The Dissertation Clinic: Supporting Doctoral Students’ Research Methods Training in an Online EdD Program

Authors

  • Carey Borkoski Johns Hopkins University
  • Camille Bryant Johns Hopkins University
  • Christine Eith Johns Hopkins University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2021.106

Keywords:

research methods, student anxiety, student attrition, dissertation clinic

Abstract

“The professional doctorate in education prepares educators for the application of appropriate and specific practices, the generation of new knowledge, and for the stewardship of the profession” (CPED, 2009). The Johns Hopkins University EdD attracts diverse learners with varying experiences with statistics and research methods. These experiences coupled with becoming doctoral students often contributes to high levels of reported anxiety and low confidence related to these topics. Evidence also suggests that this anxiety may contribute to higher rates of attrition in online doctoral programs. Understanding the importance and value of acknowledging our students’ needs, differences, and worries around methods and statistics and recognizing that intentionally working with students in these areas can mitigate this anxiety, the methods faculty in this EdD program set out to create a forum for students, faculty, and advisors to call on for matters related to methods, statistics, and data analysis. This essay offers a description of the Dissertation Clinic, implementation of the clinic and the services offered, as well as next steps and future considerations.

References

Blalock, H. M. (1987). Some general goals in teaching statistics. Teaching Sociology, 15(2), 164-172.

Christie, C. A., Inkelas, M. & Lemire, S. (2017). Improvement science in evaluation: Methods and uses. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate. (n.d.). The CPED framework. Retrieved from https://www.cpedinitiative.org/the-framework

DeVaney, T. A. (2010). Anxiety and attitude of graduate students in on-campus vs. online statistics courses. Journal of Statistics Education, 18(1), 1-15. DOI:10.1080/10691898.2010.11889472

Mawson, K., & Abbott, I. (2017). Supervising the professional doctoral student: Less process and progress, more peripheral participation and personal identity. Management in Education, 31(4), 187-193.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (1997). Writing a research proposal: The role of library anxiety, statistics anxiety, and composition anxiety. Library and Information Science Research, 19(1), 5-33.

Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Wilson, V. A. (2000, November). Statistics anxiety: Nature, etiology, antecedents, effects, and treatments: A comprehensive review of the literature. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Mid-South Educational Research Association, Lexington, KY.

Onwuegbuzie, A.J. & Wilson, V. A. (2003). Statistics anxiety: Nature, etiology, antecedents, effects, and treatments--a comprehensive review of the literature. Teaching in Higher Education, 8(2), 195-209. https://doi.org/10.1080/1356251032000052447

Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2004). Academic procrastination and statistics anxiety. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 29, 3-19.

Pan, W., & Tang, M. (2004). Examining the effectiveness of innovative instructional methods on reducing statistics anxiety for graduate students in the social sciences. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 31, 149-159.

Rachman, S. (1998). Anxiety. Psychology Press Ltd.

Rockinson-Szapkiw, A. J., Spaulding, L. S., & Spaulding, M. T. (2016). Identifying significant integration and institutional factors that predict online doctoral persistence. The Internet and Higher Education, 31, 101-112.

Schacht, S., & Stewart, B. J. (1990). What's funny about statistics? A technique for reducing student anxiety. Teaching Sociology, 18(1), 52-56.

Williams, A. S. (2013). Worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and statistics anxiety. Statistics Education Research Journal, 12(1).

Wilson, V. A., & Onwuegbuzie, A. J. (2001). Increasing and Decreasing Anxiety: A Study of Doctoral Students in Education Research Courses (ED459214). ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED459214

Zanakis, S. H. & Valenza, E. R. (1997). Student attitude and anxiety in business statistics. Journal of Education for Business, 73(1), 10-16.

Downloads

Published

2021-10-19

How to Cite

Borkoski, C., Bryant, C., & Eith, C. (2021). The Dissertation Clinic: Supporting Doctoral Students’ Research Methods Training in an Online EdD Program. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 6(4), 48–52. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2021.106

Issue

Section

Essays