Ed.D. Dissertation Models at the Rossier School of Education

Robert RuedaSpring 2013

EdD (Scholarly Practitioner) PhD (Research)

Goal Preparation of leaders in practice Preparation of academicians and scientists

Research focus Application of research to practice, innovations in educational practice

Discovery of new knowledge

Outcome Leadership in practice Careers in academia and other research-intensive environments

Hallmark of educational program Leadership and mentorship in the highest level of practice

Independent programmatic research program and mentorship in research

Final program product Practice-oriented final scholarly project

Dissertation based on original research, contribution to theory and research

How Do the EdD and Phd Degrees Differ?

Our Program Goal: What Are We Trying to Achieve?

“Scholarly Practitioners blend practical wisdom with professional skills and knowledge to name, frame, and solve problems of practice. They use practical research and applied theories as tools for change because they understand the importance of equity and social justice. They disseminate their work in multiple ways, and they have an obligation to resolve problems of practice by collaborating with key stakeholders, including the university, the educational institution, the community, and individuals.” (CPED website)

Two Key Components Related to the Goal: Purposes of the EdD

• What are the key components of the EdD that we expect students to be proficient in?– Problem solving –

• framing problems of practice that are concrete, significant, and solvable, and tied to the mission and priorities of the organization

• Diagnosing and verifying underlying causes• Leveraging research-based solutions

– Inquiry• Understanding and critically evaluating research• Ability to investigate problems of practice, their causes,

and solutions, with a variety of methods and approaches as appropriate

Inquiry: The Skills & Knowledge Needed for Problem-Solving

“Inquiry as Practice is the process of posing significant questions that focus on complex problems of practice. By using various research, theories, and professional wisdom, scholarly practitioners design innovative solutions to address the problems of practice. At the center of Inquiry of Practice is the ability to use data to understand the effects of innovation. As such, Inquiry of Practice requires the ability to gather, organize, judge, aggregate, and analyze situations, literature, and data with a critical lens” (CPED website)

How Are These Competencies Expressed?

• Dissertations on problems of practice• In the USC Program, we would expect

dissertations of practice and capstones to exhibit the following characteristics– Addresses an educational issue– Focused on some aspect of urban education– Focuses on a significant problem of practice– Demonstrates proficiency in Inquiry skills and

methods as appropriate to the problem

What is the Dissertation of Practice or Capstone?

“Expectation is that students will prepare a scholarly project that demonstrates a synthesis of the student’s abilities, lay the groundwork for future practice scholarship, and demonstrate mastery of ability to frame and critically inquire in to a significant educational problem of practice.” (CPED website)

Capstone Projects

Our themes focus on:

• Enduring and important problems of practice (and not theory expansion as the primary goal)

• Collaboration with others, and• Field-relevant data collection and analysis

strategies.

A Range Of Inquiry Types

Adapted from Malloy, C. L. (2011). Ten steps to effective practitioner-led inquiry. Edge, 6(4), 6-16.

Common Problem Solving Models

A Range of Dissertation of Practice and Capstone Types

• Consultancy model – gap analysis or other problem-solving approach

• Thematic groups in a range of approaches• Traditional 5-chapter study• Three article design• Policy brief/analysis• Evaluation• Other

Inquiry as Common Ground

• It is an oversimplification to say that the PhD is a research degree and the EdD is a practice – Inquiry skills are important important in both

• In general, inquiry in the service of generating new generalizable knowledge and theory development characterizes the PhD

• In general, inquiry in the service of addressing or solving a significant problem of practice characterizes the EdD

What are the current models at USC?

• In the USC program, we employ a thematic group option

• While a small number of students do independent work with a chair, the majority of students participate in a thematic group

• This format was created both for reasons of efficiency but to build on the social nature of learning and collaboration skills which will be needed in future career work

• Some of the current configurations are outlined below

IndividualStudy

Single Chair, Individual Study, Not Connected to Thematic Group

Chair

Product = single author dissertation

Common Theme

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Product = single author dissertation

Chair

Thematic Group – Single Chair, Common Theme, Different Research Questions Or Focus within the Theme

Team Approach within Thematic Format

Chair

Member 1

Team 1 Team 2 Team 3

Member 1 Member 1

Member 2 Member 3 Member 2 Member 3 Member 2 Member 3

Product = Report with single-author and possibly some joint author sections

Single Chair, Single Topic, Common Questions & Methodology, Individual Studies

Single Common Topic

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Individual Study 1

Product = single author dissertations

Chair

Areas of Focus

• Note that in any of the preceding configurations, the actual focus of the work may range from a problem-solving project for a local end user as the audience to a more traditional study which may contribute to more generalizable knowledge and a larger external audience of researchers

Non-negotiable Elements for AnyDissertation of Practice or Capstone

• The work includes a problem statement and framing of the approach, which establishes the rationale and significance of the work

• The current literature is used as a foundation for the work and approach at key points: framing the problem, synthesizing what is known about the problem, and informing the solutions and implications of the work

• The work is systematic and represents sufficient effort to serve as a capstone

• The product represents a contribution to urban educational practice• The product and process serve as an opportunity to demonstrate the

ability to apply theory and research to solving or informing an educational problem

• The work demonstrates the ability to present ideas and arguments and evidence in a logical, systematic, and coherent fashion in both written and oral formats

Additional Notes

• Dissertations of Practice vs.Capstones – this is not an either/or distinction – both are focused on significant educational issues and the primary audience is a specific educational setting or settings

• Both can be distinguished from PhD dissertations (which focus primarily on creating new generalizable knowledge and theory development)

• Regarding inquiry coursework and experience – if you want to train practicing physicians, don’t train them to be medical researchers – The Inquiry skills should match the goal