Confronting Attribtion in Doctoral Student Education
This project explores a systems model of doctoral student development. The latter is viewed as a process (often over a period of 6-8 years) of the student acquiring the necessary intellectual, social and personal/psychological competencies. These are important in moving from the status of a novice to that of an emerging expert in a discipline. The route for that developmental journey is conceptualized as involving a gradual understanding of how things 'work' (a) in the students' chosen discipline, (b) in their respective academic department and institution and (c) in each individual student, as a complex system of systems - intellectual, emotional and physical. Thisresearch suggests the importance of (a) sustaining student motivation during the often 6-8 year period of study and (b) ensuring an early and successful acculturation into the academic department. (Reseracher: Elaine Parent, see The Academic Game: Psychological Strategies for Successfully Completing the Doctorate,.)