Doctoral Dissertation Research in Rehabilitation Counseling: 2012

This article continues a series of reviews of rehabilitation doctoral dissertation research. In 2012, there were 30 doctoral dissertations completed from identified doctoral programs in rehabilitation counseling. Dissertations were indexed by research topic, methodology used, model, and statistical analysis. An annotated bibliography is provided. A consideration of institutional productivity and doctoral graduate employment outcomes were also included in the analysis. Results of the current analysis show that a majority of studies comprised quantitative descriptive research designs. Unlike analyses from previous years, advanced and basic statistics were utilized equitably. The proportion of dissertations focusing on attitudes toward persons with a disability was greater than any of the prior reporting periods. Predictive outcome studies and clinical population research also remain prevalent. Implications for the practice of rehabilitation counseling, education, and future research are discussed.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Doctoral Graduate Supply in the Educational Measurement Field

For nearly three decades, researchers have been concerned that the educational measurement field is not producing enough graduate-level specialists to meet the growing demand driven by the increased use of educational assessments in the U.S. This study examined the supply-side aspect of the proposed labor shortage by relying on data from the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates collected between 1997 and 2016. Over the 20 years examined, measurement programs produced 3,124 doctoral graduates, and across this time span, the annual production of graduates nearly doubled. This supply expansion can largely be attributed to the increase in the number of international graduates, which outpaced the annual growth rate of domestic PhD recipients by 156%. Moreover, 85% of graduates were found to either self-identify as White or Asian. Less than 10 Hispanic and no more than 20 Black graduates were produced in any of the years examined. Of the 76% of graduates that reported having a job offer or accepted a position upon graduation, most entered the academy despite the overall average starting salary ($59,484) being considerably lower than the starting salary for their counterparts entering industry ($84,918), government ($69,970), or other educational institutions ($81,428).

Consequences for Straight Thinking in Nursing Ethics

The concepts of nursing ethics continue to be seen through the lens of medical science and the systematic study of bioethics. The discipline of nursing has chosen through its philosophical educational systems to focus on the systematic study of bioethics as foundational to doctoral, graduate, and advanced practice nursing programs. In choosing to focus outside of the discipline for this straight thinking inquiry, what are the consequences for the discipline as well as to humankind for the lack of discipline-specific inquiry and practice as articulated by the discipline of nursing? This article begins a conversation for the straight thinking priorities that should be considered by the discipline of nursing for the study of nursing ethics.

A Lighthouse in the Sea of Qualitative Textbooks: A Book Review of Kakali Bhattacharya’s Fundamentals of Qualitative Research—A Practical Guide

Kakali Bhattacharya (2017) effortlessly advances the pedagogical literature on qualitative research. As a scholar-practitioner of the field of criminal justice, a recent doctoral graduate, and a qualitative methodologist, reading this book allowed me to reflect on my strengths and weaknesses in conducting qualitative inquiry. This review presents the primary intent of the book, which is to be a supplemental text for an introductory qualitative research methods course. Bhattacharya (2017) offers a succinct and straightforward recipe to improve one’s understanding of qualitative research methods, as well as provides best practices while doing so. This book is the perfect roadmap for the instructor who is asked to facilitate his or her first qualitative research methods course to follow or for a student to supplement their course text.

Reflections on graduate professor training

Objective: To reflect on activities aimed at the development of graduation students, in a teaching internship program, in the perspective of master’s degree and doctoral graduate education and training. Method: It is a reflexive study, based on the discursive formulation about required competencies and guidelines proposed by the National Graduation Plan (named PNPG, Plano Nacional de Pós-Graduação) for professor training articulated to the graduate. Results: The teaching internship program is a way for the formation of university professors, through the preparation of the graduate student. In addition, it shows the relevance of the professor supervisor role in the construction of the learning of these individuals. Conclusion and implications for practice: The first contact with teaching practice, through the teaching internship program, is relevant for constructing a critical look at the teaching-learning process. In this type of Program, it is possible to learn to be and make teaching in a participatory manner, to value interactive relations, to boost autonomy, to stimulate self-evaluation and self-reflection of the graduate student, allowing them to participate actively in the learning process.

Stories of a transformative mentorship: graduate student glue

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to narrate authors’ personal and professional experiences as doctoral graduate students, highlighting the personal and academic growth fostered through an organic peer mentorship and advocating that these relationships be cultivated actively by faculty advisors. Design/methodology/approach The concepts of purpose, planning, and positivity are employed to organize the discussion, which is based on relevant literature and the authors’ lived experiences. Findings Like most students who pursue and complete doctoral degrees, the authors experienced transformative learning. The authors acknowledge myriad ways their informal peer mentoring relationship was a critical component of successful degree completion. Originality/value While their relationship remains unique and perhaps inimitable, the authors seek to extrapolate the universal qualities relevant to others seeking a deep and personal support system during their doctoral degree-seeking journey.