The purpose of this study was to appraise the quality and effectiveness of the master's degree program at Saint Francis College, Fort Wayne, Indiana.Data were obtained through the technique of survey research, employing a combination of the open form - closed form type of questionnaire which was devised by the investigator. Data were obtained from three separate population groups. Group A was comprised of those persons who earned the Master's Degree in Education from 1962 through 1972. Group B consisted of those persons enrolled in the program at the time this study was conducted. Samples were selected at random from Groups A and B. The entire population of the graduate faculty was utilized for purposes of this study.A pre-evaluation study was conducted to generate the contents of the questionnaire. Initially, broad questions designed to approach the evaluation from the viewpoint of present students, past students, as well as faculty members teaching at the graduate level were prepared for the prestudy. These questions were submitted to sample groups from each of the population groups. Persons participating in the pre-study were not utilized in the final study.Responses to the questions used in the pre-study helped to determine items used in the final form of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was field tested in order to eliminate any remaining ambiguities.The final form of the questionnaire was mailed with a cover letter of explanation to a random sample of 500 persons from Group A and 300 persons from Group B. All of the faculty population, a total of 45 persons received the questionnaire.Data received from the questionnaire were used to provide a detailed description of the respondents. Frequency tabulations and percentages were calculated for comparison purposes. A measure of central tendency, the mean, and the standard deviation were calculated for the responses. Rank orders were established for both the perceived importance of items and the perceived evaluation of the institution, Saint Francis College, used in the study. This allowed meaningful comparisons to be made.

There has been a significant increase in the numbers of students undertaking doctoral study over the last 20-30 years. This means that the PhD is no longer solely an elite degree designed to prepare graduates for an academic career. Instead, emphasis has increasingly been placed on the role of the PhD in producing 'advanced knowledge workers' who are expected to make a contribution to the production of knowledge in a knowledge-driven economy. This has led to an increased focus on the educational dimension of the PhD and the educational processes involved in developing students to become researchers in a range of contexts. However, the educational processes involved in the PhD are complex and differ across higher education systems, institutions and disciplines. They include formal and informal activities and involve a large number of actors with different expectations about the aims and outcomes. This study aims to gain an in-depth understanding of the educational processes of the PhD by exploring the complexity underlying these processes. The research was based on case studies in six departments. The case studies focused on the PhD processes of the six departments from three disciplines in four higher education institutions in England. Interviews with PhD Programme Directors, supervisors and students were complemented by analysis of institutional and departmental documents. The research was guided by a multi-level framework to examine the institutional, departmental, interpersonal and individual levels, and the inter-relatedness between levels. As such rich narratives provide insight into factors such as the PhD thesis and its influence on the supervisory relationship, formal initiatives such as assessment and coursework, and the Skills Training Programme and its underlying notion of employability. Three forms of complexity were identified. The first relates to the fact that the educational processes are individualistic in nature, and there is a need to understand the influences of the personal, social, educational and professional domains of the individual students and supervisors independently and collectively in shaping these complex processes. The second underlines the tensions and potential contradictions within and between actors as a result of the interpretation and implementation of these processes across the four levels. The third concerns a tension between the need for these processes to remain individualistic and the pressure for departments and institutions to provide standardised processes for all students. By identifying and gaining a greater understanding of these complexities, this research contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the educational processes of the PhD based on grounded empirical evidence. This understanding is important in developments for enhancing the quality of PhD education, and in developing programmes which support students to become researchers in a range of different employment contexts.

It has been taken for granted that being able to lecture presupposes being able to supervise research students, and completing a Master’s or doctoral degree successfully meant that an academic could assume the research supervisor role. However, findings on research into graduate students’ experiences of the research process indicate that in most cases, postgraduate students are dissatisfied with the guidance they receive from their supervisors. In an effort to contribute to finding ways and to continuing the debate on the improvement of postgraduate research supervision, in this study, I aimed to develop a framework that could be used to support postgraduate research supervisors within faculties. To achieve this aim, I conducted a literature review in order to understand what it means to supervise at postgraduate level effectively and also to identify existing support programmes for postgraduate research supervisors. I adopted a phenomenological research design within an interpretive tradition. The technique used to select the sample was purposeful criterion. The sample size was determined by means of data saturation. It consisted of four faculty postgraduate studies committee chairpersons, seven inexperienced and four experienced postgraduate research supervisors. Meetings and semi-structured interviews were employed to generate data. The findings revealed that attempts by faculties to support postgraduate research supervisors have not been systematically documented as they were done, to a large extent, informally. The size of the faculty, lack of resources, heavy workload and timing emerged as factors that impacted positively and/or negatively on the provision of support to postgraduate research supervisors within faculties. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews revealed that both the experienced and the inexperienced postgraduate research supervisors view good postgraduate research supervision as a relationship of human beings involving critical engagement between the postgraduate students and their supervisors. A need to mentor postgraduate research students was also highlighted. The findings also indicated that the participants viewed good postgraduate research supervision as a developmental process of co-learning and mutual growth culminating from joint effort by both the student and the research supervisor. Striking the balance between backing off and taking over was highlighted as important linked to the roles of the student and that of the supervisor in the research supervision process. The inexperienced and the experienced supervisors had mixed feelings about the usefulness of the existing support initiatives by faculties that they have been exposed to, citing the duration, the level at which some of them were pitched and the presentation styles of the facilitators as cause for concern. The support needs that were common to both the inexperienced and the experienced supervisors were designated mentors, manageable workload and time. The inexperienced postgraduate supervisors expressed the need for focussed support, briefing sessions, online resources for easy access, good timing, and an extended co-supervision period. The experienced supervisors expressed the need for support that will be at their level, group supervision, time and/or money to buy the time and better prepared postgraduate students. This study contributed the proposed framework informed by the integration of the insights from the literature on postgraduate research supervision, professional development and the findings from this study. The principles of the Transformative Learning Theory are appropriate to guide the implementation of the proposed framework in future applications.

This mixed method, grounded theory study aimed to explore access to Master's level study at Rhodes University, a small, traditional South African university established in 1904, over the ten year period 1999-2008. It also sought to capture the essence of 'postgraduate readiness': the generic (non-certificated) attributes which academics expect graduates to possess in order to undertake Master's degree study. While the majority of students enter Master's level via the formal route (which at Rhodes is an Honours or 4-year bachelor's degree), a significant number are admitted based on the recognition of prior learning (RPL), a practice which is encouraged in South African higher education national policy as a means of widening access and also of acknowledging that learning can take place in ways other than 'formally'. The findings show that while RPL is well defined nationally at the undergraduate level, the concept of RPL at the postgraduate level is vague and largely left to institutional discretion. No national, and few institutional, guidelines are available on which to base the assessment of potential Master's degree students who do not have Honours degrees. Interviews with Deans, supervisors and policy makers at Rhodes indicated that while there is institutional support for admitting alternative access candidates, there is a general perception of deficit compared to those entering the Master's with formal qualifications. However, the statistical findings showed no significant difference in success rates or time taken to completion between students with and without Honours degrees. In addition, comments from supervisors with extensive experience of alternative access students praised the diversity and rich life experience which such students brought to their studies and their peers. The study concludes that an institutional culture characterized by resistance to change, risk and externally imposed regulations at Rhodes has resulted in weak implementation of the University's RPL policy, little marketing or publicizing of alternative access routes to postgraduate study, and low numbers of RPL enrolments at the Master's level. A framework for the assessment of potential Master's candidates - both RPL and formal admissions - for use at Rhodes University and potentially also at other higher education institutions, is proposed in conclusion.

"The purpose of the study was to collect selected information about the individuals enrolled in two on-going Florida State University Home Economics Education Off-Campus Graduate Programs and to solicit suggestions for program improvement. In relation to this problem, the following questions were explored: 1. Why did the participants decide to enroll in the off-campus program? 2. What do they hope to gain from the off-campus program? 3. What suggestions for improvement can the participants offer? 4. What factors have caused the greatest difficulty to the participants in pursuing an advanced degree? 5. What are the characteristics of the 'typical' participant in the off-campus program?"--Introduction. / Typescript. / "August, 1975." / "Submitted to the Department of Home Economics Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Bonnie B. Greenwood, Professor directing paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48).

The rise in globalization coupled with the exponential growth in technology has placed greater emphasis on a skills-based economy. This in turn has increased the demand for a labor force with advanced post-baccalaureate education. In order to better devise strategies and/or enact laws to promote, support and enhance post-baccalaureate education, it is imperative to understand the forces that drive or hinder individuals’ post-baccalaureate aspirations. Using PowerStats, an on-line analytical tool made available from the National Center for Education Statistics, I use data from the 2008/12 Baccalaureate and Beyond Longitudinal Study to develop a linear probability model of graduate enrollment incorporating variables informed by the research on human, social, and cultural capital as well as habitus. The results indicate that GPA, type of undergraduate institution attended, and expectation of post-baccalaureate credentials are statistically significant and positively associated with Master’s degree enrollment three years after earning a Bachelor’s degree. Older students and those with higher incomes, meanwhile, were found to have statistically significantly lower probability of graduate enrollment. Many of the variables previously used by researchers as proxies for social and cultural capital did not have a statistically significant effect in this model specification. This finding suggests that these measures may have been confounded by acting through other variables (interdependencies) in the model. This underscores the difficulty in assigning appropriate, direct and independent measures that capture the intended underlying effects proposed in Bourdieu’s theories. Additional research is needed in this area to better understand the influences that different groups experience in their pursuit of post-baccalaureate education. This dissertation also examines the impact of business cycle fluctuations on graduate enrollment over a thirty-year period, encompassing three major economic downturns, using a fixed effects approach. Using IPEDS enrollment data and national unemployment rates as a proxy for the business cycle between 1988 and 2017, I find graduate enrollment to be counter cyclical. Additionally, the expansion of Grad PLUS loans eased the credit constraint on graduate borrowing and seems to have had a significant and positive effect on graduate enrollment, regardless of the business cycle. While the expansion of Grad PLUS loans had a positive effect overall, there are racial differences that could suggest other barriers or constraints to graduate enrollment for minority groups during economic downturns.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

The goal of this study was to explore factors that lead to engagement in the community affected by HIV and AIDS (CAHA). An additional goal of this study was to better understand the relationships between psychological sense of community (PSOC) and social identification (SI), and their connections to two classes of motivations: community concern motivations (CCM) and esteem enhancement motivations (EEM). These constructs predicted two types of engagement in CAHA: AIDS activism and intentions for future participation in community related activity. Analyses were conducted on existing data (Omoto, 2005). The results indicate that PSOC and SI should be considered as independent constructs that uniquely explain community engagement. CCM were found to mediate these relationships, potentially explaining their links.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The changing higher education environment in South Africa has led to a greater emphasis being placed on research production at universities. Currently Stellenbosch University is one of only a handful of strongly research intensive universities in South Africa. The Faculty of Military Science at the South African Military Academy functions (operates) within a partnership agreement between the Department of Defence and Stellenbosch University. The aim of officer education at SAMA is to imbue young officers with a knowledge framework and the attributes of a broad liberal education. As a full Faculty of the University it is incumbent upon personnel in the Faculty to engage in knowledge production and associated scholarly pursuits. This is critical for several reasons: Firstly, for the required intellectual development of each scholar, secondly so as to ensure high quality teaching, and thirdly for funding purposes which are essential for the effective functioning of all faculties. Research is furthermore absolutely indispensable with regards to its contribution to the international and national scientific reach and reputation of the Faculty. To date the Faculty of Military Science has been the lowest performing faculty of Stellenbosch University every year by some considerable margin. The main research question of this study seeks to identify and interpret the reasons for this. In so doing both a bibliometric study and a more qualitative study of the environmental factors between 1990 and 2009 have been conducted. In closing the predominant factors which either drive or inhibit research are identified and possible interventions are suggested. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die veranderende hoër onderwys omgewing in Suid-Afrika het tot 'n groter klem op navorsing produksie by universiteite gelei. Die Universiteit van Stellenbosch is tans een van slegs 'n handvol sterk navorsingsgeoriënteerde universiteite in Suid-Afrika. Die Fakulteit van Krygskunde by die Suid-Afrikaanse Militêre Akademie funksioneer binne die raamwerk van 'n vennootskapsooreenkoms tussen die Departement van Verdediging en die Universiteit van Stellenbosch. Die doel van offisiersopvoeding by die SAMA is om jong offisiere met 'n kennis raamwerk en die eienskappe van 'n breë liberale opvoeding toe te rus. As 'n volle Fakulteit van die Universiteit is dit die plig van die fakulteitspersoneel om betrokke te raak in kennisproduksie en verwante wetenskaplike aktiwiteite. Dit is vir 'n paar redes van kritieke belang. Eerstens, is dit nodig vir die intellektuele ontwikkeling van elke akademikus, tweedens verseker dit hoë gehalte-onderrig, en derdens word dit vereis vir befondsingsdoeleindes vir die effektiewe funksionering van alle fakulteite. Navorsing is ook absoluut onontbeerlik vir die nasionale en internasionale wetenskaplike omvang en reputasie van die Fakulteit. Die Fakulteit Krygskunde was tot op hede die laagspresterende fakulteit van die Universiteit Stellenbosch en die agterstand vergroot elke jaar met 'n aansienlike marge. Die sleutel navorsingsvraag van hierdie studie poog om te redes hiervoor vas te stel en te verduidelik. Gevolglik is beide ‘n bibliometriese en ’n kwalitatiewe studie van die faktore wat kennisproduksie in die Fakulteit tussen 1990 en 2009 beinvloed het, gedoen. Ter afsluiting is die oorheersende faktore wat navorsingsbestuur inhibeer geïdentifiseer en moontlike intervensies is voorgestel.

楊希. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 155-169). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in Chinese and English. / Yang xi.