enhanced synthesis paper

Introduction

The three main themes shared between the three articles are relationships, academic success and individual effort to highlight the manner through which transition is included during developmental awareness for doctoral learners. According to (Gardner,2009), the word success if widely used in higher education to refer to compound outcomes consisting of models with the aim of understanding how success can be achieved by students. (Baker & Pifer, 2011) suggest that during the critical stages of transition, students need the acquisition of new competencies and skills as well as the development of new relationships while at the same time modifying old or existing ones. In fact, most students tend to shave their identities before engaging in a new community or domain. In order to develop new relationships, they need to have individual effort to get new knowledge and develop the necessary skills required to socialize into a new domain such as the adoption of new norms, values as well as culture, relationships, academic success and individual effort are vital in developing a doctoral identity that enhances academic success among doctoral learners. Comment by Justina Kwapy: Thanks for your introduction. It was adequately developed from the outline. In the future, you don’t need to introduce the articles, rather just bring them in as needed in the narrative of the paper. You do need to add more context of the topic to the intro. Tell your reader what your paper will discuss – concisely and directly. Check out this site for some tips on writing a snappy intro:http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/introductions/

Success

Lacking a coherent perspective concerning being successful in doctoral education, student’s expected outcomes and measurements remain vague. There is a need to make the effort of understanding the concept of success due to higher education. A wide-ranging understanding about different dimensions is required to comprehend the conceptualization of success particularly for doctoral student (Gardner, 2009) is. A number of outcomes are explained through the concept of success consisting of academic achievement, retention, graduating or completing and professional socialization. In the course of doctoral education, learners are measured based to a number of outcomes, which are significant pointers for their success (Gardner, 2009). Academic achievement is expected to remain high for doctoral education, in this case, it becomes problematic to measure differences, even though several differences are normally considered and measured in those populations that are underrepresented in the community.

Through interviews, (Gardner, 2009) found out that competency is an essential quality within the professional realm and is widely mentioned and explained in various literature on doctoral education. As a burgeoning professional, doctoral students are expected to learn appropriate skills, habits of mind, knowledge and values. Also, (Gardner, 2009) established that other types of quantifiable measures like test scores, GPA scores, graduating and retention are significant pointers to academic or professional success. (Gardner, 2009) Comment by Justina Kwapy: Your theme is well developed with good support. Be sure to discuss as a collective theme – what do you now consider the main point(s) about the theme? How does the examination of this particular theme in the article connect the study under discussion to the larger picture/discussion of which this study is a part?

Relationships

In order to explore and understand connections within the realm of developmental relationships, identity and learning, there is the need of depending on various interdisciplinary frameworks. These types of frameworks integrate sociocultural perspectives and developmental network theory. Based on such reliance, (Baker & Pifer, 2011) we’re allowed to understand whether and how relationships of learners both internally and externally have an affect or influence towards the development of their individual professional identities. During the development or course of doctoral education students need to explore its social nature. (Baker & Pifer, 2011) suggested that three main themes linked to the role of relationships during the process of identity development including the readiness of academic practice are students’ identity development, general advice and support and academic practice identity development.

During the process of identity development and professional socialization students find that developing relationships with their academic leader or mentor is significant. In a study conducted by (Baker & Pifer, 2011) discovered that when students develop relationship with scholarly individuals, students are more likely to become more productive and committed to their research due to support offered to them. During the early stages of the process of socialization, (Baker & Pifer, 2011) found out that the doctoral students particularly of chemistry and history were more inclined to develop relationships with their peers and faculty. Students relied on guidance and collaboration Developing a relationship and building a rapport with the faculty became stronger while it lessened with peers.

Based on the study conducted by Baker & Pifer (2011) students that my lack supporting relationships, in the course of study the student may develop stress and fear amongst other learners who may already be dealing with a stressful process. The absence of a fellow student, faculty member or mentor for support may make the development process difficult for students due to unclear expectations. Also, the study had shown when some students think that they may not have received the same level of guidance and support as their peer, there is a high likelihood towards the development of resentment. (Baker & Pifer, 2011) suggested that students’ feelings are normally affected when there are differences in the level of support and guidance which also can the main source of tension. Comment by Justina Kwapy: There is more than one kind of relationship discussed in the articles and they are not valued equally. Here are some different sub-theme possibilities. You can pick a set, but do not combine them. I am going to challenge you to take it step further for your week seven paper.Formal Relationships & Informal Relationships. OR Positive Relationships & Negative Relationships.OR Personal Relationships & Professional Relationships. OR Mentorship, Peer Relationships, Family Relationships, Absence of RelationshipsOR Academic Relationships & Non-Academic Relationshipsetc… Could these be sub-themes choices for the main theme of Relationships? You want to talk about relationships and how they emerge in the articles. Peer relationships? Family relationships? Etc…Mentorship is one way relationships emerge. Is there enough evidence from the three articles to create a sub-theme? Do you see how I am synthesizing the evidence into ideas?

Individual Effort

Professional socialization is concerned with the individual effort of learning about a series of skills, expectations, performance demands, and behaviors linked with a specific profession. (Smith & Hatmaker, 2014) claimed that not only is it concerned with developing and learning individual identity but is also doing so based on one’s context of work including the expected outcomes. Strategies such as orientation sessions, mentoring, apprenticeships as well as training play a significant role in enhancing the process of socialization. All the preceding tactics are usually formal efforts enhanced by an organization with the aim of socializing new comers. (Smith & Hatmaker, 2014) suggested that they may be well thought out as institutionalized tactics since organizations tend to control or regulate involved mechanisms. Also, an enduring and relatively constellation of beliefs, motives, values, experiences and attributes to the student’s future professional identity.

However, this is based on individuals who play a professional role or who define themselves as professionals. Doctoral learners, (Smith & Hatmaker 2014) contend the process of socialization with the aim of becoming a self-governing researcher. Students are forced to transition towards the producer of knowledge by creating new and original research from the consumer of knowledge. For most students, this process is difficult and often frustrating, as the result the doctoral students will get their knowledge from the spheres of organizational literature and sociology. In addition, (Smith & Hatmaker 2014) found out that the transition of most doctoral learners was more inclined towards professional identity, particularly during mid-phases, which focused mainly on dissertation and candidacy. Comment by Justina Kwapy: Continue to work on synthesis. You will be expected, throughout your doctoral journey, to demonstrate and, indeed, to master synthesis.  I suggest you read more scholarly articles and not only refine your understanding of synthesis, but also practice writing toward mastering the skill.  These links may prove helpful: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/features/edu/Strategies-for-Synthesis-Writing.htmlhttps://www.temple.edu/writingctr/support-for-writers/documents/SynthesizingSources.pdf https://www.bgsu.edu/content/dam/BGSU/learning-commons/documents/writing/synthesis/asked-to-synthesize.pdf

Conclusion

An important caution needs to be made, the experience of doctoral education is never monolithic. Among different disciplines educational experience tend to vary because each of these disciplines have their individual cultures, qualities, values, codes of conducts as well as unique intellectual tasks, which eventually influence students, staff and faculty experiences. Therefore, it means that while such studies which have focused on undergraduate students’ experiences, success often transpire at the organizational level. Departments alongside their particular disciplines tend to become the main focal point of the doctoral students and their experiences instead of larger institutions. Comment by Justina Kwapy: Good conclusion. Remember to bring the purpose of your paper full circle for the reader: Tell your reader what each study discussed – concisely and directly; Re-introduce the reader to the subject under review. You must add support to grow the depth of the conversation. In addition, here is a great resource about conclusions: http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/

References

Baker & Pifer (2011). The role of relationships in the transition from doctoral student to independent scholar. Studies in Continuing Education Vol. 33, No. 1, March 2011, 517. Routledge Publishers.

Gardner (2009). Conceptualizing Success in Doctoral Education: Perspectives of Faculty in Seven Disciplines. The Review of Higher Education Spring 2009, Volume 32, No. 3, pp. 383–406.

Smith & Hatmaker (2014). Knowing, Doing, and Becoming: Professional Identity Construction among Public Affairs Doctoral Students. DOI: 10.1080/15236803.2014.12001807