Time to Look at Ph.D. programs in RT!
I just read an article in the American Psychologist (Vol. 63, No. 1, 2008, pp.32-49). The title: "Doctoral Training in Statistics, Measurement, and Methodology in Psychology." The article was based on a national survey of university Ph.D. programs in psychology.
Findings revealed that Ph.D. students in psychology were not receiving the amount or level of training in stats, measurement, and research methods that they need to do quantitative work.
Reading this article made me wonder about Ph.D. programs in RT. Are our Ph.D. students getting the training in statistics, measurement, and research methods that they will need to become quality researchers and to instruct in quantitative methodology?
I really doubt that RT Ph.D. programs measure up to what are perceived nationally to be weak Ph.D. programs in psychology in terms of training in quantitative methodology. A few years ago I was asked to review a proposed new Ph.D. RT curriculum. This Ph.D.program required no statistics courses. I couldn't believe this and told the university that Ph.D. students needed at least a couple of stats courses. I doubt if the faculty at that institution paid any attention to my comments -- and as a result Ph.D. students in RT produced by at least one university may not have any training in statistics.
This leads me to two things I would like to see happen. First, I would hope that someone would do a survey of Ph.D. programs in RT to determine the quantitative methodology training requried of students. I hope it is better than I would guess it is! And, secondly, I would hope that universities producing Ph.D.s (There are 10 or less.)will form together nationally to lead graduate curriculum reform in RT.
What say you? Are you also concerned about the type of training our graduate students in RT are receiving? It is past time that faculty at Ph.D. granting institutions stand up and be counted! Where is the leadership?
Findings revealed that Ph.D. students in psychology were not receiving the amount or level of training in stats, measurement, and research methods that they need to do quantitative work.
Reading this article made me wonder about Ph.D. programs in RT. Are our Ph.D. students getting the training in statistics, measurement, and research methods that they will need to become quality researchers and to instruct in quantitative methodology?
I really doubt that RT Ph.D. programs measure up to what are perceived nationally to be weak Ph.D. programs in psychology in terms of training in quantitative methodology. A few years ago I was asked to review a proposed new Ph.D. RT curriculum. This Ph.D.program required no statistics courses. I couldn't believe this and told the university that Ph.D. students needed at least a couple of stats courses. I doubt if the faculty at that institution paid any attention to my comments -- and as a result Ph.D. students in RT produced by at least one university may not have any training in statistics.
This leads me to two things I would like to see happen. First, I would hope that someone would do a survey of Ph.D. programs in RT to determine the quantitative methodology training requried of students. I hope it is better than I would guess it is! And, secondly, I would hope that universities producing Ph.D.s (There are 10 or less.)will form together nationally to lead graduate curriculum reform in RT.
What say you? Are you also concerned about the type of training our graduate students in RT are receiving? It is past time that faculty at Ph.D. granting institutions stand up and be counted! Where is the leadership?
posted by Hoosier RT | 10:18 PM
2 Comments:
That's some scary news :(
I agree. When I finished my Ph.D. in RT, I was one of only a handful of graduates in RT and psychology that earned a graduate minor in statistics. Of the courses I took in my Ph.D. program, I would have to say that multivarate statistics and structural equation modeling helped me a great deal with my own researchand teaching as well as fully understanding the strengths and weaknesses of other RT and psychological research I have reviewed. Although it sometimes seemed overwhelming taking these classes, it made me a better educator and reseacher. I only hope that future Ph.D.s in RT take graduate level research and statistics courses as the ability to teach evaluation of RT programmming efficacy is as an important part of preparing young therapists that they will be responsible for in the future.
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