The Development of a Graduate Student Academic Portfolio

Abstract

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) programs, designed for graduate students aspiring to become faculty members, have been started with the objective of helping students acquire practical teaching knowledge and skills in Japan. In order to provide graduate students with additional opportunities to reflect on the comprehensive activities associated with their teaching, research, and career paths, this study develops a Graduate Student Academic Portfolio (GSAP). The GSAP contains a document that summarizes a student's activities, accomplishments, and future goals, together with any necessary support materials, in a manner that is easily understood by third parties. Further, in a workshop designed to help students create a GSAP, seven graduate students participated and created their own portfolios. Following the workshop, questionnaires were distributed to the participants, who commented on and evaluated the workshop and GSAP creation process very positively. These responses suggest that the GSAP can serve as an effective tool for reflection in PFF programs.