Moving toward stronger advising practices: How Black males’ experiences at HPWIs advance a more caring and wholeness-promoting framework for graduate advising

Abstract

Background: Graduate education provides students with specialized skills needed to advance science and discovery and prepares future educators and role models for future generations of learners. Given the importance of graduate education, the estimate that more than half of the students who begin it do not complete their degrees is troubling. Existing scholarship suggests that this substantial attrition from graduate school is in part due to inadequate advising. To address this concern, it is important to examine students’ experiences with graduate advising. Purpose: This article presents a new model—the Model of Wholeness in Graduate Advising (MWGA)—that characterizes a range of students’ advising experiences. In so doing, it encourages faculty to move toward a more caring and wholeness-promoting framework in graduate advising. Research Design: To better understand the complexities of graduate advising and the various types of experiences—and relationships—that students have, desire, expect, and need to thrive both professionally and personally, this study included interviews with 42 Black male graduate students attending historically and predominantly White institutions (HPWIs). Thematic analysis revealed that students’ advising experiences included aspects of “ethics of care” (or degrees of care: whole, partial, empty). Iterative analysis of data led to the creation of the practice-informing model: the Model of Wholeness in Graduate Advising (MWGA). Findings: Although some students described experiencing positive interactions and teachable moments with their advisors, others painted pictures of demoralizing encounters and public shaming practices. Still others described advising experiences they did not have but would want. Accounting for this range, the MWGA denotes an upwardly moving relationship between degrees of care (i.e., empty, partial, whole) and students’ perceptions of their advising experiences and relationships (i.e., weak, basic, strong) in part shaped by students’ expectations for their advising experiences and relationships, and their lived experiences. Conclusions and Recommendations: The findings from this study, represented in the MWGA, illustrate theoretical linkages between students’ expectations of advising, the levels of their advising experiences and relationships, and degrees of care demonstrated by their advisors. Most notably, more elements of care tend to result in better lived advising experiences and relationships. For current and future faculty, moving toward a more caring and wholeness-promoting framework might start with recognizing the needs of students as whole people. Creating more caring advising experiences and developing more caring relationships may better assist students in progressing through degree completion, and doing so more fully whole.

How a Principal Investigator Supervises a Student Research Group: An Autoethnographic Longitudinal Examination

“…Boikhutso and colleagues (2013) also reported factors that contribute to poor supervisory characteristics. As examples, the authors reported that students faced challenges in their groups when their PIs were not easily accessible for consultation, or were accessible but tended to offer unsupportive feedback, a finding also reported by Burt et al (2021), who described the complicated nature of research group experiences when the PI is also the students' advisor.…”

“…Small Group Research, 53(6), 855-890. https://doi.org/10.1177/10464964221097699. Burt, B. A., McCallum, C. M., Wallace, J. D., Roberson, J., Bonanno, A., & Boerman, E. (2021).…”

Engineer identity and degree completion intentions in doctoral study

“…A quality relationship with and ongoing access to a primary or research advisor strongly supports graduate degree persistence (Bégin & Gérard, 2013;Gittings et al, 2018;Main, 2018;NASEM, 2018). Advisors who provide graduate students with consistent and constructive guidance throughout the students' research experience generate a stronger, more successful advising relationship and independence for the student (Blume-Kohout, 2017;Burt et al, 2021;Kerr et al, 2018;Zhao et al, 2007). While the importance and influence of advisor relationships on degree completion are evident, the influence of and changes to advisor relationships have yet to lead to increased degree completion (Burt et al, 2021).…”

“…Advisors who provide graduate students with consistent and constructive guidance throughout the students' research experience generate a stronger, more successful advising relationship and independence for the student (Blume-Kohout, 2017;Burt et al, 2021;Kerr et al, 2018;Zhao et al, 2007). While the importance and influence of advisor relationships on degree completion are evident, the influence of and changes to advisor relationships have yet to lead to increased degree completion (Burt et al, 2021). The association between advisor relationship and degree completion intentions has yet to be quantitatively assessed in engineering graduate students.…”

Surviving or flourishing: how relationships with principal investigators influence science graduate students’ wellness

“…While rarely addressed directly, there is research that suggests that students’ relationships with faculty can influence how stress and mental health issues are managed. Positive interactions, emotional competency and demonstrations of care and concern from faculty are linked to graduate students’ satisfaction and sense of belonging in graduate school and can translate to their ability to manage their academic programs (Burt et al , 2021; O’Meara et al , 2013; Tenenbaum et al , 2001). Faculty support can enhance students’ confidence (Curtin et al , 2016; Griffin et al , 2020) and mitigate emotional stress.…”