Description:
An 18-item short form of the Research Training Environment Scale (Gelso, Mallinckrodt, Judge, 1996) used to measure global perceptions of the RTE of the interpersonal and instructional dimensions.
Reference:
Kahn, J. H., & Miller, S. A. (2000). Measuring global perceptions of the research training environment using a short form of the RTES-R. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 33(2), 103–119. http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2000-05649-003
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Below is a series of statements concerning research training.
Please note that we define research broadly. “Research” when used in this survey includes the following types of activities: designing and executing research projects, preparing manuscripts of a theoretical nature or a critical review of literature, conducting program evaluations or needs assessments, making presentations at professional conferences, participating as a member of a research team engaged in any of the above activities, and advising the research projects of others.
Please respond to the following statements in terms of the doctoral program in which you are currently receiving your training. (Note: If you are currently on internship, please rate the graduate program in which you were previously trained.) It is important to answer each item, even if some of the items are difficult to answer. Consider each statement using the following scale:
1 = Disagree 2 = Somewhat disagree 3 = Neutral 4 = Somewhat agree 5 = Agree
1. Many of our faculty do not seem to be very interested in doing research.
2. The faculty does what it can to make research requirements such as the thesis and dissertation as rewarding as possible.
3. My advisor understands and accepts that any piece of research will have its methodological problems.
4. I have felt encouraged during my training to find and follow my own scholarly interests.
5. Statistics courses here are taught in a way that is insensitive to students’ level of development as researchers.
6. The statistics courses we take do a good job, in general, of showing students how statistics are actually used in psychological research.
7. There is a sense around here that being on a research team can be fun, as well as intellectually stimulating.
8. Faculty members in my program use an extremely narrow range of research methodologies.
9. Generally, students in my training program do not seem to have intellectually stimulating and interpersonally rewarding relationships with their research advisors.
10. It is unusual for first-year students in this program to collaborate with advanced students or faculty on research projects.
11. I have the feeling, based on my training, that my thesis (or dissertation) needs to be completely original and revolutionary for it to be acceptable to the faculty.
12. Our faculty seems interested in understanding and teaching how research can be related to counseling practice.
13. Most faculty do not seem to really care if students are genuinely interested in research.
14. During our coursework, graduate students are taught a wide range of research methodologies, e.g., field, laboratory, survey approaches.
15. Students in our program feel that their personal research ideas are squashed during the process of collaborating with faculty members, so that the finished project no longer resembles the student’s original idea.
16. Students here seem to get involved in thinking about research from the moment they enter the program.
17. Students in this program are rarely taught to use research findings to inform their work with clients.
18. The faculty members of my graduate program show excitement about research and scholarly activities.
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Scoring:
Reverse score #1, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17
Sum items within each of the following dimensions, or sum all 18 items to attain a total score.
Interpersonal subscale: 1, 2, 7, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18
Instructional subscale: 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17