The Dissertation in Practice (DiP):

Rhetoric, Reality, and the Data

The Dissertation in PracticeAwards Committee

Val Storey

Micki Caskey

Bryan Maughan

Jim Marshall

Amy Wells Dolan

Nancy Shanklin

Kristina Hesbol

Cheri C. Magill

 

University of Central Florida

Portland State University

University of Idaho

CSU Fresno

University of Mississippi

University of Colorado–Denver

University of Denver

Virginia Commonwealth

Session Outline

Introductions-DiP Awards Committee

1. Background2. DiP Committee 2013-2014, Findings3. DiP Challenge4. Interactive Session5. Recommendations

1. Background

Development of CPED Principles & DiP Assessment Criteria

1. The Evolution of CPED Principles

Palo Alto, June 2009, Duquesne University

The goal: Come to consensus on the definition of a Professional Practice Doctorate degree (EdD) and the central principles that should guide all programs

Consortium members agreed upon Working Principles for Professional Practice Doctorate Programs, to be tested during CPED Phase II.

Perry, J., & Imig, D. (2010) Final Report: The

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate

2007-2010

The Professional doctorate in education:1. Framed around questions of equity, ethics, and social justice…2. Prepares leaders who can construct and apply knowledge to

make a positive….3. Provides opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate

collaboration and communication skills…4. Provides field-based opportunities to analyze problems of practice5. Is grounded in and develops a professional knowledge base that

integrates both practical and research knowledge, that links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry.

6. Emphasizes the generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice.

Ref: Perry & Imig, Final Report: The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate 2007-2010

Working Principles

Design Concept Definition

The culminating experience that demonstrates the scholarly practitioner’s ability to solve problems of practice, the Dissertation in Practice exhibits the doctoral candidate’s ability “to think, to perform, and to act with integrity” (Shulman, 2005). Fall , 2011. 

2. Evolution of DiP Assessment Criteria

June 2012, California State Univ, Fresno “Defining Criteria for a Dissertation In Practice”

Identified and ranked criteria

October 2012, The College of William and Mary DiP Award Committee

November 2012, DiP assessment criteria circulated for public comment Refined DiP assessment criteria

 With that understanding in mind, the following assessment criteria for the CPED Dissertation in Practice Award ensure that CPED principles are addressed to the highest standard of scholarship and practice.

Unacceptable

Developing

Target

Exceptional

1. Demonstrates an understanding of, and possible solution to, the problem of practice.

(Indicators: Demonstrates an ability to address and/or resolve a problem of practice and/or generate new practices) 

1 2 3 4

2. Demonstrates the scholarly practitioner’s ability to act ethically and with integrity.

(Indicators: Findings, conclusions and recommendations align with the data; the dissertation in practice is performed with integrity)

 

1 2 3 4

3. Demonstrates the scholarly practitioner’s ability to communicate effectively in writing to an appropriate audience in a way that addresses scholarly practice.

(Indicators: Style is appropriate for the intended audience) 

1 2 3 4

4. Integrates both theory and practice to advance practical knowledge.

(Indicators: Integrates practical and research-based knowledge in order to contribute to practical knowledge base; Frames the study in existing research on both theory and practice)

 

1 2 3 4

5. Provides evidence of the potential for impact on practice, policy, and/or future research in the field.

(Indicators: Dissertation indicates how its findings are expected to impact professional field or problem) 

1 2 3 4

6. Uses methods of inquiry that are appropriate to the problem of practice.

(Indicators: Identifies rationale for method of inquiry that is appropriate to the dissertation in practice; effectively uses method of inquiry to address problem of practice)

 

1 2 3 4

Total Score     / 24

 

Submission RequirementsTraditional norms

Includes: Problem, purpose, research questions Theoretical/conceptual underpinnings Methods – approach, sampling, data analysis 15 pages, double-spaced including tables,

figures, and references

Submission RequirementCPED DiP Proposed Distinctions

Demonstrate ability to generate solutions for problems of practice

Summary of findings: Impact on practice Generative impact Actionable knowledge Researcher becomes change agent

Looks at implications of the solution in both local and broad contexts

Demonstrates the ability “to think, to perform, and to act with integrity” (Shulman, 2005)

The Awards Committee

2013-2014

DiP Committee’s Assessment Process

Agreed product delivery time line Blind, peer-review and scoring of DiP synopsis by

multiple reviewers Data collection – Qualtrics Discrepancies between reviewers resolved by discussion

between reviewers and chair Analysis of DiP synopses scores Narrowed pool of DiPs Blind peer-review and scoring of DiPs by entire

committee Analysis of DiP scores Selection of awardees

CPED DiP Award of the YearAnalysis

Summary 25 DiP Submissions

Phase I institutions -21 (14 submissions from three

institutions) Phase 2 institutions - 4

DiP Research Methodology 4 (16%) employ quantitative methods 17 (68%) employ qualitative methods 4 (16%) employ mixed method

Average page length was 212, with a range of 85 to 377 pages

Methodologies

Methodolgies

Action Research 10Phenomenology 1Grounded theory 3Case Study 10

QuantitativeDescriptive Statistics

8 reviewers 300 responses to criteria in rubric Item mean scores ranged from 2.78 to 2.94;

overall mean = 2.86 Median was 3 (“target”) for all items except #5,

indicating a higher potential for impact on practice

Synopsis Assessment

5 19 15 17 4 25 7 16 20 12 21 18 8 9 6 24 1 2 11 3 22 23 14 13 100

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

45

4140

39 3938

3736 36 36

3433 33 33 33

3231

30 30 3029 29

2726

25Total

Content Analysis

Traditional five chapter dissertations – 24 Non-traditional dissertations – 1 Individual authored - 25 Collaborative – 0 Implied evidence of Including stakeholders – 2 Action research methodology – 10

Action implemented – 2

Problems of Practice

“There is little research on alternative schools…” “External pressures on higher education…to teach a

diversity of students…” “Achievement gap in Hispanic students…” “The United States repeatedly ranks behind other

countries in reading and math achievement.” “My preservice teachers did not have multiple

opportunities to plan and teach math lessons in classes and in their field experience. I did not have control over [this].”

“I propose cooperative learning can increase student learning as self-efficacy, as well as course completion.”

The common factors

The common factors of the award winners Action research Problem of Practice Engaged the community Showed immediate impact

Designs that get students into the ball park of the criteria

3. DiP Challenge

CPED, Phase 2

Consortium members have committed to testing and refining these principles in collaboration with practitioners and other non/for profit stakeholders.

Perry, J., & Imig, D. (2010). Final Report: The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate 2007-2010.

Dissertation in PracticeRather than mimic the PhD dissertation, an EdD thesis should have a distinctive form. A distinctive form is necessary for the thesis to have its own identity, to be a unique and recognizable entity. However, distinctiveness alone is insufficient. It must be a form that manifestly serves functions of the doctorate:

1. Developmental efficacy;

2. Community benefit;

3. Stewardship of doctoral values; and

4. Distinctive alternative format.

Alternatives proposed in the literature include Portfolios, Internships, Analytical Papers, Collaborative Projects, Thematic Dissertations, Problem Based Thesis (Position Paper & Action Communications), Action Based Research.

Congruent with CPED’s principles and aims of doctoral education; Value to a larger community.

Source: Archbald (2008)

Moving Toward Alternative Program Models

A growing number of programs have or are developing alternative models. Shulman (2010) supports the non-traditional format and agrees that the dissertation has great merit as a series of shorter, more varied performances, not a marathon (or traditional dissertation format) …suggests the dissertation move from being a capstone experience to one that demonstrates, or communicates, ability over a variety of performances as is practiced in other fields, such as chemistry, psychology, and economics.

International Association for Practice Doctorates

Doctorates operate in an international context and it is therefore important that countries benchmark their doctoral degrees in a global environment: to demonstrate parity of outcomes; to promote mobility; and to strengthen career opportunities for doctoral

graduates.

Key factors affecting the reputation of each country’s doctorates include: having in place adequate and rigorous quality assurance mechanisms ability to demonstrate consistency of standards of achievement across

varied programs.

International Association for Practice Doctorates (2013)

http://www.professionaldoctorates.org/index.html

Europe-Professional Practice Doctorate

UK- Fastest growing sector in doctoral education in the UK BUT Professional Doctorates are still a minority area in the sector, often misunderstood and viewed with concern by research-driven academics and senior managers at many HEI’s, including some Research Councils and funding agencies.

Mainland Europe- Few Professional Doctorates have been established and there is limited understanding of their structures and impact. The Bologna Seminar on Doctoral Programs (2006 ) concluded

that original research must remain the main component of all doctorates, no matter what their type or form, and should reflect core processes and outcomes that pass evaluation by an expert university committee with external representation.

Australia-EdD (Professional Practice Doctorate)

Aim to Prepare enhanced professionals either as leaders of the profession or

as specialized practitioners in the field; Make advancements in the field of professional practice including

development of “solutions” for practical problems in the workplace; and Develop scholarly professionals as opposed to professional scholars;

Dissertation in Practice Examine issues and problems in practice and the workplace with a

view to improvement of practice; Focus on research which is located in professional practice and which

contributes to the body of knowledge in that professional practice; and Demonstrate the practical utility of the research for the candidate’s

improvement of professional practice.

REFERENCES Bologna Seminar on “Doctoral Programmes for the European Knowledge

Society”. Salzburg, 3-5 February 2005. www.bolognaprocess.

Shulman, L. P. (2010). Doctoral education shouldn't be a marathon. Chronicle of Higher Education , B9-B12.

Trafford, V.N., & Lesham, S.( 2007). Overlooking the Conceptual Framework. Innovations . Education & Teaching International 44( 1), 93-105.

Willis, J.W., Inman, D., & Valenti, R. (2010). Completing a Professional Practice Dissertation: A Guide for Doctoral Students and Faculty . Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Useful Resources

National Network for the Directors of the Doctorate in Education

http://sites.google.com/site/eddnatnet/ International Conference on Professional Doctorates

http://www.ukcge.ac.uk/profdocs Middlesex University Institute for Work Based Learning Research

Centre

http://www.mdx.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/Professional-practice/ iwbldprof.aspx American Educational Research Association (AERA) special

interest group on Doctoral Education across the Disciplines http://www.aera.net/SIG168/DoctoralEducationacrosstheDisciplinesSIG168/tabid/12275/Default.aspx

Interactive Session

What challenges do our programs face in moving to the DiP?

Challenges in moving from a traditional 5-chapter theoretical dissertation to a Dissertation in Practice

Defining the DiP

Challenges

Definitions Revisit criteria Outputs Publication opportunities for faculty?

What progress have you made in addressing these challenges?

Lessons learned

Recommendations