A Narrative Inquiry of Experiences of Validation of Graduate Students in Economics
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of students in a graduate Economics program located at a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution using narrative research design, a methodology that is not used in economics literature. The research question that guided the study was: How are graduate students validated throughout the process of their graduate education at a Master’s in Economics program at a predominantly Hispanic-serving institution? The researcher interviewed 3 graduate women economics students, and 3 graduate men economics students to ensure triangulation of data. After conducting the study it became apparent that graduate women economics students and graduate men economics students were validated when their professors used creative learning, showed a caring demeanor, fostered cultural diversity and community engagement, as well as encouraged their professional development. Graduate women economics students and graduate men economics students suffered several invalidating experiences in their graduate program that made them question their ability to succeed. The main difference in the experiences of graduate women economics students and graduate men economics students resided in stereotypes of women students in their graduate program where men were the majority.
Subject Area
Higher Education Administration|Educational leadership|Business education
Recommended Citation
Quintana, Eva, "A Narrative Inquiry of Experiences of Validation of Graduate Students in Economics" (2018). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI10979074.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI10979074