Doctorate EDUCATION at Canterbury Christ Church University

Why Education Doctorate?

Study at doctoral level embraces all the critical and analytical skills present in master's level work but also includes a stronger element of distinctiveness and originality. Doctoral work should make a contribution to the field of knowledge within which you are researching, and should be of potentially publishable standard.

The doctorate in the Faculty of Education delivers the advantages of working within a community of fellow researchers, engaging seminars, presentations and publication whilst at the same time becoming involved in a substantial individual research thesis of your own. The sense of community, of collaboration in the development of ideas and the opportunity to explore in depth aspects of research, policy and professional practice, is at the core of this course.

Modules include the nature of research and research design in education, the relationship between research, policy and professional practice, concepts of leadership and change, advanced research methodology and key issues in contemporary educational provision.

The doctorate culminates with a thesis, which may substantially draw on issues related to your own professional context.

This doctoral course combines advanced scholarship with a strong practice based philosophy. It builds upon the knowledge and skills that you, as a professional, bring to your study, and assumes that your professionalism is an integral part of the doctoral journey – where you will engage in intellectual and critical debate around contemporary educational issues in policy and practice.

Learning and Teaching?

Full use is made of the range of teaching approaches. You are required to be able to work and discuss in a way that is flexible from within your own disciplines and professional contexts but also in ways that go beyond these boundaries. The use of an extensive range of teaching strategies will support the development of postgraduate skills that will substantiate your learning and research.

You will be taught over study weekends. There will be a mixture of seminars, tutorials, collaborative work, lectures and workshops. Significant sections of the course will be delivered by researchers who are active in specialised fields of professional enquiry and you will have the opportunity to discuss and analyse their work with them. Below gives an indication of the key features of the teaching days and the tutorials.

• The thesis writing stage of the Ed.D will be supervised through individual tutorials. The bulk of this period will be self-directed study and writing and researching although you will have regular tutorials with your supervisors and have access to discussion forums on Blackboard.
• During the thesis writing stage you will meet with your supervisors at least once a term and youmay, at the request of your supervisors be required to submit evidence of work/progress once a month. You may be expected to provide evidence of written work and reading and to participate in discussions about the progress of your thesis. You will be expected to participate in seminars and discussion forums organised as part of the faculty research culture where they are relevant to your study.