Refereed Article: Understanding why SLPs rarely pursue the Ph.D. in communication sciences
Product Description:
Masters-level speech-language pathologists in communication sciences and disorders (n = 122) completed a survey soliciting
their reasons for not pursuing doctoral study. Factor analysis revealed a four-factor solution including one reflecting a
lack of interest in doctoral study (Factor 2) and one reflecting practical financial concerns (Factor 3). Not surprisingly,
those who did (31%) and did not (69%) seriously consider a PhD differed on Factor 2 items in the expected direction.
Descriptive analyses revealed that the top two reasons cited for not pursuing the doctoral degree (i.e., a preexisting high
level of satisfaction with professional goals and masters degree) were the same for both groups. Beyond that, Factor 2
items dominated the top reasons among those who never considered a PhD, whereas Factor 3 items were the top reasons
among those who did consider a PhD. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research are considered
Product/Publication Type(s):
Peer-reviewed publications in scholarly journals Published/In Press
Target Audience:
Professionals
Alternative Format:
Electronic (disc, CD, 508 compliant web posting)
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COVID-19 Related Data:
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