Understanding Motivation and Career-planning Characteristics of Chinese Doctoral Students in Provincial Universities in Korea

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-219
Author(s):  
Heejin Lim
F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan L. Vanderford ◽  
Teresa M. Evans ◽  
L. Todd Weiss ◽  
Lindsay Bira ◽  
Jazmin Beltran-Gastelum

Background: The Individual Development Plan (IDP) was introduced as a tool to aid in career planning for doctoral trainees. Despite the National Institutes of Health and academic institutions creating policies that mandate the use of IDPs, little information exists regarding the use and effectiveness of the career planning tool. Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional, online survey to measure IDP use and effectiveness. The survey was distributed to potential respondents via social media and direct email. IDP survey questions were formatted using a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree). For data analysis purposes, responses were grouped into two categories (agree versus does not agree/disagree). The data were summarized as one-way frequencies and the Pearson chi-square test was used to determine the statistical significance of univariate associations between the survey variables and an outcome measure of the effectiveness of the IDP. Results: Among all respondents, fifty-three percent reported that they are required to complete an IDP while thirty-three percent reported that the tool is helpful to their career development. Further, our data suggests that the IDP is most effective when doctoral students complete the tool with faculty mentors with whom they have a positive relationship. Respondents who are confident about their career plans and who take advantage of career development resources at their institution are also more likely to perceive that the IDP is useful for their career development. Conclusion: Given the nuanced use and effectiveness of the IDP, we call for additional research to characterize the overall use and effectiveness of the IDP and to determine whether there are unintended negative consequences created through the use of the tool. Furthermore, we recommend an enhancement of career development infrastructure that would include mentorship training for faculty in order to provide substantially more career planning support to trainees.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-116
Author(s):  
Futao Huang ◽  
Wenqin Shen

Abstract The purpose of this study is to analyze Chinese doctoral students’ career expectations and determinants or factors influencing their career plans based on main findings from the national survey of doctoral students in 2017. Main findings include: firstly, the Chinese case indicates that becoming academics is still attractive to most doctoral graduates; secondly, female doctoral students are more likely to choose to work in universities than male doctoral students; thirdly, the social background of doctoral students did not have a significant impact on their academic orientation scores, but doctoral students with richer family culture capital (parents with college degrees) are even more reluctant to choose to work in the universities; finally, significant disciplinary differences and the correlation between their socialization experience and their academic orientation could be confirmed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-249 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. N. Fuhrmann ◽  
D. G. Halme ◽  
P. S. O’Sullivan ◽  
B. Lindstaedt

Today's doctoral programs continue to prepare students for a traditional academic career path despite the inadequate supply of research-focused faculty positions. We advocate for a broader doctoral curriculum that prepares trainees for a wide range of science-related career paths. In support of this argument, we describe data from our survey of doctoral students in the basic biomedical sciences at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Midway through graduate training, UCSF students are already considering a broad range of career options, with one-third intending to pursue a non–research career path. To better support this branching career pipeline, we recommend that national standards for training and mentoring include emphasis on career planning and professional skills development to ensure the success of PhD-level scientists as they contribute to a broadly defined global scientific enterprise.


F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 722
Author(s):  
Nathan L. Vanderford ◽  
Teresa M. Evans ◽  
L. Todd Weiss ◽  
Lindsay Bira ◽  
Jazmin Beltran-Gastelum

Background: The Individual Development Plan (IDP) was introduced as a tool to aid in career planning for doctoral trainees. Despite the National Institutes of Health and academic institutions creating policies that mandate the use of IDPs, little information exists regarding the actual use and effectiveness of the career planning tool. Methods: We conducted a multi-institutional, online survey to measure IDP use and effectiveness. The survey was distributed to potential respondents via social media and direct email. IDP survey questions were formatted using a five-point Likert scale (strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree and strongly disagree). For data analysis purposes, responses were grouped into two categories (agree versus does not agree/disagree). The data were summarized as one-way frequencies and the Pearson Chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance. Results: Usage of the IDP among doctoral students was low and the tool produces minimal effectiveness with regard to the perception of whether it is helpful to one’s career development. Further, our data suggests that the IDP is most effective when doctoral students complete the tool with faculty mentors with whom they have a positive relationship. Respondents who are confident about completing their doctoral training and their post-training career plans, and who take advantage of career development resources at their institution are also more likely to perceive that the IDP is useful for their career development. Conclusion: Given the nuanced use and effectiveness of the IDP, we call for more research to determine why IDP use and effectiveness is low, exactly how IDPs are being used, and whether there are unintended negative consequences created through the use of the tool. Furthermore, we recommend an enhancement of career development infrastructure that would include mentorship training for faculty in order to provide substantially more career planning support to doctoral trainees.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-194
Author(s):  
Yi (Leaf) Zhang

In this study, I focused on international Chinese doctoral students and sought to better understand their lived experience in transition to U.S. higher education. I also aimed to explore strategies that can be employed to improve these students’ academic and sociocultural experiences on American campuses. Guided by the adult transition theory (Goodman, Schlossberg & Anderson, 2006), this study used an interpretive phenomenological method. Qualitative data were collected from in-depth focus group interviews. The findings of this study informed higher education educators and practitioners about unique challenges faced by international Chinese graduates in transition and provided insightful knowledge for new practice, programs, and policies that can be created to improve international students’ transition and success


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