Development Of Self-authorship Research Articles

NARRATIVES OF SELF-AUTHORSHIP: HOW A GRADUATE FROM AN EFL TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMME BECAME A BUSINESS WOMAN AND A WEDDING HOST

Self-authorship is the capacity to define one’s beliefs, identity, and social relations, which forms a developmental foundation for twenty-first-century learning outcomes and is often reported in the stories of college graduates (Baxter Magolda, 2007). This narrative study explores self-authorship manifested in career pathways and experiences of an alumnus from an EFL teacher training programme of a prestigious training institution. Narrative interviews were conducted to collect the participant’s stories. Adopting the three dimensions of self-authorship and the four-phase framework of self-authorship development for analyzing in-depth narratives of the participant, the researchers constructed two mini-stories to present two main themes, namely the first job experience and the final career choice. The themes illustrate the development of self-authorship, and the study calls for education institutions to provide students with more opportunities to develop self-authorship .

A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of Self-Authorship Development: Evidence from the Wabash National Study

This descriptive qualitative study used longitudinal data from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to examine patterns in the development of self-authorship among the 175 undergraduate college students who participated in both the first and fourth years of the study. We found that the meaning making of 81% of the participants became more complex during college, developing from using Solely External meaning making to Crossroads meaning making by their fourth year of college. Although most experienced modest or moderate development, small groups of students experienced substantial development, no change, and even regression to less complex ways of making meaning. Differences by race/ethnicity and gender were also found in the extent of change over time. This distinctive database of longitudinal interviews revealed important differences in the direction and extent of change in students’ self- authoring capacities during college and pointed toward future areas of inquiry to help educators work more effectively with college students.

Students as co-learners - reviewing a decade of the Geography Research Assistantship

ABSTRACT Increasing attention is focusing on the creation of academic spaces in which students can engage with research and inquiry. This paper reports on the Geography Research Assistantship (GRA) module developed and implemented in Geography at Staffordshire University and reviews its contribution to student learning over the last decade. The GRA offers final year undergraduate students the opportunity to work as research assistants to members of staff and external collaborators. The experiences of students, staff and external collaborators involved in a range of research assistantships over the last ten years are reviewed and the main benefits, challenges and impacts of the initiative are analysed. The GRA engenders co-learning environments, characterized by engagement in the iterative practices of research and inquiry and the development of confidence, internal authority and self-authorship. Some students experience unease in adjusting to the liminal learning spaces inherent in the GRA and there are tensions in the exclusivity of the initiative. Evidence underscores the value of cultivating co-learning relationships and environments for mutual benefit and we encourage others to identify opportunities for adopting similar initiatives.

Maturity and Well-Being: The Development of Self-Authorship, Eudaimonic Motives, Age, and Subjective Well-Being

In this article, we investigate psychological maturity and other eudaimonic phenomena to predict subjective well-being (SWB), as well as if age moderate the relationship between psychological maturity and SWB. To assess psychological maturity, we analyzed 223 participants’ narratives of a high point in their life, according to Kegan’s (In over our heads: the mental demands of modern life, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1994) theory of adult development and the accompanying subject-object interview guide. In a multiple regression analysis, we found support for our first hypothesis that level of psychological maturity in the narratives significantly predicts SWB when controlling for other eudaimonic phenomena like meaning in life, growth motivation, and authenticity. We found some support for our second hypothesis that age moderated the relation between psychological maturity and SWB, but not in the expected direction. That is, maturity predicted SWB only for those under 60 years old and not for the older age group, but this moderating influence of age on the relation between psychological maturity and SWB was not supported in regression models with a continuous or tripartite age variable. These are novel results as psychological maturity has traditionally not been associated with well-being. We discuss our findings in relation to similar constructs such as autonomy that have traditionally been linked with SWB.

Undergraduate research as a student engagement springboard: Exploring the longer-term reported benefits of participation in a research conference

ABSTRACTBackground: Undergraduate research is evident in many forms across higher education: in journals, at conferences and on research placements. It is widely reported that undergraduate research can encourage the development of discipline-specific and transferable communication skills and, in some cases, a more complex development of higher-order critical appraisal. Recent studies of extracurricular undergraduate research conferences have also found that participants report a development of self-authorship and an appreciation of the conference as liminal and transformative space. With many published studies measuring immediate feedback surrounding conference events, there is also a need to explore participants’ reflections over a longer term period of time.Purpose: This small-scale project investigated participants’ self-report of whether and in what ways participation in a non-assessed, extracurricular undergraduate research conference had impacted their academic and professional practices, one year after their involvement in the conference.Method: The qualitative study took place over two academic years with participants from an undergraduate conference which was held annually. The investigation adopted an action research methodology and completed two cycles of research. Data were collected firstly through an online survey with open questions, yielding feedback from 44 respondents. Focus groups were then conducted with nine of these students to explore this data further. A thematic approach was used to analyse the data.Findings: The two cycles of data collection and analyses resulted in the identification of four central themes: (1) general positive impact on studies or career; (2) the development of presentation skills and personal confidence; (3) the development of research skills and perspectives; (4) an increased engagement with extracurricular opportunities.Conclusions: Overall, our analysis identified that participants reported a development in communication skills and an enhanced relationship with the concept of ‘research’ and self-authorship. Students’ report that participation directly led to increased engagement with additional extracurricular activities is particularly noteworthy, as it contributes something new to the growing body of literature surrounding undergraduate research. More widely, the study suggests the potential for undergraduate conferences to act as springboards for increased extracurricular engagement.

Assessing Doctoral Student Development of Self-Authorship: The Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal Growths

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess to what extent current doctoral students developed self-authored perspectives, as well as to assess whether or not there was an association between the number of years in the doctoral program and the development of three dimensions of self-authorship (i.e., Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal). Background: Self-authorship is a way of knowing that assists adults in the management of their lives in a way that helps them succeed in society. It is important to study the development of self-authorship in doctoral students because such development is necessary for individuals to overcome the challenges they experience in doctoral programs. The importance of this study rests on the fact that self-authorship development may prompt doctoral students’ ability to succeed in the completion of their doctoral degrees, as well as to meet the challenges of their future in academia. Methodology: Forty-five doctoral students in a Teaching and Learning program were surveyed on three constructs: Epistemological, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal. The Doctoral Students’ Self-Authorship Questionnaire was developed by the author based on Baxter Magolda’s theory of self-authorship development. Three level-two constructs of self-authorship were conceptually and operationally defined. Contribution: There is no instrument available (i.e., a questionnaire) to assess the self-authorship perspectives of doctoral students. Although it is expected that people will develop self-authored perspectives as they get older, it is unknown to what extent current doctoral students develop self-authorship. No previous studies have assessed doctoral student self-authorship. Findings: The findings showed that participants had advanced levels in all three dimensions and continued to develop towards self-authorship. However, results showed a nonsignificant association between years in the doctoral program and self-authorship development. In other words, although doctoral students spend many years in certain programs, this spent time does not contribute significantly to their development of self-authorship. Recommendations for Practitioners: The current study suggested that doctoral programs should investigate their students’ development toward self-authorship and provide them with more opportunities to better improve their self-authorship. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings suggest further research into the developmental opportunities available for students within doctoral programs that assist students’ ability to develop self-authored perspectives. Impact on Society: The findings supported the importance of assessing doctoral students’ self-authorship as part of doctoral programs. Without the assessment of doctoral student development of self-authorship in their programs, less effort might be taken to address student needs in developing self-authorship. Future Research: Future research may continue the study of self-authorship for doctoral students from different disciplines or schools, especially where attrition rates are high.

Personal Transformation in RNs Who Recently Graduated From an RN to BSN Program

The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of personal transformation and development of self-authorship in registered nurses (RNs) who recently completed an RN to bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program. A content analysis was performed on the qualitative data obtained from semistructured interviews with 14 RNs. Experiences of personal transformation and development of self-authorship fell into two categories: changes in self included having gained (1) a broader perspective, (2) confidence, and (3) awareness and clarity, and changes in practice included feeling (1) more well rounded as a nurse, (2) more confidence in practice, and (3) having acquired new skills. Meaningful changes occurred in this sample of RNs, shedding light on characteristics of personal transformation in the context of learning. Development of self-authorship differed by age-groups. Research is recommended to explore ways to encourage personal transformation and development of self-authorship and whether these changes in RNs have an impact on patient care outcomes.

Enhancing, Inhibiting, and Maintaining Voice: An Examination of Student Affairs Graduate Students' Self-Authorship Journeys

In this longitudinal qualitative study I explored the development of self-authorship among 21 student affairs master's candidates at 2 institutions. The findings suggest that growth, regression, and stasis in newcomers' developmental capacities for self-authorship occurred as they matriculated, and that these developmental trajectories reflected the amount of support participants received after experiencing dissonance during their graduate training. Notably, those who maintained or decreased their developmental capacity for self-authorship during graduate school did not feel adequately supported after having experiences that challenged the validity of their voices. Ultimately, these varied developmental trajectories influenced individuals' degrees of commitment to long-term careers in student affairs.

Reciprocal elucidation: a student-led pedagogy in multidisciplinary undergraduate research conferences

ABSTRACTThere is no previous study of the benefits of attending a national multidisciplinary conference dedicated to undergraduate researchers, despite the growing number of such conferences internationally. This paper addresses the gap in knowledge of the learning gains from these conferences, and reveals a student driven learning process, a multidisciplinary signature pedagogy. It presents the results of 90 in-depth interviews with student conference participants conducted over three consecutive years of a multidisciplinary National Conference of Undergraduate Research (2012–2014). This paper uniquely captures the student voice on their perceived learning gains from this experience. The results reveal that some students co-create a pedagogy of Foucauldian reciprocal elucidation, through a sense of ‘unfinishedness’, allowing them to reflect on their own learning in the light of divergent perspectives, questions and frames of reference. Bidirectional exchange of ideas and insights enabled students to ask and answer questions that transformed each other’s thinking, allowing them to arrive at understandings they could not have achieved by themselves. The opportunity to present research in an authentic setting beyond disciplinary and institutional contexts developed students’ skills and confidence, giving additional value over and above the recognised benefits of engaging in research. The undergraduate research conference is framed as a threshold experience for the development of self-authorship. Significant implications for practice include supporting constructive dialogues between students and the creation of authentic and professional multidisciplinary contexts for sharing research.

Development of a Quantitative Measure of the Mentorship Experience in College Students

Development of a Quantitative Measure of the Mentorship Experience in College Students Rebecca Lakin Gullan (bio), Kathleen Bauer (bio), Pierre Korfiatis (bio), Jennifer DeOliveira (bio), Kelsey Blong (bio), and Meagan Docherty (bio) In a single academic year, nearly two million individuals are projected to receive a bachelor’s degree from a college or university in the United States (Hussar & Bailey, 2013). Many of these graduates will not have the cognitive skills needed to successfully navigate the challenges of modern life (Flores, Matkin, Burbach, Quinn, & Harding, 2012; Kegan, 1994). Yet, emerging adulthood is a crucial time to develop an ability to critically and meaningfully engage with the world, as it is a “period of life that offers the most opportunity for exploration in the areas of love, work, and worldviews” (Arnett, 2000, p. 473). As such, Kegan (1994) suggested that institutes of higher education are ideal “holding environments” wherein emerging adults have the opportunity to develop a “self-authoring mind.” Within this context, Baxter Magolda (2002) recommended mentorship as a powerful means by which college students may develop the “capacity to define their own beliefs, identity, and relationships internally” (p. 3). Specifically, Baxter Magolda (2009) suggested that mentors who provide a balance between challenge (encouraging the development of personal authority) and support (validation and reassurance) help students develop the emotional, cognitive, and interpersonal skills necessary to succeed both within and beyond the college years. Although the importance of mentorship has been widely recognized, operationalizing and measuring critical components of the mentoring relationship has proved to be a greater challenge. As such, relevant assessment tools typically approach this multifaceted construct through in-depth qualitative methodology (Baxter Magolda & King, 2012). Of the few quantitative tools, most are not germane to college students or measure outcomes of mentoring, rather than the process itself. We focused on the development of a quantitative measure of mentoring relationships during the college years. Specifically, we investigated the factor structure of a measure assessing college student perceptions of their mentoring relationships with faculty/professional staff at their university. Questions were designed to reflect critical aspects of mentorship as [End Page 1049] defined by Baxter Magolda (2009) and to explore aspects of both challenge and support, particularly as they relate to the development of self-authorship, that is, the mentee’s internal sense of self and how he or she understands and relates to the world (Kegan, 1994). The measure was expected to serve as a means to effectively identify and assess aspects of the mentoring relationship fundamental to college student development. METHOD A principal components analysis was conducted using data from 321 undergraduate students at a small, private university. Students completed a 66-item measure asking about their experience with a mentor on campus. Participants reflected the overall campus composition in gender (70% female) and age (age mode = 19 years). The largest segment of participants identified as having a major in nursing and allied health (40%), and the second most common majors fell within behavioral and social sciences (34%). Participants represented all 4 years of enrollment, with 28% identifying as freshman, 31% sophomores, 21% juniors, and 20% seniors. Finally, 51% of students indicated that they lived on campus. After providing written, informed consent, each participant was asked to choose one faculty, coach, or other professional staff at the university whom he or she identified as a mentor and to complete a 66-item measure as it pertained to that specific relationship. The measure was created by a group of undergraduate students and one faculty member with the goal of reflecting developmental theory (Baxter Magolda, 2001; Kegan, 1994) and previous qualitative explorations of mentoring and self-authorship during the college years (Baxter Magolda, 2001; Baxter Magolda & King, 2012). In addition to assessing cognitive challenges (e.g., questioning/exploring decision-making) and support (e.g., time, patience, mutual intent), items were also included to assess the scope (e.g., brief/long-term, specific/broad) and formality (e.g., assigned/natural, formal/friendly) of the relationship. RESULTS Of the 333 students who completed a survey, 12 were not included due to incomplete or missing data. The final sample size (N = 321) satisfied the minimum amount of data needed for principal component analysis...

Self-Authorship in Pharmacy Education

The theory of self-authorship describes the developmental process students undergo in the transition away from dependence on authority figures for learning and identity. Self-authored individuals are also capable of self-directed learning, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, mature decision-making, and the development of collaborative relationships with diverse others. According to this theory, an individual's transformation to self-authorship is not instantaneous but occurs over time, and that college experiences can be designed to promote development of self-authorship. The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) encourages the use of innovative instructional methods that "enable students to transition from dependent to active, self-directed, lifelong learners."(1) The developmental theory of self-authorship is a theory of cognitive and affective growth that could help pharmacy educators better examine and define the role of academia in the holistic professional development of pharmacy students. The Learning Partnerships Model, which is based on the theory of self-authorship, describes a student-centered approach to pharmacy education that promotes self-authorship.

Development and Assessment of Self-Authorship: Exploring the Concept Across Cultures (review)

Reviewed by: Development and Assessment of Self-Authorship: Exploring the Concept Across Cultures Michael G. Ignelzi Development and Assessment of Self-Authorship: Exploring the Concept Across Cultures Marcia B. Baxter Magolda, Elizabeth G. Creamer, and Peggy S. Meszaros (Editors) Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2010, 316 pages, $29.95 (softcover) Self-authorship and the developmental evolution leading to its attainment by individuals have received significant attention in constructive developmental and student affairs literature during the past 15 years. The work of Robert Kegan (1982, 1994) and Marcia B. Baxter Magolda (1992, 2001, 2009) have contributed greatly to our understanding of this important developmental capacity, and how to support development toward its achievement. This book presents a collection of papers written by self-authorship scholars for a working conference, Self-Authorship Theory Development and Assessment Across the Lifespan and Across Cultures, held in Switzerland in May 2008. These conference papers, presented as individual chapters in the book, collectively attempt to refine and extend the concept of self-authorship in three important ways. First, the book presents the most current theoretical understandings and research on self-authorship. Second, it specifically examines the influence of culture and context on self-authorship development. Lastly, it addresses current challenges and methodologies related to assessing self-authorship. The first three chapters, presented in part 1 of the book, articulate the theoretical foundations and assumptions of self-authorship. In chapter 1, Boes, Baxter Magolda, and Buckley, utilize narratives from Boes' research and Baxter Magolda's 22-year longitudinal study to illustrate key components of self-authorship. Baxter Magolda continues in this direction in chapter 2, where she details the most current conceptualization of her theory. She centers much of her discussion on the three dimensions of self-authorship (i.e., epistemological, intrapersonal, and interpersonal) identified by Kegan, which Baxter Magolda found her research participants experienced as "How I know? Who am I? What relationships do I want?" (p. 25). Baxter Magolda contends that these dimensions/questions manifest and interact differently particular to an individual's personal or contextual characteristics resulting in multiple pathways to self-authorship. Chapter 3 presents a developmental model of students' constructions of learning and good teaching proposed by van Rossum and Hamer based on their research on Dutch students. The authors detail how their 6-stage model of epistemology links and shares commonalities with related developmental models derived from research on U.S. participants, including Kegan's meaning-making model and Baxter Magolda's epistemological reflection and self-authorship models. Part 2, chapters 4 through 8, examines the influences of cultural differences on the development of self-authorship. In chapter 4, Torres utilizes data from her longitudinal study of Latino/a college students to demonstrate how issues of ethnic identity interact with dimensions of self-authorship. She illustrates, through interview excerpts, how making meaning of being a minority and experiencing racism creates dissonance that can be facilitative of self-authorship development as described by Baxter Magolda. [End Page 503] In chapter 5, Meszaros and Duncan Lane report some emerging self-authorship in adolescents based on the qualitative results of their study on academically at-risk, mostly African American, high school students enrolled in a residential youth development program. Brownlee, Berthelsen, and Boulton-Lewis, in chapter 6, demonstrate through their study of students studying to be child care workers in Australia that students with more complex epistemological beliefs hold more sophisticated and multiple perspectives regarding how children learn. They argue that enhancing self-authorship through engaging such students in critical personal reflection may be an effective method to improve the quality of child care workers. Chapters 7 and 8 present research that challenges the applicability of Western derived models of epistemology and self-authorship to non-Western cultures. In comparative quantitative studies of Jewish-Israeli and Bedouin-Israeli adolescents conducted by Weinstock (chapter 7) , and American and Japanese college students by Hofer (chapter 8), both found that the responses from non-Western groups were significantly more absolutist in their views of knowledge and authority. Both Bedouin and Japanese culture are more collectivist and authority based than Jewish or American culture. Weinstock and Hofer individually conclude that epistemological and self-authorship development are greatly influenced by...

Media Review: Development and Assessment of Self-Authorship: Exploring the Concept Across Cultures

(2011). Media Review: Development and Assessment of Self-Authorship: Exploring the Concept Across Cultures. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice: Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 127-129.

Preliminary Evidence of the Reliability and Validity of a Quantitative Measure of Self-Authorship

This article presents preliminary evidence of the reliability and validity of a measure of self-authorship derived from 18 items in the Career Decision Making Survey. The research conceptualizes a quantitative measure of self-authorship as a three-part score that reflects level of agreement with statements at each of the first three phases of development toward self-authorship. The instrument could be used to assess the outcomes of initiatives designed to promote growth in the development of self-authorship.

Predicting Needs: A Longitudinal Investigation of the Relation between Student Characteristics, Academic Paths, and Self-Authorship

Using a survey of self-authorship (Pizzolato, 2004), this longitudinal study investigated to what extent particular student characteristics (e.g., demographics characteristics, academic preparation characteristics) and the college environment (i.e., academic and living environment) influence self-authorship development. Findings in this exploratory study with 368 undergraduate students suggest that when subscales of self-authorship were explored some student characteristics (e.g., sex, prior academic experiences, being a transfer student) and the college academic environment significantly predicted various subscales of self-authorship development. This research adds to our understanding of the complexity of self-authorship and what contributes to students' development of self-authorship.