Presents a study aimed at using qualitative research models to examine the nature and etiology of statistics anxiety among graduate students (N=21) from various non-statistical disciplines. Suggests that statistics anxiety occurs when an individual experiences anxiety as a result of encountering statistics in any form at any level. Contains 32…

Provides advice for graduate teaching assistants on how to organize the first meeting of a class and what to include so that they will be regarded as "real" teachers. Also provides a sample outline for a first class period. (SLD)

Existing literature suggests that graduate programs may not provide adequate training in working with suicidal clients. Study surveyed 238 pre-doctoral psychology interns and assessed the prevalence of clients engaging in suicidal behaviors and the amount of formal training in managing suicidal clients received. Findings suggest a continued need…

Developed and validated the Ideal Mentor Scale (IMS), a new measure designed to help graduate students consider the qualities they as individuals most value in a potential mentor. Found that two universal qualities were central to students' definitions of a mentor: communication skills and provision of feedback. Three individual differences…

Eight ways are suggested to prepare for graduate research: (1) assess professional experience; (2) understand the discipline; (3) review trends and priorities; (4) study requirements of positions; (5) identify mentors; (6) build a theoretical base; (7) practice good science; and (8) become a scholar. (SK)

Presents an account of some of the learning experiences of mature students in a Level 2 Diploma course in Person-Centered Counseling. Research stemmed from a desire to understand the student experience of becoming professional. Article discusses students' perceptions of training and the ways in which they evaluate their status as professionals.…

Responds to a theme issue, "Research for Doctoral Students in Education (vol.30, 5), " asserting that the continua presented in the articles fail to legitimize research done by school practitioners on site. Discusses issues related to differences in rigor, status, and purpose between practitioner and other research. Recommends that education…

Critiques Anderson's response to the theme issue, "Research for Doctoral Students in Education," asserting that questions he raises have few straightforward answers. Agrees that because efforts to study and improve educational practice too often impose abstract findings on school and teachers, it is important to develop a literature based in…

Interns support the use of transcription as a method for feedback during supervision. Thirty of 45 master's level interns who experienced supervision with transcripts returned a transcription survey and indicated positive outcomes for this type of supervision. Positive characteristics included efficiency, concreteness, and ease in analyzing and…

Uses John Searle's concept of "Background" to explore the acquisition of scholarly know-how, particularly as it relates to graduate students whose previous education impedes their epistemological access to scholarly practices. (EV)

Using personal experience as peer coordinators, discusses the advantages and challenges of this administrative structure, in which more-experienced teaching assistants serve as peer coordinators to faculty supervisors and aid in the administrative tasks of supervision, including observations and evaluations of teaching assistants. (EV)

Investigated the effectiveness of cooperative learning (CL) in a graduate-level research methodology course. Eighty-one students participated in the CL condition; 112 were in the individual learning condition. CL students had lower performance on the midterm examination, but no statistically significant difference was seen in performance on the…

Discusses how to prepare for written comprehensive examinations required in most doctoral programs and how to choose a dissertation topic and write the proposal. Cautions students to be careful to adhere to the specific requirements for the examination and proposal in their program. (JOW)

A scale assessing career expectations was completed by 920 master of business administration students. Expectations of prestige, interpersonal influence, and mobility did not differ by gender, nationality, or undergraduate background. High means for influence and career exploration suggest that many have not yet set occupational goals. (SK)

Presents six responses to an article in the same issue of this journal. Recommends closer contact between baccalaureate institutions and doctoral programs. Expresses a "hope for the new" in the form of more inventive candidates for assistant professorships. States that the conventional admissions process does not work as well for…