The educational doctorate (EdD) is being re-envisioned as a distinct professional degree. Today's EdD graduates are envisioned as scholarly practitioners. Given this it may be reasoned these individuals have unique identities comprised of several layers. In this study, we examined how 18 entering students and 17 graduating students from an EdD program viewed themselves as learners, leaders, and action researchers. Data were obtained using a questionnaire with closed-and open-ended items, follow-up interviews were conducted with 12 incoming students and 12 graduates, and dissertations were also examined. Data were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative procedures. Questionnaire results indicated no significant differences between groups, but qualitative results showed students new to the program held strong identities as learners and leaders, but not as action researchers. Graduates held stronger views of each layer and their views were aligned to the program's vision. From these findings implications are provided for program developers and students.In 2007 the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and its affiliate institutions began working to re-examine, re-focus, and re-design the educational doctorate (EdD) as a distinct professional practice degree (CPED 2010; Latta and Wunder 2012;Perry 2011;Perry and Imig 2008). Newly designed CPED-influenced programs follow a common set of principles and design features, but have latitude to develop individual missions and goals. CPED-influenced programs focus on developing scholarly practitioners, individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to solve the problems of practice they routinely encounter (CPED 2010). Given this vision, it is plausible that these programs are developing individuals with distinctive identities.As a member of CPED, our program aspires to develop scholarly and influential practitioners, individuals who have the abilities they need to lead change and improve local situations. We envision that graduates of our program will be able to apply ideas and information learned at the university to their practice, collaborate with stakeholders, and use systematic inquiry to improve their practice. In sum,
Teacher training projects have used university research scientists to conduct workshops for teachers, but because of faculty time constraints and university reward systems, it is unlikely this type of program will be used extensively. This project utilized community college professors whose main focus is teaching science and working with the public school systems. The purpose of the reported study was to examine, qualitatively, the personal development of four professors in conducting an academy for science teachers. From interviews with the professors the following conclusions were made: (1) the professors initially felt the elementary and secondary schools were lacking in the teaching of scientific concepts; (2) after experiencing success and change through the academy, the professors feel they are now an integral part in the development of student's perceptions of science, attitudes toward science, and understanding of scientific concepts; and (3) they feel the need to be teaching in a fashion that is also motivating and nurturing of positive attitudes toward science.(PR)
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AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine how entering students and graduating students from an education doctorate (EdD) program viewed themselves as learners, leaders, and action researchers. Further, the paper examines differences in the identity trajectories between the two groups. Finally, the paper suggested a new identity status -scholarly and influential practitioners (SaIP) emerged from melding the three identity statuses. Design/methodology/approach -The paper employed a mixed method design. Findings -Results indicated students new to the program held strong identities as learners and leaders, but not as action researchers; whereas graduates held stronger views of each type of identity, especially as researchers. Program features such as cycles of action research (CAR), and leader-scholar communities were instrumental in influencing graduates' identities as researching professionals. Research limitations/implications -SaIP emerge when doctoral programs enhance the learner and leader identity statuses of doctoral students while at the same time fostering the construction of a researching professional identity status. Practical implications -Development of researching professionals can be accomplished by fostering a researcher ethos during their participation in a doctoral program. For working professionals, this can be accomplished by requiring and supporting ongoing CAR in a doctoral program. Social implications -With respect to social implications, researching professionals, especially those in education offer substantial promise of achieving the educational reforms the school so desperately need. Originality/value -This research examines how one institution has attempted to develop researching professionals during their preparation in an EdD program, which is based on Carnegie Project for the Education Doctorate (CPED) working principles and design features.
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