The Relationship of Doctoral Student Involvement in Professional Activities and Their Time to Degree Attainment

Book excerpt: "This research investigated the possible relationships between various levels of involvement in professional organizations and Time to Degree (TTD) and time spent as All but Dissertation (ABD) for education/counseling related doctoral students. Various other actions were examined, including professional development activities, publishing, and grant writing. Interaction with peers, adviser(s), and committee members were explored for what role, if any, they play in the doctoral student's TTD and/or time spent as ABD. Survey questions were developed to measure variables in seven categories: Professional Organizations, Professional Development Activities, Publishing, Grant Writing, Doctoral Support Groups, Interaction with Adviser(s), and Interaction with Committee Members. Email addresses were collected from Colleges of Education on university web sites, educational research conference presenters and attendees, and the online AERA membership directory. In October 2006, an invitation to participate in the online survey was distributed to over 11,200 potential participants. After collecting responses for two weeks, the data was downloaded and analyzed. The initial data set consisted of 1,340 responses and this research focused on a sub-set of 723 individuals who possess a doctoral degree in the field of education or counseling. Various interactions with the adviser(s) and/or committee members appear to have the greatest impact on lessening both TTD and time spent as ABD. This includes meeting with the adviser(s) and committee members on a regular basis, and frequency of meeting with the adviser(s) and/or committee members. Communicating and sharing ideas regarding research with peers was also found to have a significant effect on completing the degree program in a timely manner. A few variables were found to lengthen the TTD and time spent as ABD; for example, serving on various sub-committees. Having an adviser or committee member leave the university was found to be detrimental to degree completion, as well as having to replace a committee member. In conclusion, it is essential to stay in contact with the adviser and committee members, especially during the dissertation phase of the program. There are many opportunities to become involved in professional activities, choose wisely where you spend your time and stay focused on the ultimate goal of completion."--Abstract.