What is Graduate School All About?

A Perspective from 1975

University of Texas at Austin

Austin– Capital of Texas

Armadillo WorldHeadquarters

Registration-- 1975

“…the not-so-secret secret of becoming an expert is deliberative practice– working hard at a task in a focused, deliberative, and reflective way.” Robert Sternberg, 2004, Psychology 101 ½

CourseworkTheoryResearch Methods/StatisticsContent CoursesColloquium

Theory

Research Methods/Statistics

Content Courses

Colloquium

TheoryAn ecological perspective on children, families, and communities.

Content—reading about developmentMore theory, Piaget, Piaget, Piaget….. A little Vygotsky, more Piaget, and AmericanPiagetians.

Methods & StatisticsCampbell & Stanley-The “Bible” of MethodsAnalysis of Variance,Multiple Regression

Transitioning from Student to Scientist

“….faculty members want to show you how to do research and scholarship. They want to prepare you for an academic or other research-oriented career. They know that no one is ever going to pay you to sit in a classroom, take notes, and score well on exams. They expect you to …draw your self-esteem not from being a student but from being a researcher and scholar.” Charles Lord, The compleat academic, 2004.

Research Tools

Research Abstracts

Reference Lists

Enduring research skillsFinding, Recording, Organizing, andCritiquing research literature

Document Tools

Data Analysis Tools

SPSS– 2nd edition, 1975

Qualitative Data Analysis--1980Qualitative data analysis was very uncommon in psychology programs in the 1970s.

Master Data Analysis Tools Practice data analysisRead the “results” sections of papersAsk to write the “results” sections of papersTake extra statistics/methods courses

Practice data analysis

Read the “results” sections of papers

Ask to write the “results” sections of papers

Take extra statistics/methods courses

1977– big eventsDeposited Masters’ thesis &

Learn to Write

#1 reason why most junior faculty struggle with writing.“They did not learn how to write with fluency and constancy in graduate school. Instead, most worked on proposals and dissertations erratically and painfully, often procrastinating their writing far longer than they imagined possible.”Robert Boice, Advice for new faculty members, 2000.

“You become an expert writer by writing a lot, and by working to improve you writing while you are doing it.” Robert Sternberg, 2004, Psychology 101 ½

Research Assistantship

Research Assistantship TasksData CollectionData ManagementSupervision of other studentsWorking in teamsWorkflow managementand Learning to think like a scientist

Teaching AssistantshipOOPS!!!Things I should have learned as a Teaching AssistantHow to manage a courseHow to compose and deliver a lectureHow to compose and deliver any presentationHow to gradeHow to foster a class discussionHow to manage studentsSelf-confidence in front of an audienceEtc, etc.

How to manage a course

How to compose and deliver a lecture

How to compose and deliver any presentation

How to grade

How to foster a class discussion

How to manage students

Self-confidence in front of an audience

Etc, etc.

“You become an expert teacher by teaching a lot, and by asking yourself how you can improve your teaching.” Robert Sternberg, 2004, Psychology 101 ½

My own research

Create your own learning opportunities.Audit a courseRead all the course readingsVolunteer to work on extra research projectsExplore faculty across campus

Professional MeetingsAmerican Psychological Association, New York City, 1980Why go to meetings:Meet other scientists & practitionersLearn about newest findingsMeet potential employersMeet other graduate studentsGo to fun cities!

Meet other scientists & practitioners

Learn about newest findings

Meet potential employers

Meet other graduate students

Go to fun cities!

“If you want to become an expert at whatever you do, work hard at it, and continually ask yourself how you can get better.” Robert Sternberg, 2004, Psychology 101 ½ .

Dissertation--1980