doctoral student research confidence & new faculty training

8/7/2019 Doctoral Student Research Confidence & New Faculty Training

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Carole Clark Papper Gregory Zobel Becky RicklyHofstra University Texas Tech University Texas Tech University

Conference on College Composition and Communication7 April 2011 Atlanta, Georgia


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2005 07 Surveys of grad programs requiredresearch methods classes in Tech Command Composition & Rhetoric

2007, 2009, 2010: Survey current PhD students andnew faculty (3 years or less in their firsttenure track job) to determinepreparedness and confidence

2011 Follow up interviews with current PhDstudents and new faculty in TC and C/R,resulting in a series of case studies


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Gregory Zobel, Texas Tech University

Mobile Site:

www.ccprrgz.com


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Initial Motivations forProject:

Grew Out of a ResearchCourseEvaluate Potential JobMarketUnderstand GraduateStudents ResearchAnxietyBlakeslee 2009;Rickly&Papper 2007

Current Goals &Desired Outcomes

Longitudinal Study onDoctoral Students

Provide RelevantInformation to DoctoralStudents, ProgramDirectors, and Faculty onDoctoral StudentsPerceptions

Gregory Zobel/ Texas Tech University/ www.ccprrgz.com


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Doctoral StudentsTechnicalCommunicationCompositionRhetoric

Accessing PopulationsL

istservsW PAATTW ; CPTSC; TechRhetEmail Forwards

Survey MonkeyFilter & Analyze Results

Retain Data forL ongitudinal AnalysisOngoing & Future

SPSS

NvivoFollow Up:CollaborationGrant W ritingPersonal L imitations



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Research Courses 2009-2010 2010-2011Overview of Research

Methods

73.1% 70.9%

Critical Methods (litcrit, rhetcrit)

42.9% 59.8%

Qualitative ResearchMethods

41.2% 45.7%

Quantitative ResearchMethods

19.3% 22.0%

Number of Respondents 119 127 Gregory Zobel/ Texas Tech University/ www.ccprrgz.com


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ResearchType 2009-2010 2010-2011Critical, Textual,

RhetoricalAnalysis

80.7% 84.0%

Interviews 80.7% 78.6%Case Study 63.9% 66.4%Ethnographic 60.5% 55.7%Empirical 48.7% 40.5%Number of Respondents 119 131



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2009-2010Total Research Confidence:

3.49117 Respondents

Total Research Confidenceby Field

Comp/Rhet: 3.5696 Respondents

TC: 3.1921 Respondents

2010-2011Total Research Confidence

Conduct: 3.63131 RespondentsAnalyze: 3.72

130 RespondentsRepresent: 3.62

129 Respondents

Research Confidence by FieldConduct: C/R 3.7; TC 3.26Analyze: C/R 3.81; TC 3.17Represent: C/R 3.7; TC 3.11



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CONFIDENCE 1 OR 2

W orked with Faculty:

35.5%In First Two Years of Program: 64 .7%Challenges:

1 Time

2 Funding3 Personal L imitations

17 Respondents at confidence of 1 or 2

CONFIDENCE 4 OR 5

W orked with Faculty:

61.4%In Third or Fourth Year of Program 65%Challenges:

1 Time

2 Funding3 Personal L imitations

60 Respondents at 4 or 5



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EXPERIENCEGAPNo Grant W riting Experience:

Academic Grant: 62.2%79/127 RespondentsNon-Academic Grant: 75.6%

90/119 Respondents

No Formal Academic GrantW riting Training

Before Current Program 83.9%104/124 Respondents

In Current Program 70.7%87/123 Respondents

CONFIDENCE GAPGrant Confidence Totals

Locate Grant: 2.63Apply for Grant: 2.88

W in Grant: 2.23122 Respondents

Confident Researchers (4 or5) Grant Confidence Scores

L ocate Grant: 2.88Apply for Grant: 3.23W in Grant: 2.48

52 Respondents



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Please email any suggestions or questions:[email protected]


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Carole Clark PapperHofstra UniversityCCCC 7 April 2011


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EARNED PHD IN

2003 12%

2004 26%2005 28%2006 34%

2007 11%2008 21%2009 42%2010 26%

TIME IN A TT PO SITION

3 yrs > 26%

2 yrs > 25%0 1 yr > 49%

3 yrs > 12%2 yrs > 33%0 1 yr > 55%

200770 res.

2010

76 res.


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# of grad courses t aken 2007response %

2010response %

zero 4 5

one 13 28

two 28 22

three 15 22four or more 40 26


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0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

overview

critical (lit, rhet)

qualitative

bibliography

discourse analysis

ethnography

quantitativefeminist

usability

TechComm field

other

20102007


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MA PROGRAM

Overview/intro to grad

studiesBibliography & libraryresearchL iterary criticism/analysisQualitative & ethnographicmethods

PHD PROGRAM

Qualitative & ethnographic

methodsQualitative & QuantitativemethodsMethods in CompositionResearch designFeminist methodsDiscourse analysisUsabilityStatistical analysis


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As a PhD student, I took one overview course onresearch methods. The course was valuable, but I

wished at the time, and still wish, it could have beenoffered twice, once in the first year to inform myreading during course work, and once in the thirdyear to inform my research design

I had to teach myself how to conduct anethnographic study for my dissertation work. I wason my own for most of that work


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intro to research methods in literature (M.A.); intro toeduc research--statistical methods (as M.S. ineducation student); Bibliographic research methodsas PhD student; two rhetorical criticism courses asPhD; a feminist pedagogies course that includedfeminist methodologies for education as PhD; allcourses proved valuable and have informed my

research--i've conducted discourseanalysis, qualitative and quantitative research. OtherMA courses also introduced me to ethnographicmethods and PAR, although the methods were NOTthe central goals of the courses


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a discourse analysis course that was goodexcept we only did a tiny project--mostly read

ABOUT discourse analysis methods anddiscussed them;I took a good usability method course inwhich we tested beta versions of a tutorialprogram for making web pages--very goodand helpful course that I use pieces of inteaching undergrad tech com.


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0 20 40 60 80 100

interviewscrit/rhet/txt analysis

case studyethnography

grounded theory

empiricalfocus group

usabilitycontent analysis

participatory actionexperi/ quasi experi

statisticalparticipatory design

contextual inquiryprotocol analysis

other

20102007


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W orking as a research assistant with a professor. I washands on in helping my chair complete multiple researchprojects

Planning and conducting my own dissertation research;being part of a research team/usability team while ingraduate school

Going to conferences, even when I didn't present, helpedme understand the methods of research acceptable in TC

W orking with faculty on projects. Also, my work withassessment as a faculty member prior to pursuing myPhD. Specifically, I was a part of several institutionalresearch projects which required survey design andinterpretation


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W here did you learn t he mos t abou t

conduc t ing, ana lyzin g, and represen t ingresearch?

Rankin g avg

2010 2007

In graduate research methods courses 3.6 2.8

Planning, researching, writing my dissertation 1.9 2.2

In graduate courses other than research methods 4.9 4.6

At conferences 5.3 5.0

By reading on my own 4.1 4.2

By doing projects at my current school 5.3 4.8

By talking to my colleagues 5.7 5.3

By participating as a research assistant 4.9 ---

By participating in a faculty member s research project 6.4 ---

other 2.7 2.3


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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Extremelyconfident

Somewhtconfident

Not veryconfident

Not at allcomfident

20072010


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No training. I can analyze it, but can tconduct it.I m hesitant about the quality of the methodsI developI think I ve had more experience than mostevery doctoral seminar and my dissReally shocked when I moved from socio-linguistics to find R/C so anti-research


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Statistical, empiricalW riting for publication, quantitative methods

How to acquire funding & manage timew/teaching & researchMore work with faculty research projectsfrom a number of areas & beyond discipline


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More experience in those messy stagesbetween data collection and final write-up.

How DOES research get from data to article?That still seems like a bit of luck andhappenstance to me

LOL


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Conducting the dissertation study and writing it upThe diss., of course

Definitely my dissertation ( I know, I am oldfashioned!). I had to do a prospectus, detail my fieldmethods, use a specific protocol (via codingsoftware), and ultimately come to an interpretation

based on thatDoing it! Honestly, writing my dissertation was worthmore than anything else that happened in graduateschool.


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Practical experience in doing research:I participated in that Teacher Inquiry Group where weended up conducting our own research. I also

developed my own international research project andhad to take it through IRB. But I still feel that I knowbetter how to plan and conduct than analyzeW orking with real research projects on a long termbasis. W orking with the W riting Project L ocal Sites

Research Initiative allowed me to see how a long-term(in this case, year-long) research project was carriedoutW orking with a professor on a research project


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Don t be satisfied with merely slot X in thecurriculum grid allotted to research methods;

dig for other ways and talk/Twitter-follow/network with/read folks who do othermethodsGet on a grant!

Take every course that s available; serve as aresearch assistantTake methods courses outside yourdepartment


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Do research a lot! Read everything!

Don t wait to be told how to do it; readextensively and practice


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Uh . . . the advice should go to thefolks running programs rather thanthe grad students.


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Rebecca Rickly || Texas Tech University || [email protected]

CCCC 2011


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Get on a grant

Do more real research in coursework (including submitting IRBs)

Try to do research with other students, faculty

Read everything you can

Take research course early . audit it at the end.

Network with other students, faculty, researchers

L earn to be Data-driven . Most decisions are made about data!

Find good models and imitate

Take as many RM courses as you can


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Hands-on MicrostudiesQualitative

Quantitative

Small, focused research studies (based onChristina Haas/ W riting Technology).Designed to fail, designed to learn, designedto get hands on experience.


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IRB and Human Subjects forms

Students complete these forms; Instructorgives feedback. Students who might possiblypresent/publish on results encouraged tosubmit.


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Replication Study

Find an exemplar study that can be re-designed to be completed in a new context.Pay attention to details that make studyrigorous and RAD .


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Directed Database StudyUsing Zotero, students tagged research articles

Created a searchable database of research articles

Issues with program/technology


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Real W orld ResearchApprentice with W PAs, Program Director, W C, etc.

Collaborate as a class on single research projectCollaborate with dissertation studentCollaborate with faculty member

FERPA issues, but excellent opportunity forhands on learning


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doctoral student research confidence & new faculty training

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