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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 5

Publication Date: May 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.85.10150.

Agunloye, O. O. (2021). Reexamining Doctoral Education: A framework for Leadership in the Context of Practice. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 8(5). 449-456.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Reexamining Doctoral Education: A framework for Leadership in

the Context of Practice

Olajide O. Agunloye

College of Education, Augusta University, Augusta, GA, United States

ABSTRACT

Traditionally, doctorate in education is pitched on two platforms. The Doctor of

Philosophy (Ph.D.) is pitched as belonging exclusively to the domain of research and

scholarship, while the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is pitched as belonging to the

domain of active professional practice. This distinction is dysfunctional to bridging

the gap between research in the academe and research in professional practice.

Research in the academe is often insular with theoretical intents and with outcomes

that have limited utility for solving active problems of or in practice in education.

This misguided distinction can be corrected through a new thinking of the

educational purpose and outcome-expectations for Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs in

education. Doctoral education, irrespective of nomenclature (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) should

be envisioned as leadership platforms through which knowledge and practice is

used seamlessly to continuously ignite innovation and transformation in education.

This paper proposes a framework for reexamining doctoral education and their

comparative relevance in solving problems of and in practice. The paper aims to

position the two doctoral education pathways as platforms for developing leaders

who promote the generation and application of knowledge on solutions to problems

of and in practice. Author presents a conceptual model that explores the two

doctoral pathways through the lens of application of knowledge, research, and

practice. Further research is proposed on how doctoral education can enhance

practice in educational leadership and foster continuous improvements in

education.

Keywords: Doctoral education pathways, Research, Scholarship, Problems of practice,

Leadership, Innovation, Social justice.

INTRODUCTION

Doctorates in education have been pitched on perceived two separate platforms. The Doctor of

Philosophy (Ph.D.) is pitched as belonging exclusively to the domain of research and

scholarship, while the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is pitched as belonging to the domain of

active professional practice (1,2). This distinction is dysfunctional to bridging the gap between

research in the academe and research in professional practice. Research in the academe is often

insular with theoretical intents and with outcomes that have limited utility for solving active

problems of or in practice in education. This misguided distinction can be corrected through a

new thinking of the educational purpose and outcome-expectations for Ph.D. and Ed.D.

programs in education. Doctoral education should be envisioned as leadership platforms

through which knowledge and practice is used seamlessly to continuously ignite

transformation in education. Doctoral education, irrespective of nomenclature (Ph.D. or Ed.D.)

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 5, May-2021

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

should work to promote the knowledge, scholarship, and practice needed to transform

education through:

• Generation of knowledge from practice and systemic inquiry.

• Application of knowledge to innovate, transform and sustain effective processes and

practices.

• Collaborative development, deployment and application of meaningful solutions to

problems of and in practice.

As a grand outcome, doctoral education should advance professional practice that enhances

intellectual, economic, and social development of learners, teachers, and society from within

and outside of the academe (3).

Views of Doctoral Education in Solving Problems of and in Practice

Solving problem of practice in education requires the generation, coordination, exchange, and

dissemination of both conceptual and empirical knowledge in educational processes in ways

that promote equitable, impartial, and intentional impactful outcomes. Solving problem in

practice involves finding solutions to active real-time educational issues, problems, and

challenges encountered in day-to-day experiential knowledge and skills acquired in the context

of professional practice, while connecting research and scholarship to actual practice. This is

more so because education exists in a climate of wicked problems (4). These are problems that

are unique to the context of practice with no definite generalizable solution. Solutions to such

wicked problems can only be found through constant examination and re-examination of

practice in improvement cycles.

The Ph.D. program examines educational problems through outside-of-the-practice lens to

offer insights on what could be improved. Program outcome for the Ph.D. should be on research

of practice. For the Ed.D. programs, the outcome should be focused on research in context of

practice. Experiences in this respect should be on continuous examination of actual problems

of practice embedded in the day-to-day realities of the education profession. Both should

complement each other to build a better and more solid bridge between theory and practice

(5). To have a robust, educational doctoral program, graduate schools, should have a balance of

Ph.Ds and Ed.Ds with different pathways through the professorate cadre (6). This will enhance

a trans-spatial, and more comprehensive doctoral program, both in scope and fidelity.

Purpose

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to present a model that explores the collective strengths

of the knowledge-to-practice and the practice-to-knowledge attributes and mutual synergies

that exists between Ph.D. and Ed.D. doctoral education for leadership of improvements in

educational enterprise. The model also explores the imperatives for doctoral programs,

candidates and graduates on their responsibilities as stewards for leadership in research,

scholarship, teaching and learning, innovation and social justice for improved educational

outcomes.

THE CONCEPTUAL MODEL

The conceptual model connecting doctoral education to specific domains of leadership in

education, to promote lasting improvements in education, is shown in Figure 1. The model

encapsulates the knowledge-into-action and action-to-knowledge centers through which