The contribution of advisor behaviours to measures of graduate student success and satisfaction

摘要

This dissertation is composed of two studies on the topic of advisor behaviours and the advisor-student relationship. The first study was an exploratory survey, focusing on faculty and graduate student perceptions of characteristics of good advisors, and student ratings of their advisors on these characteristics. An eight-factor structure derived from the perception ratings was similar to existing models of advising that have been put forth, but differed from a six-factor structure that resulted from analyses of student ratings of their advisors' actual behaviours: Approximately 80% of the variance of students' ratings of overall satisfaction with their advisor could be accounted for by five of these six factors.;The second study was a national survey of graduate students that focused on student perceptions of advisor behaviours, and the relationship between these behaviours and student success in graduate school. A six-factor structure of advising behaviours similar to that of the first study was found and these factors accounted for approximately 85% of the variance in students' ratings of overall satisfaction with their advisor, while other available predictors added little to this. Advisor behaviour factors also contributed somewhat to several other outcome measures, including graduate student grades, a student's perception of their rate of progress through their program relative to their peers, and the estimated amount of time required to complete a doctorate (but not a Master's) degree. Advisor behaviours added little to the prediction of scholarship earnings and overall scientific productivity, where much of the variance was accounted for by measures related to length of time one had been a graduate student.;In both studies, female students with female advisors reported experiencing the greatest overall satisfaction with their supervisors, although analyses investigating the effect of student sex and advisor sex were not consistent in their findings from one study to the next. In the first study, a preference for female advisors was noted regardless of the sex of the student. In the second study, an interaction was noted such that same-sex advising relationships were the ones in which students reported the greatest degree of satisfaction, and students of female advisors reported taking significantly longer to complete their degrees at both the Master's and Ph.D. levels. Similarly, longer completion times were noted at both the Master's and Doctorate level for participants who underwent a change of advisor. A change in advisor was also related to significantly lower overall rates of scientific productivity and significantly fewer oral and poster presentations at the Master's level. At the Doctorate level, a change in advisor related to students reporting significantly slower overall rates of progress relative to their peers, and significantly fewer scholarly publications and oral presentations co-authored with their current advisors.;Findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature, particularly work that pertains to the high attrition rate at the graduate level. Suggestions for work in this area and application of these findings are also provided.