The Time-Dependent Impact of Research Self-Efficacy, Value, and Hours on Research Career Goals

• In Event: Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Doctoral students engage with and contribute to research tasks throughout their graduate study, often with the intention of pursuing future research careers. However, little is known about the week-by-week or month-by-month development of doctoral students’ research self-efficacy, value, or hours spent conducting research over the course of graduate education, and the time-varying impact of these predictors on research career goals. This study evaluates the predictive value of research self-efficacy, value, and time spent both pre- and post-dissertation proposal defense on research career goals. We used longitudinal data measured biweekly over five years to examine the times where these predictors were most impactful in predicting students’ career goals. Significant predictors differed across demographic groups and across time.

Authors

• Kaylee Litson, Utah State University

• Rebecca B West, Utah State University

• Brinleigh Cahoon, Utah State University

• David F. Feldon, Utah State University