The formulaic styles of dissertation writing inherited from the sciences continue to influence dissertation writers in social sciences, and in particular TESOL and applied linguistics. Some scholars both within and outside the U.S. recommend that we expand the options for dissertation writers beyond these narrow conventions ([Eisner, 1997];…

This dissertation examines the impact mentoring relationships, between African American women doctoral students and faculty members, has on the students' professional identity development. Of particular interest is an examination of whether matched mentoring relationships between African American women doctoral students and African American female…

Purpose: The paper comprises an extended discussion of the possibilities that Web 2.0 applications offer to doctoral researchers, and where such applications fit in the early twenty-first century in the research environment. It explores the main issues associated with their use by doctoral researchers, and how these factors have influenced the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the attitudes of students following the completion of an online doctoral level multicultural diversity course at a university in the Midwestern USA based on Banks' transformative approach to learning in an effort to determine if the online environment could successfully intervene to change student…

Doctoral student attrition in the United States has reached alarming proportions, with reported rates of approximately 50% across disciplines (Nettles and Millett 2006). Attrition rates of underrepresented populations have been reported at higher rates across disciplines (Council of Graduate Schools 2004), pointing to a disparate experience for…

This volume builds on a relatively new but already rich line of research about education for the professoriate. Several of the authors have previously contributed to the growing body of evidence that shows that the intense formal and informal focus on learning to conduct research in doctoral programs leaves future faculty insufficiently prepared…

In recent years nontraditional professional doctoral programs have been on the rise. Fueled by the demand of the new "knowledge-based" economy, these doctoral programs are becoming increasingly important in training professionals to become experts in their fields. As such, data on the learning outcomes of nontraditional programs becomes…

This qualitative study explored how 17 lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) graduate students perceived their experiences in the graduate classroom. The study was conducted at a large graduate level institution in the Eastern United States and focused on the classroom experiences of the students, including what factors influenced their engagement with…

The focus of "Social Justice Issues and Racism in the College Classroom" is faculty and students of color at postsecondary institutions and the racial challenges they encounter in college classrooms. To achieve this aim, the book highlights the voices of various racial/ethnic groups of faculty and students, including international…

This descriptive study re-examines the graduate education of doctoral students in rhetoric and composition in light of the field's civic tradition. This project explores the current preparation of rhetoric and composition students in Ph.D. programs and then focuses primarily on how doctoral programs are preparing aspiring new faculty members to…

The purpose of this study is to understand how change takes place in schools of education by examining three institutions involved in the "Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate." More specifically, this study will investigate how schools of education and their academic departments adopt, adapt, or reject change efforts and how…

For nearly three decades, there has been a shortage of doctoral-trained faculty and researchers in physical therapy and currently only a small number of programs offer an advanced doctoral degree in the field. Little is known about factors related to program choice for students in these programs. This study examined the following research problem:…

In higher education, the dissertation is the traditional capstone experience through which the student presents research findings in support of a doctoral degree. This dissertation explores the non-traditional capstone experiences utilized in Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) programs at three highly-selective research universities. Higher-education…

The purpose of this study was to develop a theory for institutional change that explains the process and implementation of "Achievement-Centered Education" (ACE) from the faculty perspective. ACE is a new general education program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a public, doctoral/research-extensive institution. A constant…

This report is the culmination of a project carried out for the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in collaboration with the Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE). The main findings of this report are based on the outcomes…