Review of Literature and Overview of Study

ABSTRACT

This thematic issue entitled, Kinesiology Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on Their Doctoral Training, presents a study with a four-phase design. The overall purpose of this study was to examine Kinesiology doctoral students’ (KDS) perspectives of their doctoral training, which was the fourth and final phase. In Phase 1, the researchers solicited input from a panel of Kinesiology sub-discipline experts to establish content validity related to inclusiveness and completeness of the survey items linked to each expert's sub-discipline. Panel members were on faculty at Doctoral Granting Institutions (DGI). Based on the panel member’s feedback, revisions were made on Golde and Dore’s Doctoral Student (DS) survey, which then became known as the KDS survey. In Phase 2, the authors established reliability of the KDS survey through application of Cronbach’s alpha and test–retest using KDS across sub-discipline areas. In Phase 3, we gathered names of DGI and their respective faculty to compile a list of past and current KDS. Additionally, several DS were recruited and/or volunteered to fill out this survey and their names were added to the list. Finally, during Phase 4, we collected data on KDS’ perspectives on their doctoral programs. Results from Phases 1 to 3 are outlined and the demographics of DS who participated in Phase 4 are included in this article. Lastly, a section outlining the content of the remaining six articles is presented. Specifically, these chapters focused on six main topics: (a) teaching, (b) research, (c) advisor, (d) departments and programs, (e) dissertation, and (f) careers of past DS. These topics are viewed through three perspectives: (a) status (past and current), (b) gender, and (c) sub-disciplines (social and behavioral sciences [SBS] research and health/hard sciences [HS] research). A final article with recommendations completes this thematic issue.

KEYWORDS:

• Higher education
• graduate study
• graduate students
• doctoral study
• perceptions