Writing your doctoral dissertation - part 31 pot

Many, but not all, changed their minds in the process: Group 1 identifies those whose views were unchanged; Group 2 expanded their view, including a combination of both hoop jumping and

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Appendix A

With time, these motivations and expectations frequently changed For example, those identified in Groups 1–3 all entered with a similar expectation

—that there were extrinsic rewards which would be accomplished by jumping through hoops Many, but not all, changed their minds in the process: Group

1 identifies those whose views were unchanged; Group 2 expanded their view, including a combination of both hoop jumping and personal enrichment; Group 3, on the other hand, placed most of their focus ultimately

on their personal enrichment, having changed their minds totally about the experience

We see similar changes in the other two initial stances Groups 4–6 all entered with intrinsic expectations, seeking to do the dissertation for themselves, to enhance their minds With time, some of their views changed Group 4 remained the same Group 5 later came to believe the process was merely one of jumping through hoops, and not the intellectual journey they expected Others (Group 6) expanded their concept, incorporating a combination of personal fulfillment along with jumping through hoops Groups 7–9 started with the expectation that the dissertation would require

a combination of some hoop jumping along with some personally fulfilling experiences Some continued to hold that view through the process Others, however, became convinced that the process was mainly focused on the hoop jumping, while others still were totally immersed in enriching their minds

Table A.1 Doctoral students’ experiences: expectations and realizations

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Appendix A

was exclusively a professional requirement, a set of hoops needing to be jumped For some these are mutually exclusive perceptions, while, for the large majority, the combination seems to represent their reality

While I did not initially attempt to distinguish between recent and more established recipients of the degree, as I conducted one of the roundtable discussions, I noticed a distinct difference between these two groups Those early in the process seem almost clueless as to what the writing of a dissertation entails—comparing it to a long paper—while those who are in the process of writing the proposal or the dissertation seem most articulate in their expression of negative feelings These are somewhat counterbalanced

by those for whom at least four years have elapsed since graduation The comments from this latter group were much more universally positive, recognizing that in the process of completing their programs, they became more confident learners with new perspectives on their worlds

Implications

Doctoral programs need to understand the confusions of their students, and help students to understand the “method in the madness.” This would reduce the drop-out rate Another issue is aligning programs with participants’ needs and expectations, or perhaps selecting students for programs with similar values and expectations If we want to help students complete the programs they are enrolled in, we need to create structures which will help this to happen

There was a general feeling of appreciation among respondents at being asked about their feelings Participants were happy to know someone cared about and valued their feelings Remarkably perhaps, their experiences still resonated with them—as if the experience was a recent one—despite the fact that some had graduated more than twenty-five years ago As responsible educators, I think we need to consider these data as suggestive of some issues

to discuss in our home settings—and perhaps on a broader scale—to open up the discussion of what the degree is intended to accomplish I look forward

to participating in such discussions

Notes

1 Based on a paper originally presented at the Eastern Educational Research Association, February, 1997, Hilton Head Island, SC.

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Appendix B

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