Abstract:

The research considers the evidence of ten participants who have completed a Professional Doctorate in Education over a period of ten years. It explores with the participants how the design of the programme and their subsequent learning experiences have influenced their professional practice. The study also considers the impact of a model of collaborative professionalism (Hargreaves, 2012) and what the students, who started the Professional Doctorate 10 years ago, recognise as the benefits of doctoral level research. Building on the previous stage of evidence gathering the participants explore the professional, theoretical and research benefits to themselves. They consider the ways in which changes to their identity and positioning impact on their practice and what contribution they have supported in their own institutions and wider community. The research adopts an interpretive, social constructivist approach with ten participants from one cohort of a Professional Doctorate in Education. An online questionnaire was used initially to gather responses from the cohort. This was followed up with a discussion group and word collation to deepen the dialogue with and between the participants. Multiple interpretivist case studies were developed using narrative discourse of the journeys of post- Doctoral Studies students in relation to their professional identities and perceived influence on professional their practice.

This paper argues that involvement in doctoral research not only influences practice through evidence-based improvements to the education profession but helps to foster the development of a research-informed professional education culture. According to Reed et al. (2021) good researchers make a demonstrable, perceptible benefit to individuals, groups, organisations and society that are linked to the research they undertake. This point is equally valid for those undertaking research in practice. The research processes is synergistic which optimises individual, organisational and community learning benefits. Collaboration promotes change beyond individuals, classrooms, schools and colleges. Where this collaborative learning is research based the impact permeates the community when educators increase their expertise by learning together. In the case of one individual doctoral study, the participant identified that research opened avenues for collaboration and motivated them to take a more active role in the community. Participants noted that gaining the research degree was almost a by-product or after thought of the research process. They commented “I will complete it of course, and will probably meet the requirements but much more has already been achieved than could easily be offset by a glittering prize at graduation.”

References:
[1] BERA Report (2014). ‘Research and Teacher Education - the BERA-RSA Inquiry January 2014 - Interim Report Published’ Available at: http://www.bera.ac.uk/news/research-and-teacher-education-bera-rsa-inquiry-january-2014-interim-report-published. Accessed 14/03/2014
[2] Hargreaves, A. and M. O'Connor (2018). Collaborative Professionalism: When teaching together means learning for all. California, United State of America, Corwin.
Reed, MS, Ferre M, Martin-Ortega J, Blanche R, Dallimer M, Lawford-Rolfe R, Holden J (2021) Evaluating research impact: a methodological framework. Research Policy 50(1):104147

Keywords:

Doctorate, Practitioner Research, Impact.