Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Education. / In recent years Universities have attempted to articulate the generic outcomes of the educational experiences they provide, beyond the content knowledge that is taught. In Australia these outcomes have come to be known as generic skills or generic graduate attributes, although they are also referred to by a range of other terms. Much like aspects of a mission statement, universities have claimed that these are the core outcomes of higher education at the particular institution and that every graduate of every degree will possess these. However there is considerable variability in what is claimed by different institutions, both in terms of which outcomes are included and the nature of these outcomes, ranging as they do from low level technical skills to complex personal attributes and values. As outcomes, this variability is magnified in the inconsistency with which such attributes are addressed in the curriculum and, where they are addressed, in the variety of pedagogical approaches employed. The observation of such variability was the starting point of this study. This research is broadly situated within the phenomenographic perspective on teaching and teaming (Marton & Booth 1997). In the investigation described in this thesis, phenomenographic analysis is used to identify and describe the qualitatively different ways inwhich a group of academics, from different disciplines, understand the teaching and learning of graduate attributes in the context of their own courses and teaching. Four qualitatively distinct conceptions of the nature of graduate attributes and their place amongst the outcomes of a university education are identified. These are related to six distinct understandings of the way in which students develop such attributes at university. The relationships between these two hierarchical aspects of academics' understandings of graduate attributes, (conceptions of what it is that is taught/learnt and conceptions of how it is taught/learnt) constitute seven logical and internally consistent understandings of the phenomenon. These seven understandings represent three broad approaches to the teaching and learning of graduate attributes. The conceptions identified in this analysis provide a way of making sense of the variety of policy statements and the range of curricula approaches reported in the literature. Moreover, these conceptions of graduate attributes provide a tool to support current attempts to implement systematic curriculum reform across a university.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the impact of departmental ethical climate (climate) and primary student-faculty relationship (support) on graduate student stress (stress). Participants included 231 full-time doctoral-level counseling and clinical psychology graduate students who were recruited via email. It was hypothesized that climate and support would predict stress, with each of these variables having an inverse relationship with stress. It was also predicted that support would moderate the relationship between climate and stress. A model was constructed representing these hypotheses and structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the data. Initial analyses indicated that the hypothesized model did not adequately represent the data; however, these analyses did render a reduced model that offered a better fit to the data. Analysis of the hypothesized model did not confirm the moderation effect of support. Analysis of the reduced model suggested that climate and support, together, accounted for a significant amount of variance (25%) in stress. Further examination indicated that, when considered individually, only the relationship between climate and stress was significant. The limitations and implications of these results are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to empirically investigate the impact of departmental ethical climate (climate) and primary student-faculty relationship (support) on graduate student stress (stress). Participants included 231 full-time doctoral-level counseling and clinical psychology graduate students who were recruited via email. It was hypothesized that climate and support would predict stress, with each of these variables having an inverse relationship with stress. It was also predicted that support would moderate the relationship between climate and stress. A model was constructed representing these hypotheses and structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the data. Initial analyses indicated that the hypothesized model did not adequately represent the data; however, these analyses did render a reduced model that offered a better fit to the data. Analysis of the hypothesized model did not confirm the moderation effect of support. Analysis of the reduced model suggested that climate and support, together, accounted for a significant amount of variance (25%) in stress. Further examination indicated that, when considered individually, only the relationship between climate and stress was significant. The limitations and implications of these results are discussed.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Dale W. Lick, Florida State University, College of Education, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 06, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Texas, Aug., 2009. / Title from title page display. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

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The number of international students in post-secondary institutions is growing, warranting an evaluation into how academic communities capitalize on the strengths and meet the needs of this unique student group. This qualitative study examined the experiences of international graduate students and the factors that influence their academic learning using a phenomenological approach. The goal of this study was to understand international student perceptions and how students draw meaning from their experiences. Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model was used to ascertain what types of skills international graduate students use to effectively navigate a new educational landscape. Findings from this study indicate that better marketing paired with adequate distribution of resources and supports would be more effective in helping students navigate academic learning environments. Some recommendations include: earmarking a specific number of jobs on campus, mandatory sessions on cultural adaptation, financial assistance, and funding opportunities.

Canadian engineering schools are required to follow an accreditation program as outlined by Engineers Canada. This program determines the qualifications of a graduating engineer through a series of graduate attributes. These attributes are an outline of the skills/abilities required in their educational programs. This study was developed in conjunction with Manitoba Hydro to determine an understanding of the knowledge gaps between a senior professional engineer and a newly graduated engineer. Training and engineering design knowledge transfer is a primary concern for this corporation. The research question focused on determining the activities of a senior and junior group of engineers and how these activities differed. The second question was on determining the skill/ability level of a new engineering graduate upon entering the workplace. This skill/ability level can be determined with respect to the graduate attributes. Data was collected using a mixed method approach. Interviews were conducted with a group of professional engineers and another group of engineers in training. Following the interview process two sets of questionnaires were completed by each group of participants. One questionnaire was based on engineering activities undertaken in the workplace. The second questionnaire was based on assessments of graduate attribute requirements and abilities for new graduates. The findings showed that engineering activities for these participants matched closely to information as reported in the literature. It was also determined that differences between the two groups in the study were due to the supervisory duties of the senior group and the technical nature of the junior groups responsibilities. Findings for the second question showed that engineers in the workplace are more critical of their skill/abilities that are newly graduated engineers. The study showed that this group of participants felt the level of knowledge for a newly graduated engineer was at an introductory level. They also indicated that generally this level was adequate for the responsibilities of the workplace. It was determined that the most important skill area was in the social aspects of the graduate attributes and this was the area of the greatest deficit in educational knowledge.