Urban and multicultural science teacher education research seeks to educate new science teachers to more fully understand ‘Science-for-all’ and prepare them to effectively navigate urban classrooms. Therefore, to successfully enhance ‘Science-for-all,’ there is a need to address what the labeling (i.e., categorical labeling and/or mislabeling) of students with disabilities means for science teacher education, its research and practice. Consequently, we need more research in this nascent field to ground this claim in evidence rather than speculation, especially as the disproportionality of students of color being placed in special education becomes more prevalent for all disciplines. This dissertation used a phenomenographic design to study a cohort of graduate students’ conceptualizations of disability and difference as they progressed through the only required diversity course in a science education program at a large, urban university in the American northeast. Twenty-two students within this ‘Science-for-all’ course participated in the study, with a subset of ten that opted into a more in-depth data collection. Data collection included in-depth interviews, a modified Pedagogy of Science Teaching Test (POSTT-DIS), and a Classroom Learning Environment Questionnaire, as well as bi-weekly course reflections and bi-weekly lessons created by the participants. Mixed-methods data analyses addressed to what extent these graduate students embraced a Disability Studies in Education perspective relative to disability and also whether the students developed a critical lens toward difference (i.e., expressed, imagined, and/or imposed variations in human behavior and potential). Further analyses explored to what extent these theoretical elements transferred into pragmatic applications by the participants, for example in their lesson planning, that addressed disability and difference to provide evidence of their capabilities to bridge theory to practice. Findings suggest that the course maintained the relatively static conceptualizations about disability held by the participants – the likely contributing factors are explored in more depth, including recommendations for improvement. The data also suggest that while students in this course were able to theorize critically about multicultural issues in urban science education, their capacities to reflect on their pedagogical decisions and plan comprehensive ‘Science-for-all’ classroom learning environments remained disciplinary focused. Thus, rather than emphasizing critical pedagogies that are pertinent for effective and transformative change in science education for diverse populations, the participants remained focused on narrowly defined, content-specific ways of teaching and learning science. Implications for this research include focusing on both the goals and implementations of courses such as this one, attending to the unique case of disability as outside the realm of conceptualizing difference, and attending to graduate students’ needs to help them bridge the divide between theory to practice.

Objective. To assess the impact of a graduate student mentoring program on student interest in research and postgraduate education and on graduate student confidence in mentoring. Methods. Undergraduate and pharmacy students (mentees) and graduate students (mentors) were matched and participated in the study, which required them to engage in at least 2 discussions regarding research and careers. Mentees completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions of research, postgraduate training plans, and perceptions about mentors. Mentors completed a pre- and post-assessment of their perceptions about themselves as mentors and their confidence in mentoring. Results. Although there were no significant differences among the mentees’ perceptions of research or the mentors’ confidence in mentoring, qualitative analysis indicated that the mentees’ perceptions of research improved and that the mentors believed their mentoring skills improved. Conclusions. Based on the results of the qualitative analysis, implementing a graduate student mentoring program may help improve students’ perceptions of research and graduate students’ confidence in mentoring, which could increase student interest in postgraduate education and prepare mentors for future leadership roles.

The purpose of this website study was to get feedback from recently admitted students to discover if the site was meeting their needs and expectations for information regarding the program and processes. Websites are often the first contact a student has with a university and, especially for those seeking a degree online, could potentially leave students with more questions than answers. After a thorough examination of the current website, an open-ended survey was created and distributed through SurveyMonkey in an attempt to gather information regarding the content and usability of the current site. Because of the responses, changes were made to the content and layout of the website including links to provide easy access to the application, tuition information, and academic calendar. Included in this paper is background information on websites and the department, as well as the purpose, results, list of improvements, and future planned phases. As a result of this study it was anticipated that issues would be brought to light and would lead the department to make effective changes that would improve the experiences of online students that rely on internet based resources for their information.

Abstract is available to download.

This research project was a quantitative survey study design to examine the attitudes of 49 Master of Social Work students attending California State University, San Bernardino. Recently, laws regarding same-sex marriage have been rapidly changing. As of this project completion, 37 states have legalized same-sex marriage. Therefore, now more than ever before, it is imperative that social work graduate students feel prepared to adequately provide services to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations. Additionally, and of primary concern to the researchers, this project sought to determine whether graduate students felt that they had received adequate training and education regarding LGBTQ service, health, youth, elderly, support of same-sex families, rights and discriminatory practice issues while in attendance at this college. Gay affirmative practice is something that should be provided the same as heterosexual service practices. Similar to previous studies, this study concluded that religion, political affiliation, age and sexual orientation contributed to how prepared an individual felt in providing services to the LGBTQ populations.

Graduate students are often exposed to many stressors during their rigorous academic programs which may impact their overall well-being. Researchers have long believed that self-compassion can be used as an emotion-regulated strategy to cope with stress. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between self-compassion levels and coping mechanisms for stress among graduate social work students. Data were collected from 97 graduate social work students in a Hispanic-serving university in Southern California (N =97). Using non-parametric techniques, the Kruskal-Wallis Test and the Mann-Whitney Test, this study analyzed the correlation between self-compassion and coping mechanisms for stress, while separately controlling for demographic variables. Results showed a statistically significant correlation between self-compassion level and coping mechanisms (p < .001). The magnitude of this correlation was strong (η2 = .18). Implications of these findings for social work practice were discussed.

Abstract not available

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

The graduate student experience varies for each individual. While some graduate students decide to continue school after being away from some time, others continue with their studies immediately following the completion of their Bachelor's degree. This decision to continue one's education can be difficult and may require further assistance from the student's peers, faculty members, and student services entities. While the undergraduate student transition has been studied extensively, the graduate student transition has not been studied in as much depth. It was the intent of the researchers conducting this study to research the graduate student experience as it pertains to the graduate student transition at Oregon State University. This research was conducted using a web-based survey which was sent to academic department heads with a letter of recommendation from the Dean of the Graduate School asking them to forward this survey onto their graduate student list-serves. The survey asked students a variety of questions about their overall experience, their relationship with their major professor, their satisfaction levels with services available to them, and also included a few open-ended questions that allowed students to expand on their comments. Approximately 12.6% of the students who received the survey responded and there was about a 5.8% response rate of the entire graduate student population. Although there was a wealth of information gained from the responses, no statistical analysis was conducted nor was a statistical significance determined. The results indicated that a majority of students in most cases were either satisfied or very satisfied with their experiences at Oregon State University. / Graduation date: 2004

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Baylor University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-100).