Rachel Knott & Hector Williams

1. The professional doctorate: a marriage of theory and practice • Rachel Knott &Hector Williams • Institute for Health & Wellbeing Research

2. Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland:

3. Graduate School: • 55 – 60 research students • MSc • MRES • PhD • DPP

4. Summary: • Doctorate of Professional Practice (DPP) • Development and implementation • Challenges faced • Tension between theory and practice • Current status and future development

5. Development and implementation:

6. Programme outline: • 5 years part time • Year 1: 2 X 30 credit modules • Year 2: 2 X 30 credit module • Years 3 – 5: 420 credit research project • Facilitate progress within a busy work environment

7. Course characteristics: • Aligned with existing professional practice • Engage with work-based supervisor • Utilisation of virtual learning environment • Blended learning (4 modules within 2 years) • Opportunity to engage with wider research student community • Equivalence to PhD • Recognisable within respective professions • Include ‘transfer’ stage • Build in exit routes

8. Doctoral research project SCQF 420 level 12 Doctorate of professional practice Course structure: MRES Applied Res Meth Masters level research project SCQF 60 level 11 research process and critical analysis SCQF 30 level 11 PgDip Applied Res Meth creating impact in professional practice SCQF 30 level 11 Research skills or other subject specific module or APL SCQF 30 level 11 PgCert Applied Res Meth applied research methods SCQF 30 level 11

9. conduct research independently, contribute to knowledge, communicate, command a body of knowledge, demonstrate competencies in generic and subject specific skills Equivalence to PhD: Doctoral thesis research process and critical analysis creating impact in professional practice applied research methods Research skills or other subject specific module or APL

10. Comparison with other professional doctorates:

11. Comparison with other professional doctorates: • Module options with supported e-learning • Project within professional field • Accreditation of prior learning • Duration (2-6 years) • Specificity of name • Emphasis on theoretical underpinning

12. Theory and practice: Example • Problem with communicating with young diabetes patients about glucose control and general support from the diabetic nurses. • Can an alternate communication strategy be defined within this region and how can we determine clinical effectiveness? • Student – senior nurse with vast experience of clinical practice

13. Modified Practice Professional led research process All professional practice is set within a wider societal context. Essential therefore to engage in psychosocial or related theoryto develop praxis. Practice

14. THEORY Socio-Psycho perspectives New PRAXIS Inductive Theory Practice THEORY Organisational perspectives Review of Literature THEORY Any other relevant perspective (e.g. Economic) Theory grounded in Practice Theoretical positioning Empirical Data Themes/Hypotheses/ Concepts/Narratives, …… Theory’s Analysis of Practice Practice’s Analysis of Theory Mutual Critical Correlation Adapted from Lartey, E., 2000, Practical Theology as Thoelogical Form, in Woodward, J., & Pattison, S., 2000, The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology, Blackwell, Oxford.

15. New praxis New praxis Practice Practice

16. Current status and future development: • Steep learning curve; • Students now at later stages; • “I have no doubt that the outcome of my research will not only benefit policing within the UK, but also law enforcement globally.” • Evidence-based Practice; • Practice-led Evidence  PRAXIS;