Master's Graduates Research Articles

Where do translation students go? A study of the employment and mobility of Master graduates

ABSTRACT Faced with technological disruption, the employability of translation graduates demands careful analysis. Interpretations of major previous surveys suggest that only about one third of graduates find employment as translators or interpreters, although about half of them tend to find employment using multilingual communication skills in various capacities. This reality check has major implications for any attempt to adjust training programmes to the demands of translation companies: it becomes very important to assess the wider range of jobs and the transferable skills that they require. A survey of graduates from the Chinese-English Master of Translation at the University of Melbourne offers detailed insight into the wider range of employment but differs from previous surveys in two respects. First, the international mobility of students means that multiple national differences have to be taken into account. And second, the 20% of graduates that undertook further study after the Master justifies part of the training being to meet the criteria of academic institutions. These two aspects may be generalisable to other training programmes and should help revise the way curricula are conceptualised.

PRACTICE AS A COMPONENT OF PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF MASTERS MAJORING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The article reveals the approaches to the organization of practices in the system of training of future specialists of the specialty "Special Education". Educational and professional program "Oligophrenic pedagogy. Inclusive education" provides for two types of practices: industrial (two-component: in secondary education institutions with inclusive and special classes, inclusive resource centers) and pedagogical. The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of the organization of practical training of master students of special education. Research methods: content analysis, observation of students' activities, analysis, synthesis. The content of two-component industrial practice is revealed, which is a new step in the training of future specialists in special education. The purpose of industrial practice is formulated - acquisition of integral, general and special competencies formulated by the Educational-professional program of the specialty; development of practical skills based on a comprehensive, integrated approach to its content. Each component includes two content modules, including: creating a trajectory of practical activities; scientific and creative activity of a student in the process of internship for the first and second components. It is determined that pedagogical practice is aimed at preparing a master's degree for scientific and pedagogical activities in a higher education institution. Its passage is conditioned by the legislation of Ukraine on the possibility of teaching by master's graduates in higher education. It is noted that in the process of determining the content of practices in higher education institutions should take into account the reforms that are taking place in the domestic education system. Forms of control are self-control in the form of systematic diary keeping and strict compliance with the individual plan; current control by managers from the base of practice and institutions of higher education. It is determined that the final report should be drawn up in the appropriate folders. The student's report is an important document that confirms the implementation of the internship program.

Structural Model of Self-satisfaction Based on Identity and Social Justice in Graduate Students (Case Study: Students and Graduates of Master and Ph.D. Students of Tehran Universities)

Structural Model of Self-satisfaction Based on Identity and Social Justice in Graduate Students (Case Study: Students and Graduates of Master and Ph.D. Students of Tehran Universities)

Learning from online learning journals (OLJs): experiences of postgraduate students

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the experiences of postgraduate students, Master’s and Doctoral, on using online learning journals (OLJs). In line with the nature of the study, instrumental case study was managed by the researcher as a qualitative research design in the current study. Participants include 12 graduate students, Master’s and Doctoral, studying Curriculum and Instruction. The researcher administered criterion sampling, which is one of the purposeful sampling methods, to determine participants. During the data collection process, the researcher employed interviews and written documents. Semi-structured in-depth interviews and a focus group interview were held with the participants within the scope of the interview. In respect to written documents, learning journals were reviewed by the researcher. Content analysis method, which is mostly adopted for written and visual data in qualitative research, was administrated to analyse the obtained data. The results suggest that keeping regular OLJs contributed to learners emotionally, cognitively and academically.

Does graduate education abroad matter? Evidence from Burkina Faso

ABSTRACT This paper addresses international student migration, return migration and labor market entry by examining the effects of graduate educational migration on employment, type of employment, wage and wait time to obtain employment. Using primary data collected in 2021 on 1774 burkinabè graduates, including non-migrants and migrants (returnees and non-returnees), the results are mixed. Migration for studies does not provide better access to employment for returnees because they take longer to get a job despite having degrees from schools abroad and earning more. Controlling for selection bias, Ph.D. graduates take longer to find jobs than do Master's graduates. Arbitrating between unemployment and a lower-skilled job, the findings highlight that the returnees prefer unemployment. Assignment and queuing theories are supported for returnees.

Influence of Psychological Separation on Master Graduates' Career Maturity: Mediating Role of Occupational Self-Efficacy.

This research adopts the career maturity as an indicator of one’s intention and ability in career development, and explores whether and how psychological separation from parents and occupational self-efficacy influence one’s career maturity. A structural equation model is constructed and tested with data from a survey of 584 master graduates in top universities across China. According to the study, it is founded that: (1) The psychological separation and occupational self-efficacy of master graduates are significantly and positively correlated with occupational self-efficacy, and career maturity, respectively. (2) Occupational self-efficacy plays a part of the mediating role between psychological separation and career maturity. (3) Master graduates with a high degree of psychological separation are more confident in achieving their career goals, more involved in the career selection process and have a higher level of career development. These findings will arouse the attention of the society to the master graduates’ career maturity to some extent.

Master Training of Translation Specialists in the Context of the Postmodern Educational Paradigm

The article deals with the problems of inconsistency of Ukrainian translation education with the trends of the postmodern state of society and the advisability of introducing the achievements of the American system of training translators is substantiated. The article describes the organization of training masters in technical translation in the United States on the basis of a systematic analysis, in particular, the structure and content, forms and methods of teaching and learning masters in technical translation. Postmodern tendencies and peculiarities of master's education in the USA are revealed and substantiated. The principles of permanent improvement of translation competence, profile and general cultural orientation are described; ensuring the full formation of the readiness of graduates of master's programs in technical translation for highly qualified, productive and creative professional activities; learning in a multicultural environment; application of the latest means of automated translation during training; certification of technical translators. For the reform of translation education in Ukraine, these trends are identified as key. The results of the study were obtained by applying a comparative typological and systems analysis, the method of extrapolating educational trends in the United States and Ukraine in relation to the postmodern context of society and its practical requirements for translation education. The practical significance of the article lies in borrowing the American experience of postmodern aspects of translation education, which can be useful to the countries of the former socialist camp and post-Soviet society.

Phenomenological Study on the Study Experience of Part-Time Nursing Postgraduates.

In this paper, we have explored the experience of studying part-time nursing master degree students and provided a basis for improving the training of domestic part-time nursing master degree students. Using phenomenological research methods, we have conducted face-to-face and semistructured interviews with 14 part-time nursing graduate students, including postgraduate motivation, obstacles, gains, and expectations after postgraduate study. Part-time nursing master's graduate students are mostly motivated by promotion, self-improvement, solving clinical problems, and role models; barriers to entry include role conflicts, time pressure, economic pressure, curriculum settings that cannot meet needs, unclear responsibilities for training process management, and personal value (cannot reflect, etc.). Study gains include enhancing scientific research confidence, stimulating learning interest, and increasing professional identity. In the training of part-time nursing master's students, we should correctly guide students' learning motivation, mobilize social support, and solve students' learning obstacles. The curriculum of part-time nursing master's students should be targeted, along with establishing a training management system jointly directed by the training unit and the employer, improving the career planning of nursing master's students, and making a good connection with the training of senior practical nurses.

Global and national tracks of mobility of graduates of educational institutions in Russia

Introduction. Involvement in global information flows, holding major international events in Russia, focusing on interaction with foreign universities and partners creates conditions for the formation of modern youth's focus on the global track of mobility – admission to educational organizations of foreign countries. At the same time, role and quality of education in Russia in the global market are increasing through the development of Russian education, internationalization and networking of universities. Such tendencies to increase mobility in education naturally require a study of the prevalence of the ideas of mobility in general and in certain areas among schoolchildren and university students. The aim of the study is to reveal the prevalence of the ideas of mobility (potential mobility), both within Russia and abroad, among graduates of educational institutions (at different levels). Materials and research methods. The study involved 1136 graduates of educational institutions in Ekaterinburg, of which 30% are graduates of secondary schools, lyceums and gymnasiums, 60% are graduates of bachelor's degrees from 4 universities, and 10% are graduates of master's degree from 3 universities. Research results. A study conducted in 2020–2021 indicated the following trends: the higher the level of education, the higher the value of the educational environment in the country of residence, the more broadly represented the national track of mobility (schoolchildren – 46%, bachelors – 51%, masters – 54%). Among the global market of educational services for all graduates of educational institutions in Russia, priority is given to Europe. Among bachelors, there are more of those who are confident that they can find the desired job in Russia (21%) than in another country. Master students are more confident in the possibilities of working in their specialty in Russia (36%). The older the graduate becomes, the more rational motives prevail in the track of mobility. Conclusion. The study of potential mobility allows us to conclude that the predominance of the national track of mobility is directly proportional to growing up, the older the respondent, the more rationally he approaches the choice of a further place of study and residence, taking into account the possibilities, both intellectual and financial. Thus, it becomes obvious why sufficiently high figures of potential mobility do not become as high indicators of real educational and labor emigrations.

Innovations in Workforce Education for Family Caregiving

The number of adults providing care to a family member in the US is estimated at more than 50 million, with nearly half of those individuals providing complex care. National organizations, such as AARP, and federal programs, such as the Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program, have identified the family caregiver as an integral member of the health care team, yet there is a paucity of clinical workforce education programs for how best to partner and support family caregivers. A virtual summit was held in September 2020 to highlight existing educational programs designed to prepare undergraduate and graduate health professional students or practicing clinicians in their efforts to support family caregivers. The meeting consisted of a keynote, 6 podium presentations and 12 poster presentations. Primary themes emerged around target learners, curricula topics, and outcomes. Programs targeted learners from across the workforce, from undergraduate students to continuing professional education programs, with the majority targeting graduate (masters and doctoral) learners. Several programs were interprofessional in development, delivery and target learner. Curricula topics varied across programs and included caregiver assessments, multicultural considerations, communication, care plan development and risk screening. Education outcomes primarily focused on assessment of participants’ confidence and knowledge. The summit highlighted that the topic of family caregiving is included in clinical education inconsistently, if at all. The summit helped identify gaps in education, curriculum development, and the need for common learning outcomes to strengthen a clinician’s ability to support family caregivers as part of the care team.

Genetic counseling students' and recent graduates' attitudes toward psychiatric illness.

Due to the high prevalence of mental illness in the general population, genetic counselors are likely to encounter patients with mental illness in practice, regardless of specialty. However, previous studies have shown that recent graduates of genetic counseling programs do not feel comfortable discussing mental illness in clinical encounters. One possible explanation for this discomfort is stigma toward mental illness, a well-documented phenomenon both in society and in the healthcare field. Previous studies of this phenomenon in genetic counselors and trainees have relied on self-report measures and are vulnerable to social desirability bias. We sought to gain a holistic understanding of attitudes toward mental illness held by genetic counseling trainees by measuring implicit and explicit biases. This study assessed 141 responses from genetic counseling students and recent graduates from master's graduate programs across North America. They were asked to complete a survey, which included a demographic questionnaire, a scale that has been validated for use for a variety of healthcare professionals (Nordt et al. 2006, Schizophrenia Bulletin, 32, 709), measuring explicit attitudes toward those with depression and schizophrenia (i.e., social distance and stereotype endorsement), and an implicit association test. Mean scores on the social distance and stereotype endorsement scales were higher for schizophrenia than depression, indicating higher levels of explicit bias toward the former than the latter. Participants held slightly significant implicit bias toward individuals with either physical or mental illness. These data suggest that unconscious or implicit bias may not contribute to unpreparedness to address psychiatric disorders in clinical practice that has been previously reported by new graduates. Therefore, genetic counseling trainees may be receptive to clinically relevant education pertaining to mental illness. These results could inform the curriculum of genetic counseling programs and facilitate provision of services to this population.

COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Healthcare Personnel: A University Hospital Experience.

Healthcare workers are among risk groups in the COVID-19. Even if they are not infected with the disease, they witness the effects of the pandemic. The aim of the study is to determine the factors affecting COVID-19 vaccination status and reasons for vaccine hesitancy of healthcare personnel in our hospital. Firstly, the vaccination status and demographic characteristics of all healthcare personnel was evaluated. After that, a survey was applied to 408 vaccinated and 297 nonvaccinated personnel. Within the first month after the beginning of vaccination, 66% of 3937 healthcare personnel received a COVID-19 vaccine. The number of vaccinated personnel was higher among doctors, master graduates or higher educational levels and basic science-laboratory unit workers. In the surveyed group, being under the age of 50 (OR:1.85), being nondoctor healthcare personnel (nurse/midwife OR:1.78, administrative personnel OR:3.42, patient attendant/cleaning staff OR:4.11, security guard/other OR:2.96), having had the disease before (OR:2.36), not having the flu vaccine (OR:3.24) and hesitancy about other vaccines (OR:6.61) were found to be independent risk factors for not having a COVID-19 vaccine or having it late. The three most common reasons for not getting vaccinated were doubt on the efficacy of the vaccine, distrust of its content, and fear of side effects. Taking steps by considering the main factors of hesitancy among healthcare personnel will increase the vaccine acceptance.

An innovative and qualitative research methodology course in graduate master nursing program of Southern Taiwan

Background: A quantitative worldview has long dominated nursing research, causing it to lack the humanized inspiration of a qualitative worldview. This study sought to develop and evaluate an innovative and qualitative research methodology course in one graduate master nursing program of Southern Taiwan.Methods: Qualitative research design was to develop the innovative and qualitative research methodology course with training the Listening, Empathy, and Presence (LEP) skills and the qualitative worldview of master nursing students. This study was approved by the improved teaching project grant from a University (FYU1008-109-04) during March 1 to October 31, 2020.Results: The results identified that first, the innovative and qualitative research methodology course incorporated the course objectives, teaching content, and innovative strategies in two elective credits with content validity as .86. Additionally, the nine master nursing students reported that the quantitative worldview was closely associated with numbers, statistics, and measurement, whereas the qualitative worldview had a greater tendency to entail aspects of humanism with conversations, communication, and caring among nine master nursing students.Conclusions: The innovative and qualitative research methodology course could train master nursing students to master qualitative research skills and help nursing educators achieve balance with mutual coexistence and understanding between qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Healer or Healing? An Exploratory Analysis of Becoming a Counselor

The process of becoming a professional counselor can be long and arduous. It can be fraught with anxiety, ambiguity, and doubt about one’s motivations to pursue such a profession. However, it can also be characterized by hopefulness to grow, heal, and recover from experiences in the life of the student. The current study investigated the early life experiences of counselors-in-training enrolled in a graduate master’s CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) program. The author examined themes from the lives of twenty-four counseling students and how their past experiences were transformative to better prepare them to help others.

Internal Consistency and Structural Validity of the Norwegian Translation of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory.

Background: The Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) is a validated brief instrument measuring the five-factor model (FFM) personality dimensions, developed for instances where more comprehensive FFM instruments are impractical to use. The TIPI has been translated into several languages, but psychometric properties of the Norwegian version (N-TIPI) have not been systematically explored.Objectives: This study aimed to explore the psychometric properties of the N-TIPI, in terms of internal consistency and structural validity.Methods: In a cross-sectional study, responses on the N-TIPI were collected from 5,009 Norwegian master graduates. Descriptive statistics for the subscales and correlations between subscales were calculated. Internal consistency was assessed with inter-item correlations, Cronbach’s α and Spearman-Brown coefficients. Structural validity was explored with principal component analysis, parallel analysis, and visual scree plot inspection. Results for the N-TIPI were compared with those previously reported for the original TIPI as well as the German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese versions.Results: Compared with the original and non-English versions of TIPI, results for N-TIPI showed comparable subscale rank order of means, standard deviations, and pattern of correlations between subscales, as well as inter-item correlations and Cronbach’s α. The 10 N-TIPI items were adequately reduced to five components, theoretically corresponding with the FFM personality domains.Conclusion: The N-TIPI demonstrated acceptable internal consistency and satisfactory structural validity. Although further research is warranted, the instrument stands out as feasible when it is essential to minimize participants’ response burden in studies that aim to explore personality as one among several concepts or utilize personality traits as covariates.

Teaching Social Work Leadership and Supervision: Lessons Learned From On-Campus and Online Formats

ABSTRACT The global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a rapid transition to online teaching for universities during the current and ensuing years. Graduate social work students need advanced knowledge and skills in leadership and supervision to become future leaders in human service organizations. However, social workers are often promoted to management from direct service positions without adequate skills and training and schools of social work may not formally educate students for leadership and administrative positions. Scholarly literature and research about leadership training for social work students, specifically online training, is also scarce. This article examines how two Canadian schools of social work addressed this gap through the development of graduate master of social work courses on leadership and supervision as mandatory components of their curriculum, through on-campus and online formats. Varying course approaches, topics, instructional strategies, assignments, and themes collected and analyzed from online surveys of student feedback are described, emphasizing strengths (satisfaction, relevance, benefits, course design), challenges (content, timing), and lessons learned (importance, new learning, confidence, future roles). Recommendations for similar educational disruptions, future courses, and practice implications, including teaching resources and instructor adaptability to support the rapid transition to online and blended learning formats, are also discussed.

Exploring the potential of digital teaching portfolios to support in/non-formal professional development for those who teach in Higher Education

It is broadly recognised that professional development (PD) to enhance academic practice amongst those who teach in Higher Education (HE) encompasses a range of approaches; while there is an established culture of accredited PD provision – particularly for early-career academics – literature points to a preference among more established faculty for non-accredited or informal PD activities such as workshops, projects, conferences, professional dialogue, experimental approaches or activities related to the scholarship of teaching and learning (Ashgar and Pilkington 2018; Kálmán et al. 2019; Spowart et al. 2017). The provision of accredited PD is now commonplace in the Irish context and many Irish HE Institutions offer programmes in academic practice at Graduate Certificate, Diploma or Masters Level (Maguire et al. 2017; Maguire et al. 2015). However, evidence also points to a long-standing culture of engagement in in- and non-formal PD activities among Irish HE teachers (Kenny et al. 2015). This has been recognised in the Irish National Professional Development Framework which is underpinned by an ‘acknowledgement of the spectrum of activities that could be considered under the umbrella of PD’ (National Forum 2016a; National Forum 2016b). Thus, a considerable amount of the professional learning that is undertaken to enhance academic practice takes place through experiential or work-based practices including communities of practice, conversations with colleagues and practice-based innovations (Knight et al. 2006; Nerantzi 2015; Warhurst 2008).
 Furthermore, there is a growing body of literature highlighting the use of portfolios to support academic professional learning activities and reflective practice in Higher Education (Costelloe et al. 2019; Hamilton 2018; Hoekstra and Crocker 2015; O'Farrell 2007; Pelger and Larsson 2018). Described as ‘a purposeful collection of evidence, consisting of descriptions, documents and examples of what is good teaching for the teacher’ (de Rijdt et al. 2006, p.1086), portfolios are being used in multiple ways to support PD: to provide evidence of a quality approach to professional development, to document teaching practices for the purposes of promotion, to showcase and reflect on academic practice and to provide evidence of engagement with PD activities. An eportfolio adds an extra dimension to the affordances of a more traditional portfolio through the potential inclusion of multimedia artefacts such as audio, video and text to capture, share and reflect on academic practice. 
 Bearing in mind the Irish HE context and the recent introduction of the National Professional Development Framework, this paper will explore the potential of eportfolios – and specifically digital teaching or professional practice portfolios – to support, document and evidence the wealth of non-accredited and in/non-formal professional learning undertaken by HE teachers to enhance academic practice. Drawing on semi-structured interviews carried out with Irish HE teachers in three institutions in the Mid-West region, this paper will consider how digital teaching portfolios offer a space to capture, evidence, reflect on and share the wealth of practice-based and in/non-formal PD in which HE teachers engage.

Graduate Research Abstracts of Post-Occupancy Evaluations Used in Design and Construction: A Bounded Qualitative Meta-Study

Since its formal introduction in 1967, the concept of post-occupancy evaluation (POE) has been the focus of several substantial books as well as being addressed in key professional journals. In addition, specific POE endeavors related to private and government projects have issued reports of their work. Despite this attention, college and university graduate research work on POEs has not been explored. The purpose of this meta-study using document analysis is to explore the characteristics and implications of college and university graduate POE research focusing on design/construction by analyzing the abstracts of graduate master’s theses and doctoral dissertations that substantially utilized the concept of POE. Results are reported by addressing the characteristics of the research degrees (location/place, type, year, institution, methods associated with the degree, and status of publication) and the characteristics of the research (settings, and focus). The article concludes by calling on the design/construction fields to explore ways to support a greater focus on the communication/coordination and dissemination of international graduate POE research.

Voices of NGOs Supporting the First Master’s Degree Program in Ethology and Human-Animal Interactions in Romania: An Exploratory Qualitative Analysis

Simple SummaryThe objective of this exploratory study was to investigate through a qualitative thematic analysis the reflections of six animal protection and wildlife conservation non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Romania regarding the development of the first specialized master’s degree program in ethology and human-animal interaction in the country. The two research questions addressed in the study were (1) What are the needs of the participating NGOs that could be addressed by the first professional master’s program in ethology and human-animal interactions in Romania? (2) What are the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the program on the collaboration with the NGOs in addressing common problems in the area of human-animal interactions in Romania? The qualitative content analysis of the written reflections allowed the identification of two themes, which provided us valuable insights regarding the curriculum offerings and the pedagogical strategies that could respond to the expressed expectations. The first theme refers to the concerns expressed by the representatives of the NGOs over the animal welfare and human-animal interactions in Romania, which included seven categories of codes: concerns over stray animals, lack of education of general population on animal welfare and interactions with animals, maltreatment of animals, human-animal conflicts, lack of professional specializations in ethology and human-animal interactions, concerns over common global issues, and concerns over national nature conservation. The second identified theme refers to the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the master’s degree program, and it includes the following four categories: agents for change towards a responsible community, problem solvers, public policy-makers, and providers of competence-based expertise. This study aims to explore through a qualitative thematic analysis the reflections of six animal protection and wildlife conservation NGOs in Romania regarding the development of the first specialized master’s degree program in ethology and human-animal interaction (EHAI), in relation to the identified needs based on their experience in the field, as well as their expectations in terms of collaboration with the graduates of such a program in addressing the common problems in the areas of animal welfare and human-animal interactions (HAIs). The qualitative content analysis of the written reflections allowed the identification of two themes, which provided valuable insights regarding the curriculum offerings and the pedagogical strategies that could respond to the expressed needs and expectations. The first theme included seven categories of concerns expressed by the NGOs over the animal welfare and HAIs in Romania, i.e., concerns over stray animals, lack of education of general population on HAI and animal welfare, maltreatment of animals, human-animal conflicts, lack of professional specializations in HAI, concerns over common global issues, and concerns over national nature conservation. The second theme refers to the expectations regarding the roles of the graduates of the EHAI master’s program, and it includes four categories of codes: agents for change towards a responsible community, problem solvers, public policy-makers, and providers of competence-based expertise. The inclusion of Service-Learning as signature pedagogy in the EHAI program, in connection with the One Welfare approach, is discussed in relation to the needs expressed by the representatives of the NGOs.

Analysis of the development of competences in a Brazilian master of public administration

This paper aims to analyze the main competences developed by graduates of a professional master’s degree in Brazilian public administration. For this purpose, the research developed (i) a theoretical framework to present the main competences for public sector professionals, (ii) a bibliometric analysis with the scientific publications about development of competences in public administration between 2009 and 2019, and (iii) an investigation of the graduates’ profile in the Brazilian professional master’s degree surveyed with a standard score. Finally, a map of investigated competences was elaborated, identifying the development levels according to the graduate’s perception acquired along a postgraduate program. These competences were distributed into four categories: high, medium, low and very-low development levels.