Individual Development Plan, Mentoring Support, and Career Attitudes Among STEM Graduate Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• In Event: The Mentoring Experience for Students in Higher Education

Abstract

The COVID-19 outbreak has severely affected graduate education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. It disrupted the learning and career development including in-person laboratory research activities and mentoring meetings. Since early 2000s, STEM graduate schools have been promoting the use of individual development plans (IDPs), which provide formalized mentorship, to support graduate students' academic and career success. It is unclear whether and to what extent the IDPs play a role in promoting mentoring and career-relevant outcomes among students during the crisis. This study presents some of the first evidence on the interrelationships of IDP status, mentoring support and satisfaction, and career attitudes with a diverse nationwide sample of STEM graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Authors

• Chi-Ning Chang, The University of Kansas

• Guan Saw, Claremont Graduate University