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The problem of this study was to analyze institutional cocurricular goals, objectives, programs, and activities and determine institutional cocurricular needs of international graduate students at North Texas State University. The purposes and objectives of this study were twofold: first, to explore the differences between perceived and desired institutional cocurricular goals, objectives, programs, and activities and, second, to analyze and interpret the data from two different positions, "perceived as existing" and "should be existing."

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Call number: LD2668 .T4 1978 J67 / Master of Science

published_or_final_version / abstract / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Previous research studies have demonstrated that international graduate students experience various challenges adapting to academic situations within a new university community. This thesis reports on an interview study with six international graduate students who use English as a second language studying Master’s degree at one Canadian university. This study addresses the academic assessment and evaluation experience of international graduate students in the following four aspects: (1) their enjoyable and challenging assessment practices; (2) understanding of assessment expectations; (3) reflections on previous educational experience; and (4) psychological and physical factors in relation to assessment and evaluation. The findings indicate that these students’ experiences of assessment and evaluation procedures are varied and the academic acculturation process towards assessment depends on different yet interrelated factors: English language competence, cultural and educational awareness, and assessment literacy. All six research participants adapted to the host academic assessment practices and procedures fairly well despite the fact that they were not familiar with the expectations and requirements regarding assessment and evaluation at the beginning of their studies. These students learned about the host academic culture regarding assessment and evaluation through their own examination failure, instructors’ feedback, and peers’ observation. The findings also indicate that international graduate students need more coordinated support from university supportive services and easier access to information about assessment and evaluation expectations and requirements. Implications of the findings for effective learning and positive academic experience for L2 international graduate students, faculty and supportive staff, and for future research are discussed. It is suggested to organize workshops and seminars devoted to assessment literacy for international and domestic graduate students, instructors and supporting staff in order to enhance learning experience and outcomes. / Thesis (Master, Education) -- Queen's University, 2012-10-09 17:43:27.833

Information technology is constantly changing, and if academic users are to make best use of these resources, they must sustain efficient information-seeking behaviour. This study explores the information-seeking behaviour of graduate students at Kuwait University, and investigates the factors influencing that behaviour. The population also includes faculty members engaged in teaching and supervising graduate students, and academic librarians. Adopting Wilson's information-seeking model (1999) as the theoretical framework, the study identifies factors influencing graduate students' information behaviour and formulates hypotheses that illustrate the relationship between the different variables. The use of this model provides useful insights into determinants of the information-seeking behaviour patterns of students in a multidisciplinary graduate context. The research uses a mixed method approach, comprising questionnaire survey, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Application of the Critical Incident Technique method provided in-depth data about the patterns of information-seeking behaviour of both graduate students and faculty members. Logistic regression revealed that significant factors related to library awareness, information literacy, organisational and environmental issues, source characteristics, and demographics act as determinants of the patterns of students' information-seeking behaviour. Uneasiness on the part of graduate students towards using the library and consulting its personnel reflects a broader negative perception of the role of the library in shaping students' information-searching patterns. The clearest finding that emerged from the analysis of the students' information literacy dimension was that the majority of graduate students still face difficulties in finding the appropriate information resources, particularly when using resources that need advanced search strategies. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed a heavy reliance on the information resources that require least effort (search engines, Internet websites, and personal contacts). Further, results revealed that graduate students are overwhelmed by an information overload, which leads them to become anxious about finding the appropriate information resources. Based on the results of the research, recommendations are made to further explore the information-seeking behaviour patterns of graduate students in order to enhance their information literacy skills. Improving information-seeking behaviour and enhancing the information literacy of students require interventions on various fronts: faculty members, academic librarians, the university administration, and graduate students themselves.

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is the development of a theoretical framework for a program of graduate education for the preparation of teachers and administrators in nursing education. The theoretical framework for the program was developed after extensive research of the literature concerning graduate education generally and nursing specifically. Additional data were obtained from four different questionnaires sent to the presidents, chairmen, and faculty of all Texas colleges with programs for an Associate Degree in Nursing as well as to 100 students and 100 graduates representing all Texas programs for the Associate Degree in Nursing. The purpose of the study was to review the history of nursing, its development as a profession, and its system of education, including past, present, and future trends in each category of education. This survey gave a perspective to the graduate program proposed in this study. hen all fifty-seven accredited graduate nursing programs in the United States were analyzed to determine the current nature of graduate education in nursing and innovations initiated by specific graduate programs, as substantiated by the literature. The data from the questionnaires sent to all the Texas programs for the Associate Degree in Nursing paralleled the developments and facts revealed in the literature. From all of this information, a theoretical framework for a graduate program in nursing was developed. A description of the program follows. A master's degree received from an accredited university is considered the acceptable minimum preparation for positions of faculty and administrators of basic educational programs in nursing. The following graduate curriculum was developed in order to strengthen this preparation. The student in the master's degree curriculum is provided with the opportunity to capitalize on past knowledge, skill, and education acquired in any setting and to build on this foundation. A research, teaching/administration, and advanced clinical nursing interdisciplinary core of nine credits is required in the program. Then, with the help of the faculty in considering the student's learning needs and career goals, a minimum of twenty-seven additional modular units are incorporated into the program. The student is then assisted by the faculty in determining program behavioral objectives and specific modular unit behavioral objectives. Evaluation of the student's work and progress and successful completion of the program will be based on the developed objectives. These are recorded on the student's transcript in lieu of grades. The minimum criterion of acceptable behavior is a satisfactory completion of the broad expected behaviors established for the graduate program. Implementation, accountability, and demonstration of these objectives are determined by each student as guided by the faculty. When the objectives have been met, the student is eligible for a Master of Arts or Master of Science Degree in Nursing Education. It is recommended that an experimental program be established to test the proposed graduate program and the postulates underlying it. In addition, it is recommended that the findings be analyzed in order to determine the adaptability and applicability of this program to other professional graduate educational programs.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe and analyze the mechanisms of social support for international students in Ph.D. programs during an academic transition. Purposive sampling was used to identify participants, two each from the People's Republic of China, India, and Africa. This study employed a phenomenological research method to explore the social support networks that these six students established, the nature of their interactions with the host culture and the effect of social support on academic success. Data collection methods included individual interviews with international students and two staff members from the Office of International Education, one focus group with students and observations in classroom or cultural setting.Three theoretical underpinnings guided this study: cultural dimensions theory (Hofstede, 2001), social capital theory (McClean, Schultz, & Steger, 2002) and the transition theory of Schlossberg, Waters and Goodman (1995). Participant narratives revealed that international students in Ph.D. programs gravitated toward co-nationals because of their common language and culture. Other international students served as an important mechanism of social support because they provided information on how to navigate the university system. Faculty advisors were supportive because they understood the needs of international students while providing opportunities for socialization away from the university setting. Relationships were not occurring with the host culture because cultural differences contributed to the nature of the interactions and there was a perceived lack of empathy from the host culture, both in and out of the classroom. Programs offered through the Office of International Education, including the English Language Program, conversation and friendship partner programs and academic success seminars helped contribute to academic success. This study raises questions such as to what universities can do to promote global awareness and how universities can foster relationships with the host culture.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Christy Craft / It is estimated that nearly twenty-five percent of graduate students experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, or seasonal affective disorder (Kernan, Bogart, & Wheat, 2011). Graduate students are defined as being unique, vulnerable, and at risk for experiencing a variety of challenges (Hyun, Quinn, Madon, & Lustig, 2006). Several of these challenges can result in high levels of stress (Oswalt & Riddock, 2007). Failing to cope with this stress can lead to increased stress levels, more severe mental health concerns or illness, and potentially dropping out (Hamaideh, 2011). Graduate students are not completing programs at the rate that they should, in fact attrition rates are estimated to be as high as fifty percent for some graduate programs (Kent, 2013). Understanding the effect mental health has on a student’s ability to persist through a graduate program is crucial to understanding the graduate student experience. It is suggested that higher education institutions begin to acknowledge the stress graduate students endure, the transitional struggles they encounter, and the barriers graduate students overcome to seek help. Based on the literature and personal experience, it is proposed that higher education institutions focus on preventative measures when combating the mental health challenges graduate students experience. This report provides a summary of the best strategies to consider when focusing on graduate student mental health. These strategies include the creation of an office devoted to providing graduate students with the support services they deserve.