scholarly journals Perceptions After Completing the Degree: A Qualitative Case Study of Select Higher Education Doctoral Graduates

10.28945/4572 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 305-327
Author(s):  
Meredith L Conrey ◽  
Gene Roberts, Jr. ◽  
Melissa R Fadler ◽  
Matias M Garza ◽  
Clifford V Johnson, Jr. ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Doctoral Degrees ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Professional Goals ◽  
Education Administrators

Aim/Purpose: Limited research exists on the perceived value that a doctoral degree has on higher education administrators’ goals; therefore, this collective case study had two purposes. The first was to assess qualitatively the perceptions of four doctorate-holding higher education administrators to explore the potential value associated with their degrees, and the second was to determine whether they perceived that their degree attainments influenced the achievement of their professional goals, if at all. Background: Understanding goal attainment and the value associated with obtaining a doctoral degree is important to recognize the needs of doctoral students and to inform how to support degree-seeking professionals in achieving their professional goals. Building upon the conceptual model of doctoral value, as defined by Bryan and Guccione (2018), the researchers also utilized Becker’s (1964) human capital theory as the framework for understanding the perceptions of select administrative professionals who have completed their doctoral degrees in higher education. Methodology: Because this was a collective case study, four doctorate-holding higher education administrators were selected, through convenience sampling, to engage in a formal semi-structured face-to-face interview. Interview responses were evaluated using ethnographic analysis (i.e., domain analysis, taxonomic analysis, and componential analysis). Contribution: Findings from this research can be used to better understand the perceptions of graduates who earned a doctoral degree in education, particularly with an increase in the number of doctoral degrees in that field. The results from this study align with findings from previous studies. Findings: The ethnographic analysis of the data indicated that the administrators perceived their doctoral degree as a way to advance professionally (e.g., career opportunities and research publication) and as a way to improve personally (e.g., increased confidence and becoming a role model). Two domains emerged: attainment of goals and perceptions of doctoral degree value. The taxonomic analysis revealed that the attainment of goals included personal and professional goals. Lastly, the componential analysis led to the discovery of nine attributes associated with obtaining a doctoral degree. Recommendations for Practitioners: Administrators in higher education degree programs should understand the needs of their students while they are participating in doctoral studies. By knowing what doctoral students expect to gain after obtaining a doctoral degree, doctoral-program administrators might consider tailoring courses and support programs to meet doctoral student needs. Recommendation for Researchers: Additional longitudinal studies should be undertaken to understand better how doctoral graduates view the value of their degree many years later. Do their perceptions change over time, or are they solidified? Impact on Society: With an increasing number of individuals obtaining doctoral degrees in higher education, departments, colleges, and universities need to understand whether graduates find that their degree has been useful. Because there is a demand for agencies to emphasize skills and work-related training, the perceived value of the degree can inform policymakers on changes in curriculum and programming to increase the perceived value of the doctoral degree. Future Research: Future research should expand upon the number of students who are interviewed, and students in other academic programs may be interviewed to understand similarities and differences. Longitudinal studies should be conducted to understand if the perception of degree value changes over time.

scholarly journals Fostering Motivation When Virtually Mentoring Online Doctoral Students

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Crissie Jameson ◽  
Kelly Torres
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Doctoral Degrees ◽  
Doctoral Study ◽  
Advanced Degrees ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
Internal Locus Of Control ◽  
Dissertation Process

Online learning in higher education has become commonplace as more working adults and nontraditional aged students return to pursue advanced degrees. Graduate education, specifically, has grown in recent years (Allen & Seaman, 2014), including doctoral degrees. Pursuing a doctoral degree requires writing a culminating paper (e.g., dissertation, doctoral study, capstone study). Writing and conducting such a study requires support and mentorship from faculty of the program. Establishing a positive relationship in which the student feels supported by the mentor is crucial to encourage dialogue and motivation throughout the process. In this case study, online doctoral students’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness were investigated, along with how these connections with their dissertation chair influenced students’ motivation to make progress. Results show that feelings of relatedness were crucial to the students’ motivation to continue in the doctoral study and dissertation process. Also, internal locus of control motivated students to complete their doctoral study and dissertation.

Grounded Globalism

2018 ◽  
pp. 233-250
Author(s):  
Paulo Zagalo-Melo ◽  
Charity Atteberry ◽  
Roch Turner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
New Mexico ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Rocky Mountain West ◽  
Four Year Institutions ◽  
Mountain West ◽  
Education Administrators

This chapter explores the internationalization of higher education at four-year institutions in the Rocky Mountain West (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico) through the lens of James Peacock's grounded globalism. As global forces increase and impose upon higher education, administrators and faculty must remain mindful of best practices in internationalizing curriculum. This chapter draws on surveys of senior international officers at four-year colleges in the Rocky Mountain West states. It examines existing literature to apply Peacock's concept of grounded globalism. The authors provide shared characteristics of states in the Rocky Mountain West to add context to the challenges and strengths of internationalization in this region. The authors provide recommendations for future research and best practices in internationalizing curriculum.

Communicating across the Generations

2020 ◽  
pp. 93-122
Author(s):  
Carolyn N. Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Communication Style ◽  
Mentoring Programs ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Career Expectations ◽  
Generational Groups ◽  
The Common ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
Generational Group

Today's workplace is composed of four generational groups of employees, each with varying degrees of technological expertise, career expectations, and professional experience. As such, higher education administrators need to identify differences among generations of workers and develop a strategic plan for managing and motivating across the generations. This case study addresses the following question: “How do higher education administrators lead and motivate multi-generational employees and online students?” An understanding of the common characteristics of each generational group is the first step for developing a strategy for motivating all employees and students in higher education. Communication, mentoring programs, training, respect, and opportunities for career advancement are components valued by all. It is important for higher education administrators to understand the values, work ethic, and communication style of the different generations. The implications for higher education administrators lie in establishing an organizational culture that promotes satisfaction for all individuals in the higher education setting.

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 Leading in Higher Education with Emotional Competence

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 116
Author(s):  
Osman Ferda Beytekin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Emotional Competence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
University Administrators ◽  
Emotional Competencies ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
One Step ◽  
Education Administrators

The aim of this interpretative study was to find out how higher education administrators thought about emotional competence and what emotional competence ideas and skills they thought were essential for success. Specifically, the aim of this study was to get a better understanding of how administrators in departments of higher education may use their emotional skills to their benefit in their professions. In-depth interviewing takes one step further by focusing in considerable detail on the life experiences and social behavior of selected individual respondents in qualitative research. An in-depth interview was conducted for this qualitative research with eight experienced heads of departments who shared their experiences for a number of reasons. In order to get meaning from the narratives, certain techniques and templates were used. Purposive sampling was used in the 2019-2020 academic year for eight heads of departments at a public university in Izmir, Turkey, with an emphasis on phenomena relevant to the topic and at least four years of administration experience in selecting criteria. The key insight from the study's findings is that participants interpreted emotional competence to entail the ability for university administrators to develop connections by generating trust in order to lead their department. Having an open mind, having an optimistic attitude, being respectful, being inclusive, listening actively were all regarded as key subthemes by higher education administrators. Longitudinal or mixed methods studies, as well as demographic variations in leaders' use of emotional competencies, might be explored in future research.

scholarly journals Toward Understanding Factors Salient to Doctoral Students’ Persistence: The Development and Preliminary Validation of the Doctoral Academic-Family Integration Inventory

10.28945/4248 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 237-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Rockinson-Szapkiw
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Expert Panel ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cronbach Alpha ◽  
Doctoral Persistence ◽  
Family Balance ◽  
Family Integration ◽  
Analyze Data

Aim/Purpose: Despite the literature documenting the importance of family in persistence, doctoral students’ Academic-Family integration has been relatively ignored. Thus, in this study, the construct of doctoral academic-family integration is defined, followed by the creation and validation an instrument. Background: The challenge of integrating the doctoral degree program and family is a central concern for doctoral students and higher education personnel. Setting up boundaries to achieve a satisfactory balance between academic and family life is an issue that affects a doctoral student’s decision to persist. Methodology: An expert panel and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze data from a sample of doctoral students to examine the validity of the Doctoral Academic-Family Integration Inventory (DAFII). Cronbach alpha coefficients were calculated to examine reliability. Contribution: While higher education institutions have made strides in work-family integration theory, research, and policy for their faculty and staff, the academic-family (AF) topic has not emerged as readily in policies and initiatives for doctoral students (Lester, 2013). The topic of AF balance of doctoral students, both in distance and residential programs, is understudied despite the fact that family is a consistent factor identified in doctoral persistence and attrition. Findings: An expert panel and PCA was used to analyze data, resulting in a 22 item valid Doctoral Academic-Family Integration Inventory with three components – Academic-Family Balance, Academic-Family Boundary Setting, and Academic-Family Interference. Cronbach alpha coefficients results demonstrate that the inventory has good reliability. Recommendations for Practitioners: Having the DAFII will likely prove to be of substantial utility to faculty and administrators in doctoral programs. The scale may be used as a formative assessment for doctoral students entering a program to provide information about academic-family boundaries and to address weaknesses in academic-family balance that could result in attrition. Recommendation for Researchers: This research provides a psychometrically sound instrument that can be used to advance the research on academic-family integration, a term that has not been previously defined and a topic that has been sorely understudied despite the fact that family is central to doctoral persistence. Researchers now have an instrument to examine this construct. Given the limited research on academic-family integration, the DAFII also provides a tool to extend research on persistence. Impact on Society: Understanding academic-family integration is vital as many doctoral students begin developing patterns for integration in their program that they carry into the workforce. Future Research: Further validation of the instrument can be pursued with doctoral students as well as graduate students in STEM and non-STEM fields, given the limited population sample used in this study. Future research is needed to examine how academic-family integration may vary within same-sex relationships and based on the doctoral student’s gender identity.

scholarly journals A Generalizable Framework for Multi-Scale Auditing of Digital Learning Provision in Higher Education

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Robert Peter-James Ross ◽  
Veronica Elizabeth Volz ◽  
Matthew K Lancaster ◽  
Aysha Divan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learning Analytics ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
Department Faculty ◽  
Digital Learning Resources ◽  
Individual Programme

It is increasingly important that higher education institutions can audit and evaluate the scope and efficacy of their digital learning resources across various scales. To-date there has been little effort to address this need for a validated, appropriate and simple to execute method that will facilitate such an audit; whether it be at the scale of an individual programme, department, faculty or institution. The data are of increasing value to ensure institutions maintain progress and equity in the student experience as well as for deployment and interpretation of learning analytics. This study presents a generalizable framework for auditing digital learning provision in higher education curricula. The framework is contextualized using a case study in which the audit is conducted across a single faculty in a research-intensive U.K. university. This work provides academics and higher education administrators with key principles and considerations as well as example aims and outcomes.

Perceptions of Higher Education Administrators regarding the Role of Club Sports in the Recruitment and Retention of Male Students

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony G. Weaver ◽  
Drew J. Forte ◽  
Cara W. McFadden
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Campus Recreation ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Club Sports ◽  
Potential Strategy ◽  
Education Administrators

A current challenge for higher education is the declining trend of men attending college. Because of this downward trend, universities are working hard to attract male students. Club sports are a potential strategy to help recruit and retain male students. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of higher education administrators concerning the role club sports play in recruiting and retaining male students. Using a case study approach, administrators at four North Carolina schools were interviewed. In addition, campus tours and club sports facilities were observed, and document analysis was conducted on admissions, campus recreation, and club sports brochures, pamphlets and webpages. Results indicated that club sports are used at each institution to recruit and retain male students at varying levels. Although challenges exist, administrators acknowledged the possibility for success with a specific male market interested in club sport.

scholarly journals The Emerging Role of Universities in Collective Impact Initiatives for Community Benefit

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Smith ◽  
Lynn Pelco ◽  
Alex Rooke
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Collective Impact ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Community Benefit ◽  
Education Administrators ◽  
Anchor Institution

Universities are increasing their efforts to more clearly demonstrate their social value. This article illustrates how higher education administrators can incorporate collective impact partnerships in their community benefit strategies. The article explores two of the more familiar paradigms for community benefit—community engagement and anchor institution. Collective impact principles and practices are then presented. Finally, a case study provides a tangible example of how one university’s role in a collective impact initiative transitioned in response to the community. We end the article with ten takeaways and an invitation for higher education administrators to identify their own learning and action steps that can help shift focus from proving to improving their institution’s value to the community.

Women Higher Education Administrators

2021 ◽  
pp. 36-54
Author(s):  
Tenisha L. Tevis ◽  
Meghan Pifer ◽  
Vicki L. Baker
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Women Leaders ◽  
Postsecondary Institutions ◽  
Education Administration ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Higher Education Administrators ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
The Social ◽  
Higher Education Leaders ◽  
Education Administrators

In the multiple crises of 2020, a common narrative emerged about the effectiveness of women leaders in responding at the local, national, and international levels. Their behaviors suggested a reliance on adaptation. As microcosms of the social structures in which they exist, postsecondary institutions are not exempt from the task of leadership through crises; however, little is known about women leaders in higher education administration in times of crisis. Though having the ability to adapt has shown to be paramount for organizational success and thriving, it is virtually unknown whether women higher education leaders take an adaptive approach during crises. Thus, the authors went beyond recent headlines to understand women higher education leaders in contexts riddled with crises. Findings provide illustrative evidence of the six tenets of adaptive leadership to inform practice and future research.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document