Graduate Student Perceptions and Experiences of Professional Development Activities

Rizzolo, Sonja; DeForest, Aubreena R.; DeCino, Daniel A.; Strear, Molly M.; Landram, Suzanne V.

doi:10.1177/0894845315587967

Cited by 19 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Though concrete resources like facilities matter, graduate students' perceptions of pro-gram quality are less influenced by the built environment than by academic curriculum and resources, and personnel resources such as faculty and staff (de Zarobe et al, 2011). Satisfaction, in turn, is related to dropout and retention among graduate students (Hardré & Hackett, 2015c;Rizzolo et al, 2016), so keeping graduate student satisfaction high is one strategy to support retention and reduce dropout.…”

Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Experience and Academic Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Relationships and satisfaction with faculty mentoring and advising are highly influential on graduate students' success and completion (Barnes, Williams, & Archer, 2010;Golde, 2000) and their postgraduation professional expectations (Rizzolo et al, 2016). Perceived lack of adequate mentoring or guidance leads to educational dissatisfaction for graduate students (Wadsworth, Hecht, & Jung, 2008).…”

Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Faculty Teaching and Academic Advmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Satisfaction with their academic program faculty and advising further influences graduate students' satisfaction with their overall graduate experience (Hardré & Hackett, 2015b). Across independent qualitative studies, graduate students indicate that faculty characteristics such as credibility and trustworthiness (individually and collectively), accessibility and caring, helpfulness, and interest in students' individual and collective success are positive and important attributes that also support student development and satisfaction (e.g., Barnes et al, 2010;Hardré & Pan, 2017;Rizzolo et al, 2016). In addition, departmental and disciplinary cultures critically influence students' satisfaction and success (Bair et al, 2004;Lovitts, 2001).…”

Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Faculty Teaching and Academic Advmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yet dropout rates in graduate programs have been estimated at higher than 50% (Council of Graduate Schools, 2008;Nettles & Millett, 2006) and dropout is an higher education issue all over the world (Carlhed, 2017;Soares, Fernandes, Nóbrega, & Nicolella, 2015). Graduate student perceptions and experiences of professional expectations and development, performance standards, and change in the academy complicate their trajectories of success toward and beyond graduation (Rizzolo, DeForest, DeCino, Strear & Landram, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Higher education at all levels faces challenges to realign with changing market realities, student needs and life circumstances (Levine, 2005). Academic and social experiences contribute to students' perceptions of and investment in graduate school (Rizzolo et al, 2016;Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012). Numerous studies have addressed various aspects of graduate students' overall satisfaction with their experience, primarily focused on doctoral students (e.g., Barnes & Randall, 2012;Golde & Dore, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling American Graduate Students’ Perceptions Predicting Dropout Intentions

Hardré

Liao

Dorri

et al. 2019

IJDS

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Aim/Purpose: Dropout is a critical problem in graduate college programs across disciplines and institutions. Yet relatively little research has assessed graduate students’ motivations for dropping out across disciplines, or systematically modeled perceptions that contribute to dropout intentions. Background: Perceptions drive critical decisions that people make about their lives, and a core set of these perceptions consistently predict adults’ educational intentions and choices. This study investigates how a set of critical perceptions predict the strength of graduate students’ dropout intentions. Methodology: This study models their differential contributions using structural equation modeling, in AMOS®. Participants were 886 masters and doctoral students across programs and colleges in a Southwestern university in the United States. Findings: The best-fitting model demonstrated most significant influences on graduate students’ dropout intentions were predicted by: satisfaction with the overall graduate experience (not just program-of-study), self-efficacy for professional success (not just coursework), and the Perceived Graduate Experience Gap (expectations vs. experience in graduate school). Model fit was excellent for the whole group, and demonstrated some nuanced differences for subgroups, notably by degree type and point-in-program. Recommendations for Practitioners: These findings illuminate considerations useful to graduate faculty and program administrators concerned about improving retention and completion. They can inform policies and practice for preventing and reducing graduate student dropout.

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Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Experience and Academic Programmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Faculty Teaching and Academic Advmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Satisfaction With Graduate Faculty Teaching and Academic Advmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Modeling American Graduate Students’ Perceptions Predicting Dropout Intentions

Hardré

Liao

Dorri

et al. 2019

IJDS

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Using data to make the case for program resources and sustainability: the BEST action inventory case study

et al. 2021

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Career development programs are a valuable part of any student’s experience, and increasingly is an expected part of graduate school training. While such programs are commonly available to undergraduates, there is a growing need for career support to be offered to graduate students. Making the case for resources can be a challenge in this domain, however. Research on the impact of career services for graduate students and post-doctoral scholars is a growing scholarly concern. However, there remains a need to better understand what level of intervention is most appropriate: What kind of activities, how much time, and what resources would best serve the professional development needs of graduate students and post-doctoral scholars? And to answer these questions, a more foundational one: what activities are drawing the attention of graduate students and post doctoral trainees, and in what activities are they spending their time? In this manuscript, we describe how Our University approached this research question by developing an online data tracking system to capture graduate and post-doctoral trainee participation in one co-curricular professional development program. We demonstrate how this data tracking system can be used to advocate for institutional resources in career development programming, for research, and for practical purposes such as advocating for institutional support and for program design and assessment.

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Doctoral researchers’ mental health and PhD training satisfaction during the German COVID-19 lockdown: results from an international research sample

Naumann

Matyjek

Bögl

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Academia has been facing a mental health crisis particularly affecting early career researchers (ECRs). Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic posed an unprecedented burden on the mental health of many individuals. Therefore, we cross-sectionally investigated how doctoral researchers (N = 222) evaluate their mental health status and satisfaction with their PhD training before and during the pandemic. As compared to self-reported, retrospective evaluations about the pre-pandemic state, we found decreased satisfaction with PhD training and overall well-being. The whole sample exhibited high levels of personal and work-related burnout, a fifth indicated clinically meaningful levels of depressive symptoms and almost 25% experienced severe loneliness. When exploring predictors of depression, anxiety, and burnout, we identified low satisfaction with PhD training as the most prominent predictor for poor mental health, suggesting a link between the doctoral work and their mental health status. Females vs. males and doctoral researchers in individual doctorate vs. structured PhD programs reported higher symptoms of burnout. Our study replicates previous findings of poor mental health in doctoral researchers and indicates further decreases of mental wellbeing under the influence of the pandemic. Systematic adjustments in academia are required to improve the mental health of ECRs.

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Graduate Student Perceptions and Experiences of Professional Development Activities

Cited by 19 publications

References 15 publications

Modeling American Graduate Students’ Perceptions Predicting Dropout Intentions

Modeling American Graduate Students’ Perceptions Predicting Dropout Intentions

Using data to make the case for program resources and sustainability: the BEST action inventory case study

Doctoral researchers’ mental health and PhD training satisfaction during the German COVID-19 lockdown: results from an international research sample

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