scholarly journals Starting Doctoral Dissertation Journey with a Solid Research Problem Statement – A Four Stage Framework

10.28945/4770 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azad Ali ◽  
Shardul Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Adjustment ◽  
Problem Statement ◽  
Graduate Studies ◽  
Doctoral Studies

Aim/Purpose: Provide methodology suggesting steps to doctoral mentors to work with students in constructing their research problem statement in their dissertation. Background: Doctoral students face difficulties writing their dissertation and they begin by writing the research problem statement. Methodology: This paper uses a framework widely used to describe student adjustment to graduate studies in general and to doctoral program in particular. Contribution: This study provides a framework to mentors/advisors that is helpful in guiding the students to writing their research problem statement. Findings: Writing a research problem statement is difficult by itself. Following a methodological approach suggested in this study could help with writing it. Recommendations for Practitioners: A methodological approach in writing the dissertation is helpful to mitigate the difficulties of writing the dissertation. Our study tackles difficulties with writing the research problem statement. Recommendations for Researchers: More research needs to be done on methodological approach to writing the other sections in the dissertation. Impact on Society: Our findings in this research will help doctoral mentors/advisors as they guide students in completing the writing of their research problem statement Future Research: Intention for future research is to follow similar methodological approach in guiding students in writing the other sections of the dissertation. *** NOTE: This Proceedings paper was revised and published in the International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 16, 469-485 Click DOWNLOAD PDF to download the published paper. ***

scholarly journals Starting Doctoral Dissertation Journey with a Solid Research Problem Statement – A Four Stage Framework

10.28945/4810 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 469-485
Author(s):  
Azad Ali ◽  
Shardul Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Adjustment ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Problem Statement ◽  
Graduate Studies

Aim/Purpose: Provide methodology suggesting steps to doctoral mentors to work with students in constructing their research problem statement in their dissertation. Background: Doctoral students face difficulties writing their dissertation and they begin by writing the research problem statement. Methodology: This paper uses a framework widely used to describe student adjustment to graduate studies in general and to doctoral program in particular. Contribution: This study provides a framework to mentors/advisors that is helpful in guiding the students to writing their research problem statement. Findings: Writing a research problem statement is difficult by itself. Following a methodological approach suggested in this study could help with writing it. Recommendations for Practitioners: A methodological approach in writing the dissertation is helpful to mitigate the difficulties of writing the dissertation. Our study tackles difficulties with writing the research problem statement. Recommendations for Researchers: More research needs to be done on methodological approach to writing the other sections in the dissertation. Impact on Society: Our findings in this research will help doctoral mentors/advisors as they guide students in completing the writing of their research problem statement Future Research: Intention for future research is to follow similar methodological approach in guiding students in writing the other sections of the dissertation

scholarly journals A Four Stage Framework for the Development of a Research Problem Statement in Doctoral Dissertations

10.28945/4839 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 469-485
Author(s):  
Azad Ali ◽  
Shardul Pandya
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Research Problem ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Student Adjustment ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Problem Statement ◽  
Graduate Studies ◽  
Research Problems ◽  
Doctoral Dissertations

Aim/Purpose: Provide methodology suggesting steps to doctoral mentors to work with students in constructing their research problem statement in their dissertation. Background: Writing a doctoral dissertation is a long journey, and it typically starts with writing the research problem statement. Students face challenges in articulating the research problem statement. Clearly articulating the research problems statement influences the success of the entire dissertation. Methodology: This paper uses a widely used framework to describe student adjustment to graduate studies in general and to doctoral programs in particular. Contribution: This study provides a framework for mentors and advisors to assist them in guiding students in writing their research problem statement. Findings: Writing a research problem statement is difficult by itself. Following the methodological approach suggested in this study will help students with the task of writing their own. Recommendations for Practitioners: A methodological approach to writing a research problem statement is helpful in mitigating the difficulties of writing the dissertation. This study tackles the difficulties with writing the research problem statement. Recommendation for Researchers: More research needs to be done to expand the use of a methodological approach to writing in other sections of the dissertation. Impact on Society: The findings of this research will help doctoral mentors/advisors as they guide students in completing the writing of their research problem statement Future Research: Future research should follow a similar methodological approach in guiding students in writing the other sections of the dissertation

scholarly journals Factors Affecting Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Self-handicapping Behaviors in Doctoral Students

10.28945/4414 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 637-649
Author(s):  
Anique A Falconer ◽  
Borivoje-Boris Djokic
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Academic Self Efficacy

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine to which degree age, race, and Socioeconomic Status (SES) influence academic self-efficacy and academic self-handicapping behaviors in doctoral. Background: Across all disciplines, more than 50% of students who begin a doctoral program do not persist to graduation. Although the issue of student retention and psychological factors have been proffered, much attention has not been placed on this relationship. Past researchers have focused primarily on academic-related, student-related, institutional, and financial factors. Methodology: A quantitative study was conducted, using the exploratory factor analysis. One-hundred and sixty-five participants, of legal age, who had completed at least one semester of a doctoral program, were involved in this current study. Contribution: The findings from this study increase the empirical evidence reported on the scarce literature on student retention and psychological factors in doctoral students. Findings: The factor analysis test did not show a statistically significance between the dependent variables -academic self-efficacy and academic self-handicapping- and any of the independent variables – gender, race, age, and socioeconomic status. Recommendations for Practitioners: Higher education leaders should make a proactive effort to understand the issue of student retention from a psychological perspective and make implementations to reduce these problems for doctoral students. Recommendation for Researchers: Future researchers should explore in-depth psychological variables that contribute to the high attrition rates in doctoral students. Impact on Society: A better understanding of the factors affecting the cognitive strategies and self-constructs of doctoral students could provide those working in academia with a better understanding of the problem and increase awareness at a societal level. Future Research: It is recommended that future research be carried using a mixed methods approach to offset the limitations found in the quantitative strand and gain thick, rich data from the qualitative strand.

scholarly journals The Influence of Family on Doctoral Student Success

10.28945/4450 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 761-782
Author(s):  
Erin Breitenbach ◽  
Josh Bernstein ◽  
Candace L Ayars ◽  
Lynda Tierney Konecny
Keyword(s):  
Student Success ◽  
Family Support ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Qualitative Case Study ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Influences

Aim/Purpose: This qualitative case-study explores how a doctoral student’s family influences the doctoral student’s success from the perspective of doctoral students who were enrolled in an online doctoral program. Background: Previous research has shown that family can significantly influence doctoral student success; however, it is not clear what is meant by family nor what the details of the influence of family look like from the perspective of the doctoral student. Methodology: A qualitative case-study method was used. More than 500 former students enrolled in an online doctoral program were emailed a web-based survey that elicited information about who they considered to be in their family, how they thought their relationship with their family changed while they were a doctoral student, and how much they thought their family understood what it means to be a doctoral student. One hundred thirty-three (24%) former students participated in the study. Qualitative data were analyzed both manually and electronically by three researchers who subsequently triangulated the data to confirm themes. Contribution: This study defines ‘family’ from the doctoral student perspective and provides an in-depth look at how family influences doctoral student success including explanation of family support and lack thereof that previously has been shown to be significant to facilitating or hindering doctoral student success. Findings: Doctoral students mostly considered their immediate and extended family (i.e., spouses, significant others, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and parents-in-law) to be family, but some considered friends and coworkers to be part of their family as well. Most doctoral students experienced positive family support, but for those who did not, two major themes emerged as problematic: a reduction in the amount of time spent with family and family not understanding the value of earning a doctoral degree. Recommendations for Practitioners: Institutions of higher education should consider these findings when creating interventions to increase retention of doctoral students. Interventions might include orientation programs to help family members understand the value of earning a doctoral degree, the time commitment necessary to complete a doctoral degree, and ways to support a family member earning a doctoral degree. Recommendation for Researchers: The findings inform future research by surfacing more specific information about what family support and lack thereof looks like for doctoral students and what interventions for improving family support might include. Impact on Society: Improving family support may improve doctoral student success by adding more doctoral-trained leaders, innovators, scholars, and influential educators to society and by supporting the financial investment of students and their families by decreasing attrition. Future Research: Future research should focus on creating quantitative instrumentation to measure the influence of family on doctoral student success. Student populations from different types of doctoral programs (e.g., PhD, MD, DO) might be studied as well. Interventions aimed at improving family support should be designed, implemented, and evaluated for effectiveness.

scholarly journals Defining Doctorateness: A Concept Analysis

10.28945/3939 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 031-148
Author(s):  
Shahram Yazdani ◽  
Foroozan Shokooh
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Concept Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Doctoral Studies ◽  
Academic Degree ◽  
New Concepts

Aim/Purpose: This study analyses the concept of doctorateness and its defining characteristics and gives a definition for it by examining the various ways it is used in doctoral education literature. Background: The term ‘doctorateness’ is an immature unclarified concept referred to as a common quality for all doctoral awards. With the emergence of different types of doctoral studies worldwide, a clear definition for this concept is a requirement. Defining doctorateness can result in major implications for research and the practice of doctoral education, as determining attributes of doctorateness will pose serious expectations regarding standard setting for the process and outcome of doctoral programs and requirements of doctoral students. Methodology: In this study, Walker and Avant’s eight step method of concept analysis is used. The method is a systematic approach frequently used to analyze relatively new concepts. Contribution: The current study moves beyond the earlier studies by isolating defining attributes of the concept and giving a clear conceptual definition for doctorateness. Findings: Five defining attribute of doctorateness refined from literature include independent scholar, developmental and transformative apprenticeship process, original conceptual contribution/scholarship, highest academic degree, and stewardship of the discipline. Based on the defining attributes a definition is formulated for the concept of doctorateness. In addition to giving a definition a conceptual model consisting of five conceptual areas of purpose, process, product, prerequisite, and impact according to the usage of concept in the literature is also presented. Recommendations for Practitioners: By using the conceptual model and defining attributes presented in this study practitioners and professionals in doctoral education can study the effective design for doctoral programs and utilize the definition as a basis for evidencing doctoral awards. Future Research: Defining attributes can also contribute to psychometric researches related to tool development and constructing tools with explicit criteria for doctorate judgment.

scholarly journals Team Teaching the Active Way: A Case Study about the Student Learning Experience

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mendi Davis ◽  
Renee Winter
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Team Teaching ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Private University ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Teaching Model ◽  
Teaching Learning

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the students’ learning experience when utilizing a team teaching approach in an online doctoral program at a private university located within the Southwestern region of the United States. The theoretical foundation of Community of Inquiry developed by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000) supported this study. The overarching question that drove this study was, “How do students in an online doctoral program describe the team teaching learning experience?” The sample consisted of six doctoral students from a private university enrolled in an online doctoral course. Participants were interviewed and videotaped using Zoom. Data were obtained through semistructured interviews with open-ended questions that focused on the student experience. The interviews were transcribed and coded to identify themes. The discussion of the findings included the importance of access to the instructor, instructor feedback, and student support. Participants reported that their student learning experience was enhanced due to the team teaching model. Future research should examine the team teaching model from the perspective of the instructor and from a variety of courses.

scholarly journals A Qualitative Examination of Challenges Influencing Doctoral Students in an Online Doctoral Program

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anant Deshpande
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Business Administration ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Quality Of Instruction ◽  
Course Structure ◽  
The University

<p class="apa">The main purpose of the study was to investigate the challenges faced by students in completion of an online doctoral program at the University of Liverpool, Online Doctoral Business Administration program. We analyse the responses of 91 doctoral students in an online DBA program. Based on the exploratory qualitative study themes were developed based on student perceptions. Various themes identified were course structure and workload, resources, absence of human interaction, technological challenges, support systems, and satisfaction with instructor and quality of instruction. Discussion, Implications and avenues for future research are presented.</p>

Mentoring, Managing, and Helping

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Steven Williams ◽  
Tiffany Jeanette Brown Burnett ◽  
Talia Kay Carroll ◽  
Cameron J. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Critical Race Theory ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Mentoring Relationships ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Doctoral Studies ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Student Advisor ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
And Gender

This study utilizes a critical race theory framework to explore the ways race and gender influence Black doctoral students’ socialization experiences. Themes about the varied roles and identities of important socialization agents emerged from the data. Managing expectations, engaging in help-seeking behavior, and developing fulfilling mentoring relationships, also proved instrumental to these students’ retention and persistence in doctoral study. Furthermore, their experiences offer insights about the complexity of navigating the various relationships, including, but not limited to the traditional mentor-protégé, student–advisor relationship in doctoral studies as Black students. Through their narratives, participants describe vivid experiences of fear, distrust, and betrayal that halted their development as scholars. They also share stories of support, care, and triumph as the potential of supportive relationships are realized. Implications for praxis, theory, and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Doctoral Students’ Thesis/Dissertation Progress

10.28945/4818 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 533-552
Author(s):  
William J Donohue ◽  
Alice Shu-Ju Lee ◽  
Shelah Simpson ◽  
Kathleen Vacek
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
The World ◽  
Culminating Project

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to document the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for doctoral students who were proposing, conducting, or writing up their doctoral thesis, dissertation, or other culminating project. Background: For doctoral students, the process of designing, implementing, and writing a culminating project is a key part of the learning experience. These projects typically require students to direct their own learning and to manage setbacks, obstacles, and challenges as they arise. During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctoral students around the globe had to undertake this key learning experience in the context of a global crisis. Methodology: During August and September 2020, 235 doctoral students from around the world completed an online questionnaire consisting of demographic questions and three open-ended questions about their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis involved several cycles of In Vivo Coding of the data, which yielded codes, categories, and eventually themes. At each stage, the researchers collaborated to generate the codes, and the categories and themes arose through several rounds of discussion. Contribution: Our study adds to the small body of knowledge on doctoral students’ experiences from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying categories of experience through qualitative, open-ended survey questions. The study highlights doctoral students’ challenges and how these were either exacerbated or mitigated by pandemic-induced changes. Findings: Our survey respondents described impacts on their culminating projects’ progress in five major categories: research design, access to resources, workload, mental health, and finances. Recommendations for Practitioners: The five categories of impacts emerging from our participants’ responses may be useful for faculty and administrators of doctoral programs to consider in reviewing their programs’ responses to the pandemic and making future plans for providing academic continuity in crisis situations as well as re-evaluating the priorities and structures of doctoral program to better support students overall moving forward. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research is needed to better understand how the pandemic impacted individual students’ research and writing processes, including adaptive strategies. Impact on Society: Institutions need to be aware of systemic strain on doctoral students under the best of conditions and be especially aware of the impacts of a crisis and plan contingencies to assist students with a focus on the areas of finances, resource access, workload, research design, and mental health. Future Research: Future research should seek out additional perspectives of male doctoral students. Additionally, data capturing perspectives from students at other points in time are needed as the pandemic continued to unfold after this study’s data collection period.

scholarly journals Exploring the Psychological Benefits of Using an Emerging Video Technology to Coach and Retain Doctoral Learners

10.28945/3954 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 049-078 ◽  
Author(s):  
June Maul ◽  
Ronald Berman ◽  
Cathrine (Cathy) Ames
Keyword(s):  
Student Retention ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Doctoral Program ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Video Technology ◽  
Psychological Benefits

Aim/Purpose: Retention of doctoral students, particularly during the dissertation stage, has been a decades-old concern. The study examined the value of dissertation chairs’ use of a cloud-based video technology for coaching doctoral students, and its influence on psychological factors previously linked to retention. The psychological aspects included social presence, research self-efficacy, social isolation, and motivation Background: Prior research identified the importance of addressing psychological factors that lead to student retention and the development of future researchers capable of producing quality research. Methodology: An exploratory case study included a survey of dissertation chairs, interviews of dissertation chairs and doctoral students, and review of documents and artifacts in a university in the southwestern United States. Contribution: The findings revealed several aspects of the video technology that dissertation chairs and their doctoral students identified as valuable from a psychological perspective, and there were several unexpected findings. Findings: Coaching using an emerging video technology positively influenced psychological factors leading to improved research self-efficacy, scholarly writing, efficiency and effectiveness of the academic coaching process, which resulted in student retention. Students identified the relationship established with their dissertation chair while using video technology led to their decision to remain in the doctoral program. Recommendations for Practitioners: Use coaching opportunities to develop research self-efficacy as well as to increase social presence, which will help reduce social isolation and increase student retention. Recommendation for Researchers: Integrate emerging cloud-based video technologies for conducting research to engage multiple researchers at different locations. Impact on Society: This virtual coaching approach can improve the research capabilities and reten-tion of doctoral students in today’s online world during the dissertation phase. Future Research: To validate the relationships found in this study, future research should focus on the quantitative aspects of the psychological factors identified in this study.

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