Professional Doctorates Research capacity and changing professional agendas Ingrid Lunt, University of Oxford Research capacity and changing professional agendas Ingrid Lunt, University of Oxford

Growth of professional doctorates  Introduction in UK early 1990s (1992)  Rapid growth especially in Education (EdD: 45+ universities) and management and business (DBA: 35+ HEIs)  EngD introduced by EPSRC (‘top down’ initiative)  Now over 30 different professional doctorate (PD) titles (reflecting professional background) and over 200 different PD degrees  Proliferation of titles  Great variation in aims, structure, outcomes, ‘product’  Introduction in UK early 1990s (1992)  Rapid growth especially in Education (EdD: 45+ universities) and management and business (DBA: 35+ HEIs)  EngD introduced by EPSRC (‘top down’ initiative)  Now over 30 different professional doctorate (PD) titles (reflecting professional background) and over 200 different PD degrees  Proliferation of titles  Great variation in aims, structure, outcomes, ‘product’

Great variation  Titles  Programme structure  The thesis? (20k to 100k words)  Learning methods  Use of credit rating (and level), also APL/credit for Masters modules  Methods of assessment  Professional accreditation or CPD  E.g. license to practise  Titles  Programme structure  The thesis? (20k to 100k words)  Learning methods  Use of credit rating (and level), also APL/credit for Masters modules  Methods of assessment  Professional accreditation or CPD  E.g. license to practise

What is a ‘generic’ professional doctorate? Or can we see commonality across the differences?  ‘a Professional Doctorate is a programme of advanced study and research which, whilst satisfying the University criteria for the award of a doctorate, is designed to meet the specific needs of a professional group external to the university, and which develops the capability of individuals to work in their professional context’ (UKCGE 2002)

Parity with the PhD  Criteria for the award of the PD?  Substantial and original contribution to (knowledge) professional practice  Doctoral thesis of (100,000) 50,000 words  PhD ‘professional scholar/researcher’ vs. PD scholarly/researching professional  ‘confidence is needed that the awards are alternative ways of achieving the same advanced level of study and ‘contribution’ ’ (UKCGE 2005)  Criteria for the award of the PD?  Substantial and original contribution to (knowledge) professional practice  Doctoral thesis of (100,000) 50,000 words  PhD ‘professional scholar/researcher’ vs. PD scholarly/researching professional  ‘confidence is needed that the awards are alternative ways of achieving the same advanced level of study and ‘contribution’ ’ (UKCGE 2005)

PhD and PD in a university  Professional doctorates are research degrees (not ‘taught’ doctorates)  Useful to emphasise commonalities and differences with PhD  Complementarity of programmes  Similar QA requirements, also cf. ESRC  Mutual and interactive influence between PhD and PD  Community of doctoral researchers  Professional doctorates are research degrees (not ‘taught’ doctorates)  Useful to emphasise commonalities and differences with PhD  Complementarity of programmes  Similar QA requirements, also cf. ESRC  Mutual and interactive influence between PhD and PD  Community of doctoral researchers

The strategic importance of the PD in some fields  ESRC Demographic review and the ‘crisis’ of Education and Management & Business Studies  PD as a means of developing subject knowledge  PD as a means of bridging the practice/academic divide  PD as a means of developing research capacity and ‘evidence’ base  ESRC Demographic review and the ‘crisis’ of Education and Management & Business Studies  PD as a means of developing subject knowledge  PD as a means of bridging the practice/academic divide  PD as a means of developing research capacity and ‘evidence’ base

Tensions between requirements of the university and those of the profession?  Nature of ‘professional knowledge’ (and professional practice): what counts?  Status of different forms of knowledge  University students = senior professionals?  Who assesses professional doctorate i.e. assessment criteria, and nature of examiners (is there a role for ‘professionals’ as assessors/examiners)?  Who defines competences?  Nature of ‘professional knowledge’ (and professional practice): what counts?  Status of different forms of knowledge  University students = senior professionals?  Who assesses professional doctorate i.e. assessment criteria, and nature of examiners (is there a role for ‘professionals’ as assessors/examiners)?  Who defines competences?

What is the relationship of academic and professional knowledge?  The role of the HEI and the role of the workplace? Complementary? Different kinds of learning?  The relationship between academic and professional knowledge (knowledge for professional practice) and academic and professional writing?  Reason/motivation for undertaking a professional doctorate?  What counts as originality?  The role of the HEI and the role of the workplace? Complementary? Different kinds of learning?  The relationship between academic and professional knowledge (knowledge for professional practice) and academic and professional writing?  Reason/motivation for undertaking a professional doctorate?  What counts as originality?

Student motivation for undertaking the PD?  Senior professionals  Little overlap with students undertaking the PhD  Wish to develop their professional practice  Evidence-based/informed practice increasingly emphasised  Wish to take a research stance/perspective (develop research capacity)  Senior professionals  Little overlap with students undertaking the PhD  Wish to develop their professional practice  Evidence-based/informed practice increasingly emphasised  Wish to take a research stance/perspective (develop research capacity)

Professional doctorates and their contribution to professional development and careers  How does the professional doctorate in education, engineering and business administration influence participants’ professional lives and act to develop professional knowledge and improve practice?  What is the impact of this development of professional knowledge on the employment culture of the students?  What is the most appropriate relationship between professional and academic knowledge and how can universities develop practice which best reflects this?  How does the professional doctorate in education, engineering and business administration influence participants’ professional lives and act to develop professional knowledge and improve practice?  What is the impact of this development of professional knowledge on the employment culture of the students?  What is the most appropriate relationship between professional and academic knowledge and how can universities develop practice which best reflects this?

Some findings 1. Influence on Practice  This varied both within and between programme types, in part because of the wide-ranging profile of the participants (four models of motivation)  Extrinsic professional initiation  Extrinsic professional continuation  Extrinsic professional alteration  Intrinsic personal/professional affirmation  This varied both within and between programme types, in part because of the wide-ranging profile of the participants (four models of motivation)  Extrinsic professional initiation  Extrinsic professional continuation  Extrinsic professional alteration  Intrinsic personal/professional affirmation

Some findings 2. Impact of professional doctorate on student’s employment  Linked to age and stage of entry  Often CPD rather than career progression (e.g. EdD)  Linked to type of employment: Public/private sector  For some, linked to enhanced employment opportunities (EngD)  Shift from ‘action’ to ‘reflection’ (DBA)  Linked to age and stage of entry  Often CPD rather than career progression (e.g. EdD)  Linked to type of employment: Public/private sector  For some, linked to enhanced employment opportunities (EngD)  Shift from ‘action’ to ‘reflection’ (DBA)

Some findings 3. Pedagogical and organisational strategies for organising professional doctorates  Structure and organisation (EngD FT, EdD and DBA mainly PT)  All have substantial taught component (relative weighting differs)  Pedagogic modes and relations: assumptions about how professionals learn  Positioning of participants: senior practitioners, research engineers, mid-career professionals  Relationship between professional practice and research  Structure and organisation (EngD FT, EdD and DBA mainly PT)  All have substantial taught component (relative weighting differs)  Pedagogic modes and relations: assumptions about how professionals learn  Positioning of participants: senior practitioners, research engineers, mid-career professionals  Relationship between professional practice and research

Some findings 4. Professional and academic knowledge  Relationship between professional and academic knowledge (and issues of parity and value)  Four modes of knowledge creation  Disciplinarity  Technical rationality  Dispositionality  criticality  Relationship between professional and academic knowledge (and issues of parity and value)  Four modes of knowledge creation  Disciplinarity  Technical rationality  Dispositionality  criticality

Student outcomes  ‘Becoming more reflective has helped me to achieve a better understanding of my own practice and an improved level of performance’  ‘Undertaking the EdD has radically altered my professional practice’  ‘The EdD has enhanced my professional confidence and my analytical abilities’  ‘The thesis became a fundamental and transforming process in my life, both professional and personal’  ‘Becoming more reflective has helped me to achieve a better understanding of my own practice and an improved level of performance’  ‘Undertaking the EdD has radically altered my professional practice’  ‘The EdD has enhanced my professional confidence and my analytical abilities’  ‘The thesis became a fundamental and transforming process in my life, both professional and personal’

Student outcomes 2  ‘Undertaking the DBA enhanced my confidence and also my credibility’  ‘The DBA gave me the time to think and forced me to articulate my ideas and to think analytically’  ‘the DBA fundamentally changed my whole professional life; it was transformative’  ‘I would never have done a PhD; that seemed so academic. But the PD has really taught me to do research and to be interested in a much deeper approach to my practice’  ‘Undertaking the DBA enhanced my confidence and also my credibility’  ‘The DBA gave me the time to think and forced me to articulate my ideas and to think analytically’  ‘the DBA fundamentally changed my whole professional life; it was transformative’  ‘I would never have done a PhD; that seemed so academic. But the PD has really taught me to do research and to be interested in a much deeper approach to my practice’

Professional doctorates in the education sector  Participants have very diverse professional backgrounds and include: university lecturers and administrators, wide range of health professionals, NGO personnel, Local Authority staff, social workers, managers, inspectors and advisers, some (few) school teachers (mainly senior)  I.e. Senior professionals in education  Participants have very diverse professional backgrounds and include: university lecturers and administrators, wide range of health professionals, NGO personnel, Local Authority staff, social workers, managers, inspectors and advisers, some (few) school teachers (mainly senior)  I.e. Senior professionals in education

Motivation for doctorate  To stand back and reflect on professional practice  To learn with a cohort of like-minded professionals  To engage in lifelong learning  To gain additional skills especially research  To carry out a research project based on professional practice  To gain additional qualifications  To stand back and reflect on professional practice  To learn with a cohort of like-minded professionals  To engage in lifelong learning  To gain additional skills especially research  To carry out a research project based on professional practice  To gain additional qualifications

Universities claim that the EdD  Places research at the heart of educational practice and relates theoretical knowledge to every aspect of practitioner education  Contributes to a culture of reflective practice and research  Develops researching professionals or researchers of the professions  Enhances professional practice through research  Places research at the heart of educational practice and relates theoretical knowledge to every aspect of practitioner education  Contributes to a culture of reflective practice and research  Develops researching professionals or researchers of the professions  Enhances professional practice through research

Proliferation of titles or generic titles?  What is in a name?  Growth of inter-disciplinarity  Emergence of new ‘inter-disciplinary’ PDs  Issues of status and professional closure?  The generic DProf  What is in a name?  Growth of inter-disciplinarity  Emergence of new ‘inter-disciplinary’ PDs  Issues of status and professional closure?  The generic DProf

Some issues  Need for greater consensus on nature of ‘generic’ PD  How to achieve/maintain parity with PhD  Balancing the relationship between the university and the profession and their requirements  Need for exit awards  The issue of proliferation of titles  Need for greater consensus on nature of ‘generic’ PD  How to achieve/maintain parity with PhD  Balancing the relationship between the university and the profession and their requirements  Need for exit awards  The issue of proliferation of titles

Conclusion  Changing professional agendas  Credentialism  Evidence-based practice  University agendas (including RAE/REF)  Professional Doctorates  Parity with PhD  Research capacity building  New pedagogies and modes of learning  Knowledge creation and knowledge transfer  Changing professional agendas  Credentialism  Evidence-based practice  University agendas (including RAE/REF)  Professional Doctorates  Parity with PhD  Research capacity building  New pedagogies and modes of learning  Knowledge creation and knowledge transfer