Focus group discussions offer participants time to discuss particular topics. This article discusses some results of several graduate students' attempts to implement focus group research. After a brief review of literature reflecting the use of focus groups and recommendations for their use, the author reports their reactions and their…

M.Y. Math Project is a developmental mathematics program that is aimed at: (1) fostering fundamental and problem-solving skills in developmental mathematics students by helping them to learn when and how to create and use algorithms; and (2) providing on-the-job training for developmental mathematics instructors through an instructional framework…

Background: There exist a number of textual sources of advice concerning the provision of effective doctoral supervision. This academic material aimed at both supervisors and students makes assumptions both about the conduct of science and the contemporary nature of higher education as a setting for inducting students into the academy. Purpose:…

Musicians hold diverse opinions about the value of scientific inquiry in their field. Although some see music-making as a human behavior that can be studied from, say, a psychological perspective, others maintain that music's subjective and almost magical qualities defy scientific explanation. Even within the field of music education there seems…

The cultural landscape of graduate employee life in the research university faces significant change. Ten years ago just a handful of recognized graduate employee unions existed. Today, more than two dozen campuses have recognized unions and another two dozen or so are in the process of organizing graduate student employees. The extant literature…

Teaching and research don't have to battle each other for graduate students' attention. In an essay in Peter C. Herman's "Day Late, Dollar Short: The Next Generation and the New Academy", published in 2000, English professor Sharon O'Dair makes the connection between the current situation of English graduate students and the delusions of young…

This paper aims to encourage teachers in higher education to reflect on the criteria they apply when assessing students' academic writing. Grounding its arguments in readings of postgraduate students' texts, the paper identifies complexities that evaded the teachers' assessments. These complexities are made visible by the development of particular…

This article reports part of an Australian longitudinal study which examined the patterns evident in the relationships Ph.D. students and supervisors developed and the ways they worked together. The participants were 21 Ph.D. students and their main supervisors. Data were collected via interviews conducted between 1995 and 1998. Three interviews…

The doctorate in Fine Art has had a troubled history in the UK. Although there are growing numbers of doctorates being undertaken and over forty institutions which offer doctoral study, there is still little understanding of this research culture. There is a developing literature, but it remains curiously focused on research methods and protocols…

There is nothing like a campus environment to reinforce the concept of teamwork. Few on a campus can do their jobs alone. From the loftiest endowed chair holder, hefty salary in pocket, to the newest assistant professor, everyone makes a contribution, of sorts, and relies on others to reinforce that contribution. But in the campus world, the…

This study investigates how middle school students and teachers in preservice and master of arts classes analyze writing samples. Three sets of participants analyzed and scored a common set of writings. Findings indicate that several intact classroom groups of eighth-graders, preservice teachers, and veteran teachers in a graduate reading program…

Week after week, graduate students, adjunct instructors, and recently hired tenure-track professors recount harrowing stories of applicants who go in search of tenure-track jobs only to find themselves locked into a series of low-wage temporary positions. The tenacity of the job crisis means that it is time to rethink the nature of graduate…

In this brief paper, the author asserts that our nation would be well served if our elected officials made improving graduate education a high priority. At first glance, graduate education seems like an unlikely candidate for the legislative front burner. Surely, Americans are beset by far more critical issues, such as the war on terrorism,…

Recent research has shown that while tuition reimbursement is generally associated with employee retention, employees may be more inclined to switch jobs when they earn graduate degrees. This article investigates the relationship between employees currently receiving tuition reimbursement and intention to leave the organization. Analysis of survey…

Faculty learning communities have many attributes that can contribute to the successful preparation of graduate students as future faculty members. (Contains 1 table.)