
ERIC Number: ED406932
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1996-Apr
Pages: 33
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Entry Transitions of New Professionals: Perceptions of Graduates from Experiential Preparation Programs.
Schwitzer, Alan M.; And Others
This study examined transition issues faced by entry-level staff who were graduates of experientially based graduate level programs to prepare professionals for student personnel work. Forty-three recent graduates from two experientially based student personnel preparation programs were surveyed. The programs met three specific criteria: a counseling-based emphasis; planned, supervised, applied training experiences; and simulation activities incorporated into classroom learning. Respondents completed mailed self-report questionnaires concerning their experiential-learning experiences relative to their job-entry transition. Results were compiled using such criteria as post-graduate placement, degree of reliance on knowledge acquired in preparation programs, preparedness for entry position, and the components of the student's experiential-learning program. The study found that: (1) although graduates generally believed themselves to have good interpersonal and political skills, they felt less prepared when confronted by unfamiliar institutional milieus; (2) that while they were confident of their ability to apply student development theories, they had less confidence in their ability to engage in professional-level dialogue; and (3) that preparation levels varied for situations involving budgeting, legal issues, and multiculturalism. (CH)
Descriptors: Attitude Measures, Counseling Techniques, Education Work Relationship, Experiential Learning, Graduate Surveys, Higher Education, Job Skills, Learning Strategies, Mail Surveys, Personnel Management, Practicums, Prior Learning, Professional Education, Questionnaires, Self Evaluation (Individuals), Simulation, Social Experience, Student Experience, Student Personnel Services, Vocational Adjustment, Work Experience Programs
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A