Abstract:

There currently is a trend for Doctorate in Education (EdD) programs to offer professional degrees where students complete a dissertation in practice (DiP). The DiP is focused on exploring and analyzing complex problems of practice and then providing interventions to address issues. The purpose of these programs is to prepare leaders who will transform organizations and be effective change agents.

Doctoral students completing a dissertation in practice are often referred to as scholar practitioners. Scholar practitioners draw on their experience, knowledge, and research to address real-world issues to solve problems of practice (Perry, et al., 2020). Students often use action research, improvement science or evaluation research to conduct their studies. Although there have been studies on students completing a traditional dissertation, there have not been many on completing dissertations in practice (Perry et al., 2020).

A qualitative inquiry using a phenomenological approach was used to explore the primary reasons for dissertation in practice completion in an EdD program in Organizational Leadership at a southeast university in the U. S. The doctoral students in this study were scholar practitioners utilizing theoretical approaches including improvement science (Bryk et al., 2013; Perry et al., 2020) to explore and analyze problems of practice in an organization and to close performance gaps (Rothwell, 2015). During the process the scholar practitioner uses evidence-based research (Cook et al., 2012) to uncover root causes and determine a course of action to address issues. Once issues are identified, changes are implemented, and the effectiveness of solutions are evaluated. The students’ dissertation in practice committee and their cooperating supervisor collaborate to provide support to doctoral students in the process.

In this study the researcher endeavored to understand what enabled students to complete their dissertations in practice. There were ten participants in this study. After they completed an electronic survey using Survey Monkey, seven themes emerged. Receiving individualized attention and support throughout the program was one reason. Effective communication between the chair and the organizational coordinator was another. Receiving in-depth help on how to synthesize research and write an argument was another reason. Immediate feedback was number four. Receiving the chair’s help in problem solving issues where the study was taking place was number five. Having a close bond with their committee, especially their chair was number six. Possessing self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977) was the seventh reason.

Keywords:

Education Doctorate (EDD), Dissertations in Practice, Completion of Dissertations in Practice, Self-efficacy, Scholar Practitioner.