Beyond Commencement: Supporting Scholarship for Doctoral Graduates
Abstract: Doctoral degree graduates influence and promote attention to societal issues through scholarship. Building scholarship is a personal investment for the doctoral degree graduate. The problem is doctoral degree graduates need support in determining habits of mind and experiences, which contribute to practicing and building scholarship. The goal of the study was to determine the behaviors, habits of mind, and personal and professional experiences, which lead to active scholarship. The theoretical framework includes social cognitive theory, mindset theory, and Boyer’s scholarship model. Research questions and hypothesis address personal and professional experience as well as cultivating behaviors and habits resulting in active scholarship. A mixed methods research approach using the explanatory sequential research design required application of the quantitative strand first to explore the frequency of scholar experiences. Examination of the quantitative data includes frequency of responses and integrating the qualitative responses to identify themes. The qualitative component explained and expounded the quantitative results with a comprehensive integrated analysis to answer the research questions. Data from the study was used to identify strategies for a scholar mindset and develop a model for active and engaged scholarship for doctoral degree graduates.
Presider: Imani Akin, University of Phoenix