Thesis (Ph.D.)--Kent State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed March 3, 2010). Advisor: Martin Jencius. Keywords: Retention; Counselor Education; Phenomenology; Attrition; Doctoral Students. Includes bibliographical references (p. 168-174).

Though the pervasive rumor that the “traditional” dissertation persists because of the “I suffered, so they too should suffer” mentality — the professor revenge theory — students are often the ones eager to pin down writing genres so that they can master them. However, hopes to stabilize and thus capture the secret or equation of the dissertation genre are futile, since genres, like language, are alive: rhetorical, evolving, and flexible. Thus, to demonstrate the contemporary context of the dissertation genre, the conflicting perspectives of university stakeholders, the forces working on the genre to enact change, and the process by which genre knowledge develops and transfers in the highest levels of university writing, Mapping Dissertation Genre Ecology explores the discourse, both written and spoken, which constitutes the dissertation as a discursive construct — what I call the dissertation genre ecology. To better understand how dissertations are shaped institutionally, I ask the following questions: How is the dissertation as a genre constituted by various stakeholder groups at the university? How do these myriad accounts contribute to a larger system, a dissertation genre ecology at the university? And, ultimately, how does the dissertation genre ecology affect genre change? Through the use of rhetorical genre theory, my study develops a broad, interdisciplinary conception of genre, one that is not mired in formalistic worries about fixing genre in place. I use the voices of students and faculty from the humanities and social sciences as well as interdisciplinary documents as data for this project. By examining these discursive artifacts and making institutional tensions explicit, my project has broad implications for WAC/WID literature in transfer and genre studies.

Experimental research is a well known research method in biomedicine, technical and physical sciences. Different definitions of an experiment depend on the science where an experiment is used, on the goals of an experiment, how it is organized, etc. One of the urgent problems is the lack of information on planning an experimental research in education. The first part of the dissertation covers scientific research and document analysis that helps to emphasize the place of an experiment among other research methods, to present the variety of experiments, the phases of an experiment, to define the validity and reliability factors of an experiment, and to construct the model of planning of an experiment evaluating validity and reliability. The survey of dissertations defended in 1996-2005 showed that 30 percent of doctoral students use an experiment combining it with other research methods. An experiment is used in research by those doctoral students who come from education institutions preparing their specialists for education activities. Analysis showed that an experiment is often combined with other research results, most often with literature analysis, survey and monitoring. Survey with doctoral students in education showed that the attitude of doctoral students changes towards planning and implementation of research, and students are able to combine different research methods. However, experiment planning is confused with planning and implementation of research. Doctoral... [to full text] / Disertacijoje analizuojamas eksperimentas kaip tyrimo metodas. Pirmojoje dalyje pristatoma mokslinės literatūros ir dokumentų analizė, kurios pagalba išryškinta eksperimento kaip tyrimo metodo vieta kitų tyrimų atžvilgiu, pristatyta eksperimentų įvairovė, eksperimento planavimo etapai, išskirti eksperimento tinkamumo bei patikimumo faktoriai bei sukonstruotas modelis eksperimento planavimui, įvertinant tinkamumą bei patikimumą. Empirinėje dalyje disertacijų, apgintų 1996-2005 metais, analizė, tęstinė doktorantų apklausa bei interviu parodė, kad apie 30 proc. disertantų naudoja eksperimentą, derindami jį su kitais tyrimo metodais. Disertaciniuose darbuose eksperimentą dažniausiai taiko tų aukštųjų mokyklų, kurios rengia specialistus ugdomajai veiklai, doktorantai. Anketinės edukologijos doktorantų apklausos rezultatai rodo, kad studijų eigoje keičiasi doktorantų požiūris į tyrimo planavimą ir vykdymą, studentai geba derinti įvairius tyrimo metodus, ryškėja tendencija naudoti kokybinius tyrimo metodus. Tačiau eksperimento planavimas yra painiojamas su disertacinio tyrimo planavimu bei tyrimo vykdymu. Bandomąjį eksperimentą atlieka ne visi, kai kurie prieš eksperimento atlikimą organizuoja tik apklausas. Planuojant tyrimą dažnai nėra numatomi duomenų apdorojimo metodai. Atvejo analizė rodo, kad pagal sudarytą modelį atlikto tyrimo rezultatai yra patikimi ir tinkami apibendrinimui. Atliktas tyrimas rodo, kad sudarytas išorinio ir vidinio tinkamumo užtikrinimo modelis gali būti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2007. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 249-264). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-201).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2007. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 218-229).

The aim of this multiple and independent quantitative and qualitative methods study was to investigate the relevance of Facebook groups for doctoral students during their dissertation process. A convenience sampling approach was used to survey quantitatively the Texas A&M Ed.D. online doctoral students who met the inclusion criteria. The participants completed a valid, web-based survey using the Doctoral Student Connectedness Scale (DSCS, Terrell et al., 2009). Purposeful sampling was used to recruit a sub-sample of participants who subsequently responded to semi-structured interview questions via web conferencing. Quantitative data analysis involved descriptive statistics using SPSS for Mac. Content analysis of the qualitative data was performed using QSR NVivo 11 software. Ethnographic and Thematic analysis used Saldaña’s (2013) two-stage eclectic coding, where emergent themes helped explain the quantitative analysis results. These results revealed that student-to-student regular communications was the only DSCS indicator proven to be statistically/practically significant. While the quantitative results of this study were inconsistent with the results of previous studies, the qualitative data provided additional understanding of the indicators regarding the student-to-student connectedness factor and the CoP by offering their theoretical themes and their emerging themes described as alternate communications. These preferred forms of communication added perspective to low-quality relationships by further explaining that students abandoned the cohort Facebook group due to an institutional procedure designed to divide the cohort into smaller thematic groups. Because the success expressed by the doctoral student cohort group failed to be reproduced in the smaller thematic groups, it is recommended that newly structured thematic constructs incorporate the student input presented in this study.

Doctoral program attrition has consistently remained an issue in higher education with approximately fifty to sixty percent of doctoral students leaving their degree programs without earning the degree. Of particular concern is the disparity between Black graduate students’ attrition rates and their peers. Less than half of Black doctoral students earn their degree within ten years. To address this challenge, the study considers the variables that affect Black doctoral students’ programmatic experiences. Mentors have often been cited as primary agent of doctoral program achievement. As key conductors of the socialization process, they have the ability to affect students’ experiences within their doctoral program. Due to the gap in doctoral degree attainment for Black students, this study sought to understand what influence Black doctoral students perceived mentoring and race to have on their graduate program experience. This collective case study was conducted with 15 current and recently graduated Black doctoral students. Semi-structured interviews were employed to gain an understanding of their doctoral program life. Using socialization theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT) to understand students’ expectations of mentoring and the perceived effect mentoring had on their doctoral program experience. Many participants automatically viewed their research advisor as a mentor. Critical Race Theory was also utilized to explore how racialized experiences played a common role in their mentoring and program experiences. Findings of the study point to close connections that Black students hope to have with mentors in their doctoral program. Black students are looking for mentors to provide detailed guidance through the doctoral program and beyond. The ideal is to build trusting relationships that grow beyond the professional. This includes mentors who will take the time to know them as a whole person beyond their life as a student. Students placed significant value of their mentors for helping to develop their skills as researchers and providing connections to build their professional network. Additionally, the findings illustrate that race is a part of the doctoral program experience at all times. Mentors who can create an environment to listen and understand that experience can often help Black students remain resilient in completing their degree. With regard to racialized experiences, often faculty were the key antagonists in these moments. Students cited experiences with microaggressions, being given less opportunities than White peers and feeling personally violated. Key recommendations based on findings include, developing CRT informed training for graduate faculty as they are key drivers in creating the academic environment Black doctoral students experience, reexamination of how we discuss research advisors. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

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