Experiences Of Graduates Research Articles

Understanding the Early Career Benefits of Learning Abroad Programs

European and U.S. institutions have promoted the value of a learning abroad experience for many years. As Australian higher education institutions have adopted policies and strategies to increase participation in learning abroad, with employability as a central argument, it is important to study this claim. This article examines the links between a learning abroad experience and early career benefits for recent graduates from Australian higher education, with an exploratory consideration of various conditions that may promote working for an international organization. Participation in multiple learning abroad programs emerged as an important variable. Participants reported a high level of benefit from their learning abroad experience in relation to the early stages of their career. Although employability skills such as interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork skills, and problem solving and analytical skills were rated as the greatest perceived benefits, career-related benefits such as future career prospects and increased motivation and passion for their chosen career direction were also identified. Although the study is set within the Australian higher education and graduate employment context, it contributes to the growing body of literature on the value of learning abroad to participants, educational institutions, employers, and society in general.

International Education in Australia: The Roller Coaster

Australia's international education ‘industry', a major export sector, slumped in 2010 because of more restrictive migration policy and visa processing, a crackdown on backdoor migration schemes, a high Australian dollar and tardy official response to racist violence affecting international students. A package of reforms in late 2011 freed up visa processing and work experience for graduates but so far industry recovery has been slow and uncertain.

The professional socialization of the graduate assistant athletic trainer.

The graduate assistant athletic trainer (AT) position often serves as one's first experience working independently as an AT and is also an important aspect of the professional socialization process. The socialization experiences of graduate assistant ATs have yet to be fully explored. To understand the socialization process for graduate assistant ATs during their graduate experience. Qualitative study. We conducted phone interviews with all participants. A total of 25 graduate assistant ATs (20 women, 5 men) studying in 1 of 3 academic tracks: (1) accredited postprofessional athletic training program (n = 8), (2) postprofessional athletic training program (n = 11), or (3) a nonathletic training degree program (n = 6). The average age was 25 ± 5 years, and the median age was 24 years. Participants were certified by the Board of Certification for an average of 2 ± 0.4 years. We analyzed the data using a general inductive approach. Peer review, field notes, and intercoder reliability established trustworthiness. Data saturation guided participant recruitment. The ability to gain clinical independence as a practitioner was an important socialization process. Having the chance to develop a relationship with a mentor, who provided support, guidance, and more of a hierarchical relationship, was an important socializing agent for the graduate assistant AT. Participants used the orientation session as a means to understand the expectations and role of the graduate-assistant position. Academic coursework was a way to achieve better inductance into the role via the opportunity to apply classroom skills during their clinical practice. Socializing the graduate assistant blends formal and informal processes. Transition to practice is a critical aspect of the profession; thus, supporting autonomous practice with directed mentoring can promote professional maturity.

The global financial crisis and migration: the experience of Irish graduates

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to identify a group of Irish graduates who decided to emigrate following the global financial crash of 2008. The paper explores how the economic crisis in Ireland (2008-2014) framed the experience of this group of migrants. Specifically, the paper examines the push/pull factors leading to migration; the experience of the graduate migrants in the host country; and decisions regarding repatriation.Design/methodology/approach– This paper adopts a qualitative approach to study the experiences of graduates. The paper utilises narrative structuring to provide an enhanced understanding of the migration experience of the graduates.Findings– The data collected during depth interviews indicates a mixed experience. There are a wide range of push/pull factors that result in migration. However, the range of push/pull factors that might result in repatriation are blurred by: personal experiences in the host country, changing family circumstances and the performance of the economy in Ireland.Practical implications– This research highlights complex patterns of graduate mobility which reflect the multifaceted push/pull factors shaping graduate movements. Economic conditions drive migration but they also frame the migrant experience in the host country and repatriation decisions.Originality/value– A review of the literature indicates that most of the empirical studies on the experience of graduates are quantitative. This paper argues other softer outcomes must also be studied to help fully understand the experiences of graduates.

Leading change: curriculum reform in graduate education in the biomedical sciences.

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at the Boston University School of Medicine houses numerous dynamic graduate programs. Doctoral students began their studies with laboratory rotations and classroom training in a variety of fundamental disciplines. Importantly, with 15 unique pathways of admission to these doctoral programs, there were also 15 unique curricula. Departments and programs offered courses independently, and students participated in curricula that were overlapping combinations of these courses. This system created curricula that were not coordinated and that had redundant course content as well as content gaps. A partnership of key stakeholders began a curriculum reform process to completely restructure doctoral education at the Boston University School of Medicine. The key pedagogical goals, objectives, and elements designed into the new curriculum through this reform process created a curriculum designed to foster the interdisciplinary thinking that students are ultimately asked to utilize in their research endeavors. We implemented comprehensive student and peer evaluation of the new Foundations in Biomedical Sciences integrated curriculum to assess the new curriculum. Furthermore, we detail how this process served as a gateway toward creating a more fully integrated graduate experience, under the umbrella of the Program in Biomedical Sciences.

Clinical Skills Assessment: The Effects of Moving Certification Requirements Into Neurology, Child Neurology, and Psychiatry Residency Training.

A few years ago, when the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology decided to phase out the patient-based oral examinations in its 3 primary specialties, requirements for assessing clinical skills during residency training were instituted. The purpose of this report is to describe the experiences of training program directors and graduates with these new credentialing requirements (labeled CSEs) as well as other effects on the specialties. Surveys were administered electronically in 2012 to all current neurology, child neurology, and psychiatry program directors, and to a convenience sample of graduates who applied for the 2012 certification examinations. Response rates for graduates were similar across the 3 specialties but low (28%-33%). Response rates were higher for program directors (53%-62%) and were similar across the 3 specialties. The results indicated that the CSEs were usually administered early in training, were completed toward the end, were often passed on first attempt, generally took place during routine clinical assignments, were used to assess additional competencies, almost always included feedback to the residents, and did not often lead to remediation. Furthermore, the CSEs were perceived to be useful components in the assessment of clinical skills. The results obtained from the early implementation of the CSEs suggest that they provide an opportunity to assess clinical skills with the additional benefit of feedback to trainees. Other effects included eventual incorporation into training program requirements, milestones, and related faculty development and research efforts.

Embracing the Difference Caring Makes: Implementing Caring Groups in a New Graduate Orientation Program

New graduate nurses face many obstacles as they enter a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Newly licensed registered nurses are expected to assume the role of professional nurse while giving excellent care to patients and their families. To decrease their stress and decrease the cost of turnover, a hospital within a large healthcare system in the southeast implemented a residency program. The program encompassed caring groups to provide mentorship and collegial support and to facilitate a smooth transition into nursing practice. An interpretive phenomenological approach analyzed experiences of new graduates participating in caring groups. The findings support caring groups to assist new graduates’ entrance into the role of professional nurse. Results may provide guidance for healthcare institutions in implementing similar programs.

Facilitating the Creation of Knowledge: An Investigation of the Factors that Influence the Research Productivity of Black Doctoral Students at Predominantly White Institutions

INTRODUCTIONThe number of Black doctoral recipients continues to rise. From 1991 to 2011, the percentage of graduates as a share of all PhDs increased from 4.1 to 6.1 percent (National Science Foundation; NSF, 2012). The increase in the number of Blacks attaining PhDs has been met with growth in scholarly interest and inquiry in them as students. Some authors have investigated their general experiences (Lewis et al., 2004; Nettles, 1990; Nettles & Millett, 2006), while others have focused on more specific topics such as advising and mentoring (Barker, 2011; Felder, 2010; Felder & Barker, 2013), and socialization (Ellis, 2001; Taylor & Antony, 2000).Although the literature is growing, there are still subjects where little is known. One such topic is the research productivity of Black doctoral students. Specifically, scholars do not know the factors that influence the research-related activities of this population. This is an important undertaking; particularly given the potential benefits.Researchers have discovered three instances where greater scholarly output provides advantages to the student. First, early engagement in research with faculty and peers creates opportunities for formal and informal interactions that are vital in doctoral socialization (Baird, 1992; Bragg, 1976; Weidman, Twale, & Stein, 2001). Second, successful involvement in early research-related activities is also associated with increased research self-efficacy (Kahn & Scott, 1997; Love et al., 2007). Finally, doctoral student productivity has been associated with actual early career productivity of faculty, which is a strong indicator of faculty success (Clemente, 1973; Green & Bauer, 1995; Williamson & Cable, 2003).Nettles and Millett (2006) found that African American doctoral students in education, social sciences, and the sciences and mathematics published less than their peers. While this is only one measure of research productivity, it suggests that Blacks pursuing PhDs may not have the same opportunities to develop into researchers. This could have an influence on their graduate experience, completion rates, and future careers. Research has shown that Black doctoral students often experience low sense of belonging (Ellis, 2001) and high attrition rates (Sowell, 2008). Additionally, the overall percentage of Black faculty remains low, especially at research intensive institutions (Perna et al., 2007). In order to address these dismal statistics, it is important to understand all relevant variables and relationships. This includes the factors related to the research productivity of Black students.This inquiry's focus is to determine what variables are associated with the presentation, publication, and submission output of Black PhD students attending predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Examining research productivity in the context of PWIs is important because most Black students earned their PhDs from PWIs and research suggests that the doctoral experience and development of Black students is influenced by the institution culture in which it takes place (Gay, 2004). The study is guided by Weidman and colleagues' (2001) model of graduate student socialization. The study begins with an overview of the relevant literature.REVIEW OF LITERATURERelevant in this study is the literature on graduate student research productivity and Black doctoral students. Together, these bodies of scholarship provide the requisite information to determine the variables to investigate. This section begins with what is known about the scholarly output of graduate students.Doctoral Student Research ProductivityThe limited doctoral research productivity literature indicates that there is no common approach to determining what factors might the influence scholarly output. Researchers have drawn from the fields in psychology (e.g., Kahn & Schlosser, 2010; Kahn & Scott, 1997; Mallinckrodt & Gelso, 2002), organizational innovation and productivity (e. …

Defining the Graduate College Experience: What it “Should” versus “Does” Include

Gaps between expectations and actual educational experience may influence motivation, learning and performance. The graduate college experience (GCE) is shrouded in myth and legend that may create unrealistic expectations, while its reality includes elements of politics, economics and organizational psychology. This study examined 1,629 present and former graduate students’ perceptions of what their graduate school experiences should and did include. The sample was analyzed as a whole and also divided and tested for subgroup differences by: degree types (masters and doctorate); at four different points along their degree paths (entrance, midpoint, exit, alumni); and by disciplinary subgroups (hard sciences, social sciences, arts, interdisciplinary). Statistically significant differences were found between subgroups on perceptions of what the GCE “should” and “does” include separately. Further, within-groups comparison of what the graduate college experience “should” and “does” include showed significant differences for the whole group and all subgroups. In addition, the differences between graduate students’ expected and actual experience (should - does) negatively predicted overall satisfaction with their graduate experience. These contrasts of students’ actual and expected graduate experiences present potential to explain some of graduate students’ dissatisfaction and non-completion, and offer information to support program improvement and retention of graduate students.

Overcoming Barriers.

Dr. Neal-Boylan's program of scholarship has always focused on nurse workforce issues. She recently published two books related to how nurses work. One (The Nurse's Reality Gap: Overcoming Barriers Between Academic Achievement and Clinical Success; Neal-Boylan, 2013) focused on the experience of new graduates from baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral programs. The second book, The Nurse's Reality Shift: Using Our History to Transform Our Future (Neal-Boylan, 2014), focuses on the problems nursing continues to face throughout our history and has failed to correct.

Alternative Paradigms and the Study of Job Search Experiences

This paper empirically explores the job search experiences of university graduates in Human Resource Management (HRM) through a multiparadigmatic framework. Much of the extant job search literature...

Embracing the Difference Caring Makes: Implementing Caring Groups in a New Graduate Orientation Program

New graduate nurses face many obstacles as they enter a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Newly licensed registered nurses are expected to assume the role of professional nurse while giving excellent care to patients and their families. To decrease their stress and decrease the cost of turnover, a hospital within a large healthcare system in the southeast implemented a residency program. The program encompassed caring groups to provide mentorship and collegial support and to facilitate a smooth transition into nursing practice. An interpretive phenomenological approach analyzed experiences of new graduates participating in caring groups. The findings support caring groups to assist new graduates' entrance into the role of professional nurse. Results may provide guidance for healthcare institutions in implementing similar programs.

Negotiating the 'Catch 22': Transitioning to Knowledge Work for University Graduates with Learning Disabilities

This paper examines the experiences of graduates with learning disabilities (GLD) transitioning into knowledge-based work in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss the messiness in the university-to-work transition for GLD. To do so, this paper draws from interviews conducted with GLD in university and in the labour market. This paper first discusses the rise of the smart worker standard, a standard sensitive to socio-culture norms, in recruitment of knowledge workers. The analysis of this paper examines three key stages of transition, namely: interviewing, employment testing and probationary period. This study’s analysis demonstrates a ‘catch-22’ for GLD where they fear stigmatization through either disclosing their disability and non-disclosure where they risk being perceived as ‘lazy’ or ‘incompetent’. The conclusion provides recommendations to support the transition experiences of GLD.

I can feel his heart beating through the sole of my foot: Reflections on improvisation from a dancer finding her feet

Abstract This article delves into the experiences of a recent graduate exploring improvised dance. By analysing experiences of performing, watching and reflecting, this article questions the role of the dancer within improvised performance, and gives insight into the discovery, self-reflection and development involved in the journey of an improvising performer. The article discusses and reflects upon the practice of British dance artists, including Kirstie Simon, Julyen Hamilton and Rosemary Lee, through the eyes of the enquiring and developing dancer: each of these practitioners has influenced and moulded improvisational practice in the United Kingdom since the 1970s. In addition to this discussion of practice, the article also draws upon the published research of artists including Nina Martin and Susan Sgorbati in order to explore the concerns of improvised performance as negotiated by the performer. From a consideration of the thoughts, reflections and observations that occur in the moment of improvised performance, this article examines how dancers engaging with improvised performance are involved in a journey that provokes, challenges and questions concepts of authenticity, honesty and presence. It questions the processes through which dancers are able to negotiate these concerns to fully engage, with both fellow performer and audience, in improvised performance.

The influence of undergraduate education on professional practice transition: A comparative descriptive study

Graduates from Problem/Context Based Learning (CBL) undergraduate nursing programs often express concern that they may not be as well prepared for transition to graduate nursing practice as their colleagues from more traditional lecture-based programs. To determine if there is a difference in how graduates from CBL and non-CBL programs describe their transition to graduate practice within the first 2 years of graduation. This was a comparative descriptive study that involved the use of a web-based survey. A convenience sample of 163 graduate nurses with 1 to 2 years of experience consented to be part of the study. They completed a researcher-designed questionnaire, which consisted of 26 items based on entry to practice competencies identified by the provincial professional nursing organization. There was no significant difference in the transition experience of graduates from CBL and traditional education programs within their first 2 years following graduation. These results confirm the findings of authors who compared transition among CBL and non-CBL graduates who had graduated anywhere from six months to several years following graduation. It is clear that CBL programs do prepare graduates to successfully transition into graduate nurse practice. Graduates from both CBL and non-CBL programs indicated a need for more formal agency sponsored orientation and transition assistance programs at the beginning of their initial employment.

Graduate nurse program coordinators’ perceptions of role adaptation experienced by new nursing graduates: A descriptive qualitative approach

Aims : This research explores the challenges that new nursing graduates experience whilst adapting to their new role in their first year of practice. These challenges are presented from the perspectives of Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators in the state of Victoria, Australia, previously not described in the literature. Background : Each year, thousands of new nursing graduates join the workforce in Australia, with many suffering major stressors and dissatisfaction in their first year of practice. Much has been written about challenges faced by this group from their own perspectives, yet nothing has been heard from the perspectives of those who support them; that is, the coordinators of year-long graduate nurse transition programs. Methods : This descriptive qualitative study used individual, semi-structured interviews to access information and perceptions from sixteen Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators about the challenges experienced by nursing graduates in their first year of practice. Transcripts were thematically analysed to reveal reoccurring themes and sub-themes. Results : The interviews provided an insight into various challenges that nursing graduates experience in relation to role adaptation in their first year of practice. Nursing graduates found difficulties with reality shock, work-life balancing and having unrealistic assumptions in their capacity to work, assuming they should be at a higher level despite being a beginner practitioner. Conclusions: This study reinforces the need for education providers to maintain currency in their undergraduate nursing programs and to work closely with health care services in providing a quality clinical experience to all nursing students. It also provides evidence that graduate transition programs are essential, with Graduate Nurse Program Coordinators performing a crucial role in providing appropriately planned strategies to support graduates through this vulnerable time.

Virtual practicums within an MPH program: a career development case study.

This article focuses on an innovative "virtual" practicum arrangement and provides insight for public health professionals seeking a meaningful practicum experience. The traditional practicum model where a student physically reports to work at the field site with a near full-time commitment has become increasingly challenging and often limiting in terms of field site choices and experiences available to a student depending on the location of a school and the student's area of interest. This is particularly true with students who are enrolled in a distance learning program. The experience obtained from a practicum is more important than ever before as rapid changes occur in health service delivery models as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Career development through a practicum can be vitally important to a mid-career student seeking to remain relevant and in demand within a changing job market. To fulfill these needs, while still obtaining the benefits of a practicum, a virtual practicum arrangement could provide a solution. This case study provides practical tips based on the successful experience of a recent MPH graduate.

The importance of student-led initiatives in rethinking the Ph.D.

In this article, we share our own experiences with graduate student-led professional development opportunities. With this focus we contribute to the theme of this special issue: rethinking professional development and the training of geography Ph.D. students. Citing our own graduate experiences at Penn State University and Ohio State University, we discuss the importance of informal professional development seminars, graduate student conferences, community outreach, and service learning for enhancing graduate student professional development. Our hope is that such discussions can lead to a rethinking of the Ph.D. in geography and help graduate students as they make the challenging transition from doctoral student to junior faculty member.

Transition into teaching - The lived experience of De La Salle Lipa education graduates: A hermeneutic phenomenology

The first year of teaching is the deciding factor whether a new teacher will embrace this noble profession or quit at the end of the school year. No matter how equipped a beginning teacher is, there are intricacies and challenges that arise especially in the first few months of being in the battleground called classroom. Studying the lived experience of new teachers can serve a two-fold purpose: it can be therapeutic on their part and it can help improve the experiential learning courses of undergraduate students. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological design, this study aims to explore on the meaning of lived experience of 20 De La Salle Lipa Education graduates batch 2014 employed in various schools within and outside the province of Batangas. Following Lichtman’s (2006) six-step process of Codes, Categories and Concepts, key themes illuminated from the study: the real classroom is an entirely different world, the first step to teaching is really full of challenges, some positive personal traits are essential to survive teaching, teaching competencies are crucial in the practice of the teaching profession and Lasallian education plays an important role in creating a positive attitude towards teaching and in facilitating their transition to it. Results will be important in enhancing current practices in teaching pedagogy courses and in designing interventions necessary for curriculum improvement.

Evaluating College Readiness

This article investigates the utility and availability of college data to evaluate the impact of high school interventions. It reports results of a pilot study that collected information about the college experiences of graduates from four high schools in the northeast United States. Using these results as a lens, the article examines what information is available from Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS). It identifies the contrary interactions of the development of SLDS and federal law. The article reviews the legal and practical constraints on improving the national data system, as well as possible policy changes that might improve the data environment.