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Experiences and career pathways of PhD graduates of Educational Studies

Experiences and career pathways of PhD graduates of Educational Studies. Judith Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon University of British Columbia Preparing for academic practice: disciplinary perspectives St Anne’s College, Oxford University April 08 & 09, 2008. Motivations for the study. An odd bunch:

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Experiences and career pathways of PhD graduates of Educational Studies

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  1. Experiences and career pathways of PhD graduates of Educational Studies Judith Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon University of British Columbia Preparing for academic practice: disciplinary perspectives St Anne’s College, Oxford University April 08 & 09, 2008

  2. Motivations for the study • An odd bunch: • PhDs in general • Academia, Society, Economy • Declining opportunities in the academy Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  3. Aims • To understand more about UBC’s Ed. Studies’ PhD graduates • To explore how our graduates have experienced the PhD programme • To offer understandings of the process of becoming a scholar Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  4. Research Design • Survey Method • Demographic information • Experiences in the programme & careers • Multi-choice, yes/no, open-ended • 48 responses out of 100 workable emails Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  5. The context: Educational Studies, UBC • 1994-present • First grads in 1996 • Interdisciplinary • 12 student admission • Approx. 120 grads Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  6. Overview of Analysis I. Descriptive analysis of graduates II. The role of capitals III. Becoming an academic Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  7. Part 1: Descriptive analysis • To describe the demographic information • To outline student characteristics and careers • To compare career outcomes Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  8. Demographic Characteristics Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  9. Gender and Income Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  10. Career breakdown Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  11. Part 2: Analysis by Capital • To reveal the role of the capital in the process of graduate studies. • Social • Economic • Cultural/Human capital • To explore what is brought, what is acquired, and what is worth something. Specifically in the analysis of becoming an academic (tenure-track) • To compare three groups of graduates (T, NT, NA) in relation to their relative possession of various capitals Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  12. Social capital • Examine existingsocial support groups • Explore social network formation during the programme • Analyze career outcomes • Use of ‘decisiontree-modeling and open-ended data Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  13. Existing social capital Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  14. Social K acquisition • Relationship with supervisor: • Wrote letters of recommendation (76%) • Informed you of job leads (31%) • Networking opportunities (31%) Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  15. Social K and career outcomes? Supervisor wrote letters Min 5 objects Has committee problems (Ranking 1-4) ≤ 1 >1 Works in Post-secondary YES (17, 1) YES NO NO (5, 1) YES (9, 2) Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  16. Economic capital • Explore family support • Examine institutional support in relation to academic achievement and outcomes • Use tree-modeling Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  17. Brought, Acquired & Perceived • Brought • Financial support from family (32%) • Acquired • Outside employment (55%) • TA, RA, Scholarship (50-52%) • No financial support (16%) • Perceived • Inadequate (34%) Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  18. Received scholarship(s) (5 objects) < 3 years to candidacy? NO YES YES (37, 15) NO (7, 1) Economic K &Academic achievement? Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  19. Cultural/ Human capitals • To explore self-evaluation of skills acquired through the degree programme • Use tree-modeling & open-ended questions Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  20. Teaching skills improved A lot/Somewhat (YES/NO) GENDER Female Male Canadian Born? YES (13/1) NO YES YES (21, 5) NO (8) Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  21. Self-discipline improved: A lot/somewhat (YES/NO) Motivation improved (A lot/somewhat) YES NO Income bracket YES (29) ≤ $70,000 >$80,000 NO (9) YES (5/2) Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  22. The role of K in the three career pathways Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  23. Comparative Stats Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  24. Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  25. Job & award of scholarship Financial support: scholarship No response 12.5 No Yes 10.0 Count 7.5 5.0 2.5 0.0 Tenuretrack Postsec Nontenure Nonpostsecondary Position Econ K – Scholarships Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  26. Job & Perceived adequacy of funding Adequate funding? 15 No Response No Yes 10 Count 5 0 Tenuretrack Postsec Nontenure Non-postsecondary Position Econ K – Perceived funding Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  27. Economic K – Debt accrual Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  28. Cultural K – Skills • Writing skills • Reading skills • Teaching skills • Research skills Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  29. Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  30. Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  31. Job & dissemination of dissertation Dissertation: journal articles? 20 No response No Yes 15 Count 10 5 0 Tenure track Postsec Nontenure Nonpostsecondary Position Cultural K - Credentials Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  32. Job & Dissertation dissemination Dissertation: Disseminated to 15 community No response No Yes 10 Count 5 0 Tenuretrack Postsec Nontenure Nonpostsecondary Position Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  33. Cultural K - Value Job type & doing PhD again Would you do a PhD 20 again? Possibly Not Probably Definitely 15 Count 10 5 0 Nontenure N onpostsecondary Tenuretrack P ostsec Position Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  34. Income & job type Position Tenuretrack Postsec Nontenure 6 Nonpostsecondary Count 4 2 0 $31 - 40K $41 - 50K $51 - 60K 61 - 70K $71 - 80K $81 - 90K <$91K >$30K $ Income bracket Conversion of capital Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  35. Part III. Analysis: becoming a scholar • To explore experiences of being a PhD student and socialisation into becoming an independent and autonomous scholar Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  36. Creating the autonomous scholar • PhD student ‘habitus’ • Independent and autonomous scholar • Freedom & reason • British Psychological Association Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  37. Disciplining the individual • Learning to take responsibility • Regulated academic subjects • Discipline, motivation & determination Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  38. Discipline as a moral quality “I'm unable to quit something once I've started” “I like to finish things” “I don't like to quit anything.” “I complete what I start! It was a matter of personal pride and felt like what I was meant to be doing.” “A personal commitment to finish what I started.” “I’M NOT A QUITTER!” Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  39. Not like the others… “I didn't ever seriously consider dropping out. I'm not a quitter. Anyway, it was fine. Besides, if I didn't complete, I'd be like all the others who've dropped out, mourning, rationalizing, or acting defensively about it not 'being worth their time’.” “I DID IT!” Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  40. Discipline & passion Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  41. Conclusions & Contributions • Resembles national study—further contribution • Role of capitals plays in entering into a graduate programme, acquiring further capitals and subsequently becoming an academic • Reveals the experiences of the ‘scholar in the making’ who becomes a disciplined, autonomous individual who can work through their passion and pressure Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

  42. Thank you! • QUESTIONS? Contact info: Jude Walker: judekiwi@yahoo.com Ee-Seul Yoon: eeseul@gmail.com Jude Walker & Ee-Seul Yoon

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