A Comparative Study of Faculty Expectations of New Hires in Mathematics Education and Qualifications of Doctoral Students in Mathematics Education

There is a critical need to attract more students into doctoral programs in mathematics education. Those in the doctoral programs in mathematics education have many career options outside of academics and research shows that 20% of those seeking the doctorate in mathematics education go into other areas besides higher education (Glasgow, 2001). Thus, there has been a shortage of qualified applicants for academic positions (Reys, 2000; Glasgow, 2000; Reys & Kilpatrick, 2001; Reys, 2002). Complicating matters is the fact that 80% of faculty in mathematics education are eligible to retire in 2008 (Reys, Glasgow, Ragan, & Simms, 2001; Reys, 2006). Thus, it is important to study faculty’s expectations of new hires and doctoral students’ experiences to allow for maximum success of those seeking positions in higher education.

The purpose of this study was to compare data received about the training of current doctoral students with data collected from the profession to see if there is a match or disconnect between the two groups (i.e. doctoral student’s training and requirements for new hires in mathematics education). The data came from a combination of mail and online surveys along with e-mail interviews. Frequency counts and descriptive statistics were used to provide a clear picture of the experiences doctoral students were being exposed to in their doctoral program and the faculty’s expectations of qualified candidates for a junior faculty position. A MANOVA test was used to see if any differences occurred between the two groups. The findings of this study suggest doctoral students were for the most part being properly socialized to take on the role of an assistant professor; however, there were some areas of weakness.