Date of Award

1-1-2010

Document Type

Campus Access Dissertation

Department

Educational Studies

Sub-Department

Educational Psychology / Research

First Advisor

Margaret Gredler

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory study was twofold. One was to identify the entry-level goal commitment in STEM graduate students at the beginning of an academic year and identify change in commitment at the end of an academic year. The other was to identify factors and types of experiences and their impact on commitment in this context. Data came from a sample of 59 graduate students in three universities. Each student completed a self-report goal commitment instrument designed to identify levels of goal commitment for academic and professional goals at the beginning and end of an academic year. The researcher also conducted semi-structured interviews at the beginning and end of an academic year to assess each participant's knowledge, skills, abilities, and graduate school experiences.

Rights

© 2010, Melissa Dawn Hurst

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