Making it Work
While doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them. Previous research has explored reasons for attrition, but little research has examined persistence, and none have looked at persist...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Indiana University School of Social Work
2020-04-01
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| Series: | Advances in Social Work |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/view/23220 |
| _version_ | 1818427436455428096 |
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| author | Rebecca G. Mirick Stephanie P. Wladkowski |
| author_facet | Rebecca G. Mirick Stephanie P. Wladkowski |
| author_sort | Rebecca G. Mirick |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them. Previous research has explored reasons for attrition, but little research has examined persistence, and none have looked at persistence for women during and after pregnancy. This qualitative study explored female doctoral students and graduates’ (n=28) attributions of persistence to completion in their professional healthcare doctoral programs (57% social work) after a pregnancy and/or birth. Two primary themes emerged from this study. First, women attributed their persistence in the program to internal resources such as determination, organization, discipline, and the ability to assess needs and shift resources, schedules, plans, or expectations to meet those needs. Second, some women attributed their ability to persist in their program to good luck, in terms of fertility, pregnancy timing, expectations of the student, and family friendly advisors and programs. Dissertation chairs and advisors can use these findings to more effectively support pregnant and parenting students, including helping them build important skills and reflect on implicit messages about caregiving women who are doctoral students. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:45:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e7e0ab040bc4d719ae752f8b147dceb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1527-8565 2331-4125 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T14:45:42Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | Indiana University School of Social Work |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Social Work |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e7e0ab040bc4d719ae752f8b147dceb2022-12-21T22:57:16ZengIndiana University School of Social WorkAdvances in Social Work1527-85652331-41252020-04-0119234936810.18060/232204198Making it WorkRebecca G. Mirick0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5191-6874Stephanie P. WladkowskiSalem State University School of Social WorkWhile doctoral education is growing in the United States, attrition from doctoral programs is high; 40-60% of students who begin doctoral programs do not complete them. Previous research has explored reasons for attrition, but little research has examined persistence, and none have looked at persistence for women during and after pregnancy. This qualitative study explored female doctoral students and graduates’ (n=28) attributions of persistence to completion in their professional healthcare doctoral programs (57% social work) after a pregnancy and/or birth. Two primary themes emerged from this study. First, women attributed their persistence in the program to internal resources such as determination, organization, discipline, and the ability to assess needs and shift resources, schedules, plans, or expectations to meet those needs. Second, some women attributed their ability to persist in their program to good luck, in terms of fertility, pregnancy timing, expectations of the student, and family friendly advisors and programs. Dissertation chairs and advisors can use these findings to more effectively support pregnant and parenting students, including helping them build important skills and reflect on implicit messages about caregiving women who are doctoral students.http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/view/23220pregnancydoctoral educationstudent parentspersistenceattribution theory |
| spellingShingle | Rebecca G. Mirick Stephanie P. Wladkowski Making it Work Advances in Social Work pregnancy doctoral education student parents persistence attribution theory |
| title | Making it Work |
| title_full | Making it Work |
| title_fullStr | Making it Work |
| title_full_unstemmed | Making it Work |
| title_short | Making it Work |
| title_sort | making it work |
| topic | pregnancy doctoral education student parents persistence attribution theory |
| url | http://journals.iupui.edu/index.php/advancesinsocialwork/article/view/23220 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rebeccagmirick makingitwork AT stephaniepwladkowski makingitwork |