities for professional development specifically related to skill acquisition and development related to a future academic role; and (3) the relationship between the student and the faculty mentor must demonstrate a mutual investment in the educational experience. Conclusions Mentoring is necessary to help ensure a quality experience for doctoral students preparing for future positions in higher education or research. Like previous research in socialization, doctoral students want autonomy in their roles, but value their mentor's feedback and support. Therefore, doctoral faculty mentors should demonstrate strong communication skills and provide doctoral students opportunities for diverse learning experiences.

PETE Doctoral Institutions: Programs, Faculty, and Doctoral Students

Purpose: The present study of doctoral physical education teacher education (D-PETE) programs was part of a longitudinal study that provided an extensive description of demographics including: (a) doctoral program characteristics, (b) faculty, and (c) doctoral students/graduates. Method: This trend study incorporated 3 data sets (2005–2006, 2008–2009, and 2011–2012) that described the characteristics of D-PETE programs. Academic heads of D-PETE programs provided demographic information on their doctoral students, faculty, and institutional characteristics for the 2005–2006, 2008–2009, and 2011–2012 academic years and selected summary data from 1996–1997 through 2011–2012. Results/Conclusion: As a result of this longitudinal data collection, the following trends were revealed. First, there was a decrease in the number of D-PETE programs and an increase of nontenured and part-time pedagogy faculty. Second, initial teacher licensure programs remained in existence at the vast majority of D-PETE programs. Third, funding for doctoral students at D-PETE programs was decreasing. Fourth, racial composition of doctoral graduates and current doctoral students remained largely skewed toward Caucasians. Fifth, there was a slight decline in the percentage of doctoral graduates entering higher education, but employment rates were exceptionally high. Sixth, non-U.S. doctoral students and ABDs were marketable in the United States.

Exploring Student Success in a Doctoral Program: The Power of Mentorship and Research Engagement

The study explored features of an educational doctoral program that enhances doctoral student success. Doctoral student success is defined broadly to include not only completion and retention rates, but also the ability of the program to produce effective scholars in the field. The study utilized a mixed-method approach, incorporating quantitative and qualitative data from both alumni and current doctoral students. A total of 113 students participated in the survey and another 20 students participated in two parallel focus group discussions. A factor analysis of the 31-item-survey identified six dimensions representing different aspects of the doctoral program with an internal consistency measure of reliability ranging from 0.76 to 0.97. Quantitative and qualitative findings converged in highlighting the importance of Program Support/Program Structure, Advisor Support/Faculty Mentorship, and Research Engagement/Formation of Scholars on doctoral students’ success. These features incorporate effective socialization activities within the program. The study recommends that doctoral programs incorporate research engagement and effective mentorship activities into the program’s structure for sustainable scholarship.

The Lived Experience of Late-Stage Doctoral Student Attrition in Counselor Education

Doctoral student attrition occurs across academic disciplines and presents problems for noncompleting students and the programs from which they withdraw. The following research question guided the present study, "What is the experience of doctoral attrition in counselor education?" Six late-stage doctoral noncompleters from counselor education programs participated in research interviews that were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results showed two distinct types of attrition. Five participants reported a negative experience of encountering barriers that acted against the internal desire of the participants to obtain the doctorate. One participant reported a positive experience of an internal change that altered the priority of continuing in doctoral study. Results of the present study have implications for prospective and current doctoral students.

Preliminary Study: Special Education Doctoral Students’ Perceptions of Self-determination

This preliminary study investigated 118 special education doctoral students’ knowledge of and attitudes toward self-determination. In addition, this study examined the relationship between self-determination coursework and special education doctoral students’ perceptions of how well they were prepared for implementing self-determination in their future careers. The results indicated that although the majority of respondents possessed adequate knowledge of self-determination concepts, they reported lacking confidence in identifying how it can be taught and assessed. Most of the respondents indicated that they would integrate self-determination knowledge and skills into their future teaching; however, more than one-half of the doctoral students felt that they were unprepared with regard to the instruction of self-determination. Also, the findings indicated that there were statistically significant relationships between pre-service courses and doctoral students’ perceptions of self-determination. The results of this study showed a gap in current doctoral students’ knowledge about self-determination and confidence related to application within pre-service teaching.

The Changing Climates of the Sport Management Academic Job Market and Doctoral Students’ Career Expectations

Past research shows that the job market for sport management academic positions was strong, with more job openings than qualified professors to fill the positions. Due to changing global and higher education climates, however, it was necessary to conduct further research to examine how these shifts in the external environment have impacted the sport management job market. Therefore, this study employed a content analysis methodology to examine the faculty job openings in sport management from 2010 to 2011. In addition, current doctoral students were surveyed to determine their preparation and expectations for the academic job market. Results revealed much greater parity between the number of open positions and the number of doctoral student job seekers than ever before. Similarities and differences were discovered between the actual job market and students’ career expectations and goals. Ultimately, the job market has become more competitive and job seekers must take steps to ensure a competitive advantage.

Training maternal and child health epidemiologists: leaders for the twenty first century.

This paper reports on the structure, implementation and outcomes of the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Epidemiology (MCHEPI) program at the University of Illinois School of Public Health (UIC-SPH) and discusses the successes and challenges in developing MCH Epidemiology leaders for the local, state, and national public health workforce. The MCHEPI program at UIC-SPH offers both the MPH and PhD degree and is based on six key components: integration across school divisions, competency-based training, tailored curricula, practica/dissertations with public health agencies, personal leadership training and development, and socialization. Based on data from the 1998-2012 cohorts, all former and current MCHEPI MPH students (n = 28) have participated in practica with local or state public health agencies and former and current MCHEPI doctoral students at the dissertation stage (12 out of 15) have partnered with local, state or national public health agencies in conducting their dissertations. The alumni of the MCHEPI MPH program (n = 25) appear to serve in higher level positions in their second compared to their first placements post-graduation. All MCHEPI doctoral alumni (n = 8) serve at the emerging senior level or senior scientist level upon graduation, in local, state and federal agencies, or in academe. Explicit linkage of MCHEPI students to practice through tailored curricula, practica, and dissertations with public health agencies, and the development of an identity as a member of the MCHEPI field appear to be important to the generation of epidemiology leaders for the MCH workforce. Leadership development is a lifelong process and as such, snapshots of current students and alumni at any one point in time do not provide the entire picture of the impact of MCH epidemiology training programs. Examining the trajectories of emerging leaders over time is essential for evaluating the true success of Maternal and Child Health Bureau workforce and training investments.

Editorial: Biomolecular Technology of Proteins – BioToP

Current doctoral students who will be the driving force of science in the future. Christian Obinger, speaker of the BioToP Phd program "Biomolecular Technology of Proteins - BioToP", reviews the articles in this BioToP Special issue.

Mentoring Women Doctoral Students to Become Community Leaders

Mentoring female doctoral students to become leaders in their communities is one of the main objectives of Sierra Education and Research Institute SERI. Doctoral level female students were given the opportunity to assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of a number of community programs at SERI. Seven former and current doctoral students discuss the effects of their mentoring and leadership training on their development as professionals, and describe a moment of growth. All of these women have continued to grow and develop into leaders in their own right, mentoring the next generation of doctoral candidates.

Recruiting business PhDs: US minority motives and concerns

Purpose – While institutional efforts have shown modest results, AACSB statistics suggest that current practices are insufficient to increase more substantively the representation of minorities among doctorally qualified business school faculty. The purpose of this paper is to explore antecedents to the faculty representation issue – that is, the motives, concerns, and resources of US minority individuals with respect to business doctoral program entry – as a basis for improving minority faculty representation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – A small sample of doctoral program directors were interviewed to ascertain their perspective on recruitment, design and delivery of PhD programs in business and from which a survey instrument was developed. A sample of 292 US minority respondents surveyed indicated their top reasons for and concerns about pursuing a doctorate, program selection and rejection criteria, sources of information and financing, and, for those in the decision-making stage, reasons for waiting to apply to a program. The paper compares responses of those who graduated from or are currently enrolled in a doctoral program in business with those who decided not to enroll. The paper also explores factors most salient to individuals currently contemplating enrolling but who have not yet decided to do so. Findings – Results suggest that mentorship of promising undergraduate and master's students by business faculty and current doctoral students is critical to US minority enrollments in doctoral programs; however, a school's physical location, required time and energy, and financial considerations also play a role in the decision-making process. The role of international students in diversity efforts by doctoral programs is also salient. Originality/value – Previous studies in multiple disciplines note the under-representation of US minority faculty in academe. In business education, suggestions for overcoming this gap have focussed on recruitment, mentoring, and/or networks and support groups but little is known about antecedents to entry (motives, concerns, and resources of US minority individuals) with respect to business doctoral programs.

My World Is Not My Doctoral Program…Or Is It?: Female Students’ Perceptions of Well-Being

As the number of women who earn doctoral degrees increases, research suggests that female doctoral students struggle with their well-being, including managing role conflict due to multiple roles, developing coping skills, and maintaining social support. The goal of the study is to illuminate different aspects of women’s well-being that can add increased understandings related to student stress levels, academic achievement, and personal life fulfillment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight current doctoral students who study at a research-intensive university. Furthermore, metaphorical analysis was used to describe the women’s perceptions of well-being. The results indicate that female doctoral students perceive well-being as an individual and social process that is constantly evolving and unique to each woman. During this process, female doctoral students can develop realistic social, economic, and personal expectations associated with their studies in order to determine the best personal balance of the multiple roles they play. Implications for practice and future research are included.

Exploring Accounting Doctoral Program Decline: Variation and the Search for Antecedents

ABSTRACTThe inadequate supply of new terminally qualified accounting faculty poses a great concern for many accounting faculty and administrators. Although the general downward trajectory has been well observed, more specific information would offer potential insights about causes and continuation. This paper examines change in accounting doctoral student production in the U.S. since 1989 through the use of five-year moving averages. Aggregated on this basis, the downward movement predominates, notwithstanding the schools that began new programs or increased doctoral student production during this time. The results show that larger declines occurred for middle prestige schools, for larger universities, and for public schools. Schools that periodically successfully compete in M.B.A. program rankings also more likely have diminished the size of their accounting Ph.D. programs. Despite a recent increase in graduations, data on the population of current doctoral students suggest the continuation of the problems associated with the supply and demand imbalance that exists in this sector of the U.S. academy.

The PhD Project: How Successful Is It?

The PhD Project’s mission to diversify the work force by increasing the diversity of business school faculty is quite admirable, but is the Project successful? To gather insights toward responding to that question and to offer suggestions, we reviewed three of the Project’s objectives that relate most closely to minority doctoral students and faculty members. We examined the Project’s website, held discussions with Project staff members, and surveyed Project alumni. Among the myriad of PhD Project activities, the most important are its annual November conference for potential doctoral students and its annual minority doctoral student association meetings for each of five academic disciplines (accounting, finance, information systems, management and marketing). The annual conference attracts between 350 and 400 individuals from which about 10% enroll in doctoral programs each year. The doctoral student associations have over 1,400 members of which some 400 are current doctoral students and the others are faculty members. The Project is making significant progress toward accomplishing its mission and objectives. Areas where the Project could improve its accomplishments include identifying why those who have considered enrollment have not done so, placing greater emphasis on teaching and service at minority doctoral student association conferences, and strengthening mentoring relationships.