RPPREDUC - Doctor of Education

The Doctorate in Education (EdD) is an innovative part-time programme aimed at educational professionals who want to undertake a substantial investigation into an area of current professional practice in education. It is located in the Institute for Policy Studies in Education, one of London Metropolitan University’s leading Research Institutes, and it has a specific focus on issues of educational policy, practice and social justice.

It is comparable to the PhD in terms of scale and rigour. The first 2 years of the programme consists of 6 taught modules to provide advanced level study of education policy, social justice, research methodologies and reflective practice. In year 2, students also develop a research design and proposal for their EdD thesis. From year 3 onwards, students work on their individual thesis, supervised by two members of staff.

Students join a vibrant research community and are taught and supervised by active research in the field of education. The time expected to complete the EdD is four to six years.

The aim of the EdD is to implement a programme of research-based professional development for experienced professional practitioners who have educational responsibilities within their employment. The programme is designed to encourage practitioners at doctoral level to:

• undertake theoretical and critical reflection;
• acquire knowledge of contemporary educational policy developments and processes;
• develop the ability to challenge in an innovative, substantive and original manner the adequacy of existing knowledge, policy developments and professional practice;
• develop the capacity of defining, undertaking and evaluating research on education;
• examine the dynamics of social class, gender, ethnicity and other identities/inequalities in education from a social justice perspective;
• develop their own distinctive approach to research.

The following learning outcomes incorporate and depend on the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of Education, and merit publication.

On successful completion of this programme students will be able to:

• underpin their work with a systematic acquisition and critical understanding of a substantial body of knowledge that is at the forefront of the field of education;

• conceptualise, design and implement a research project that demonstrates the generation of new knowledge or understanding within the field of education, and to adjust the research design in the light of unforeseen problems;

• apply, on the basis of a detailed understanding, techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry;

• make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences;

• be in a position to undertake further research at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches;

• apply the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

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Each module in the taught part of the course is assessed by an assignment of 4,000-5,000 words as follows:

Module 1: Education Policy and Social Justice: An Overview

Assignment: Literature Review of chosen topic in the field of education (100% weighting), submission January year 1.

Module 2: Introduction to Theories and Methods as an Educational Researcher

Assignment: An Account of the Selection of Research Methods (100% weighting), submission May year 1.

Module 3: Evaluating Research and Reflecting on its Uses in Professional Contexts

Assignment: A critical analysis of the relationship between research and your professional field (100% weighting), submission August year 1.

Module 4: Policy, Practice and Social Justice in Educational Institutions

Assignment: A Critical Analysis of an Aspect of Institutional Policy/Practice (100% weighting), submission January year 2.

Module 5: Research Proposal and Presentation

Assignment: A Written Research Proposal (60% weighting) and Oral Presentation (40% weighting), submission May year 2.

Module 6: Conducting Educational Research: Research Methodology Part 2

Assignment – A Pilot Study Account (100% weighting), submission August year 2.

Students have the opportunity to receive formative feedback on one draft of their assignment prior to formal submission.

The Research Thesis (40,000 – 50,000 words) should form a contribution to the knowledge of the subject area and show evidence of originality, either by the discovery of new evidence, or by the exercise of independent critical power. A reflective statement (2,000 words) summarising what the student has learnt from the doctorate as a whole and how this has impacted on their professional practice must be submitted along with the thesis.

IPSE has a process for the internal reading of the final thesis, by a member of staff who is not part of the supervisory team, prior to formal submission, and arranges a mock viva for the student prior to the final examination.

The thesis is examined by two examiners, at least one of whom must be external to the university, through a viva voce.

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The minimum period of registration for the course will be 4 academic years, enabling students exceptionally to complete within this time period.

MEd Policy, Research and Professional Practice - all taught modules

A Professional Doctorate in Education enhances career prospects for educational professionals. It constitutes the most advanced training in the field and prepares graduates to exercise leadership roles within their area of expertise, both at local and national levels. It may also lead to continuing research at advanced level and teaching in academia.

What our students say

"My decision to study EdD is the best thing that ever happened to me in my professional career. "

"I find the EdD incredibly useful for reflecting on my professional practice and organizing my thoughts into a theoretical framework. It's also great to meet like-minded colleagues from across the university and beyond!"

"I feel the EdD has contributed to my professional development. It has helped sharpen my analysis skills, to develop a better understanding of the current landscape and to draw analogies with other fields of practice."

"Being a student on the EdD was a really effective way of gaining a fresh insight into the learner's perspective and so a valuable boost to my own teaching."

"Excellent content and delivery!"

Students shall normally be required to have:

• a Master’s degree from a UK university (in addition to a first degree) or an overseas equivalent, plus at least three years full-time experience in a relevant professional area.
• Candidates without a Masters degree may be admitted to the programme on the basis of a portfolio of prior professional work of Masters level equivalence. Applicants whose first language is not English, need to demonstrate the appropriate level measured by IELTS, TOEFL or the EASE test.

Through the application process, candidates also need to demonstrate the potential to successfully complete a research degree.

If you have academic questions about the programme, or would like to discuss making an application, please contact the course director course leader Rosanna Perez-del-Aguila on v.perez-del-aguila@londonmet.ac.uk.