The Doctor of Education Degree: What is it?

1. School of Educational Leadership The Doctor of Education Degree: What is it? by A/Professor Denis McLaughlin

2. How common are professional doctorates? • 31 universities indicated that they conducted • 63 professional doctorates across • 19 discipline areas, • of which 19 were Doctor of Education (EdD) degrees. • (The Survey of Professional Doctorates in Australian Universities (1997) commissioned by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies (DOGS),

3. The difference between a PhD and an EdD There is a lack of unanimity on what constituted the essential nature of a professional doctorate to clearly distinguish it from the PhD (Grichting, 1997). Some EdDs appear to be only a structured Ph.D (Trigwell, Shannon & Maurizi, 1997), which if true, challenges the legitimacy of offering a separate professional doctorate.

4. What is a Professional Doctorate? The EdD is a professional doctorate, namely an advanced-level award that will require each candidate to focus intensely on specific problems of the work-place… The EdD is proposed as an award different from but complementary to the PhD. The PhD an award by thesis alone is recommended for those in (or aiming to enter) an academic position or a professional research post… The EdD is recommended for those who wish to study and research in areas associated with their professional life. Generally it is for those who wish to remain in areas associated with their professional life. University of New England

5. The work for an EdD should involve “applied investigations and problem-solving rather than … a potential contribution to pure research or to theoretical knowledge”. Queensland University of Technology • A professional doctorate thesis must demonstrate: • a knowledge and understanding of its area of investigation comparable to a PhD. • It must afford evidence of originality shown by creative work, either the discovery of new knowledge or the application of independent critical thinking to an existing body of knowledge. University of Canberra

6. A matter of focus “the purpose in the professional doctorate is to produce procedural knowledge perhaps at the expense of propositional knowledge”. (Maxwell and Shanahan)

7. The Professional Doctorate • The market for the professional doctorate will overlap with the PhD market • but it will most likely be chosen mature professionals like teachers • In professional doctorates, the aim of research is to enhance the quality of the profession

8. Why Professional Doctorates? PhDs may not always be the most appropriate vehicle of advanced study to meet academic and professional needs. The current research based doctoral program and research masters’ degrees may no longer provide adequate training for an academic career.

9. PhDs are not always appropriate • A pure research base is too specialised to provide adequate training for teaching, and that doctoral programs with a significant proportion of coursework should be favoured. • The preparation of professional researchers and academics is only one of a range of professional needs that should be met by high-level postgraduate study (Dawkins, 1987, p.70).

10. In 1990 the Australian Higher Education Council suggested that universities consider the development of doctoral degrees: • where projects and investigations are applied in nature, • oriented to practice in the professions and where, in some cases, • providing extended and advanced training in certain professional fields • the setting might be industry-based rather than campus-based.

11. Types of Professional Doctorates • Professional doctorate in creative fields where the work is based on production of artefacts such as a novel or an exhibition, along with a reflective theoretical contribution or exegesis. • Professional doctorates which include coursework but which have more than two-thirds research work and are categorised as research degrees by DEETYA. • Professional doctorates which are sometimes called “taught doctorates” and which seem to be largely coursework with a project component.

12. General Goals of Professional Doctorates The range includes: • development of individuals in preparation for enhanced professional roles either as leaders of their profession or industry or as specialised practitioners in their field. • advancement of the field of professional practice including development of “solutions” for practical problems in the workplace. This is distinguished from development of knowledge about practice which is seen by many as appropriate to PhD study. • **development of scholarly professionals as opposed to professional scholars**.

13. Structure of Professional Doctorates The Council of Australian Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies (1997) have issued guidelines that professional doctorates offered by Australian Universities should honour. These guidelines suggest that professional doctorates: • normally be 3 years full-time duration and structured in a part-time or “sandwich” form to facilitate profession based research • have a minimum of 1/3 research • incorporate research training elements appropriate to the profession • focus the research component on problems related to professional practice

14. Research in the Professional Doctorate • the research should be applied in nature and located in the workplace • the research should use methods which are applied and action-oriented • the research should be about examining issues and problems in practice and the workplace with a view to improvement of practice

15. Doctor of EducationThesis Examiner’s Report Contribution to Professional Practice Examiners are requested to state to what extent and in what way the thesis: • focuses on research which is located in professional practice and which contributes to the body of knowledge in that professional practice • demonstrates the practical utility of the research for the candidate’s improvement of professional practice

16. Demonstrated Ability of the Candidate Examiners are requested to comment on: • the candidate’s familiarity with the relevant literature which has been critically reviewed • the candidate’s skills in the conduct of the research and in the collection, analysis and the reporting of data • the extent to which the candidate’s approach to his / her own work and the work of others is critical, perceptive and practical

17. Presentation of the Thesis Examiners are requested to comment on whether the written presentation is satisfactory for a research higher degree thesis.

18. What constitutes a professional doctorate? It aims to: • Prepare enhanced professionals either as leaders of the profession or as specialised practitioners in the field. • Make advancements in the field of professional practice including development of “solutions” for practical problems in the workplace. • Develop scholarly professionals as opposed to professional scholars. Consequently • the research should be about examining issues and problems in practice and the workplace with a view to improvement of practice

19. The EdD at ACU • 100% research so the course work has to be integrally related to the research and the construction of the thesis. • You start today in the construction of your thesis which is based in professional practice aiming to enhance its quality • Our EdD focuses on the development of scholarly professionals as opposed to professional scholars.

20. School of Educational Leadership The Doctor of Education Degree: What is it? by A/Professor Denis McLaughlin