Doctorate of Education (EdD)

Transcription

1 School of Education Part-Time Doctorate of Education (EdD)

2 2 University of Leicester School of Education Contents PAGE About the School of Education 2 Your Learning Experience 3 Course Structure Year 1 4 Year 2 5 Years 3 and 4/5 5 Entry Requirements and How to Apply 5 About the University 6 Contact Details Doctoral Studies Office School of Education University of Leicester Upper New Walk Leicester LE1 7QA UK t: +44 (0) f: +44 (0) e: [email protected] w: The Doctorate of Education (EdD) The Doctorate of Education (EdD) at the University of Leicester allows leading professionals to investigate contemporary issues and themes in Education. This part-time programme uses a blend of face-to-face and online approaches to teaching and learning, and draws on the School of Education s outstanding strengths in research and teaching. About the School of Education The School of Education s community of UK based and international research students and tutors provides a stimulating intellectual environment at one of the UK s top universities. We enjoy an excellent reputation for being at the forefront of educational research. Our research is of national and international significance, which allows us to provide informed and rigorous evidence in current educational issues and policy debates. We are also proud to reflect the unique status of Leicester in terms of its diversity, cultures and faiths. We place great importance on the synergy between our research and our teaching. Our high quality research informs our teaching, meaning all our students benefit from working with academics at the cutting-edge of their fields. Our broad research activity is co-ordinated through Special Interest Groups (SIGs), which bring together academic staff and students. The Special Interest Groups include: Education for Social Justice; Educational Leadership, Learning and Change; Language Teaching, Learning and Use; Participatory Approaches to Innovation and Reform in Education; Pedagogy and Innovation in Mathematics and Science Education; and Testing, Assessment and Measurement Research. See for more information about what we do.

3 The Doctorate of Education (EdD) 3 Your Learning Experience The EdD consists of assignments in Year 1 followed by a research based thesis. It is ideal for education professionals who wish to conduct research in their own professional context. Your findings can contribute substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches in your field. By completing this course you will be able to: Make informed judgments on complex issues in education. Undertake pure and/ or applied research into education. Communicate your ideas and conclusions effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences a key ability in contemporary education research. For the duration of the course you will be supported by a first and second supervisor. As well as being experts in their field, they will help you plan and manage your research, and develop your understanding of relevant research methodology. Through regular consultations, your supervisor will monitor your progress and be your first point of contact for help and advice. At Leicester we embrace the latest technology to provide an exciting academic environment. Throughout your doctoral studies you will be able to access the wealth of electronic resources available through the University s award winning Library or our Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard. Blackboard also allows students around the world to communicate and share ideas, as well as providing access to podcasts, course documents and stacks of relevant material. Although you will be away from campus for much of the time, you are still a valued member of the University s community. All students will attend a compulsory UK Residential Weekend School in Leicester at the start of the course the cost of which is included in the overall fee. This is a great opportunity to meet your supervisors and fellow researchers. You will also be invited to attend the doctoral study schools each year and there will also be regular supervision meetings with your tutor. You are entitled to make full use of the University s campus facilities, such as our 32m David Wilson Library. Your experience at Leicester is important to us. Our awardwinning student support services help you find your own way.

4 4 University of Leicester School of Education Course Structure This is a part-time course. You will be expected to complete your studies within three to five years. Year 1 Weekend Residential: An introduction to the EdD Programme Year 1 will enable you to refine your research question, consider an appropriate research design for your study and develop a conceptual framework within your chosen topic by exploring and critically evaluating the relevant literature. Alongside this you will be introduced to different research paradigms and methods. Year 1 will consist of four assignments: Assignment 1: Identifying Your Research Agenda as a Contemporary Issue 2,500 3,000 words You will propose your research question and understand its context and background, as well as develop, recognise and understand relevant concepts, theories and practices in contemporary educational debates. Assignment 2: Forming Appropriate Conceptual Frameworks 4,000 5,000 words You will develop theoretical and conceptual frameworks relevant to your thesis and critically review and evaluate perspectives and arguments in the literature. Assignment 3: Designing Your Research Study 4,000 5,000 words Having investigated the different methodological techniques and understood the impact of the role and the stance adopted by the researcher, you will indicate the most appropriate research paradigm and approach most suitable for your proposed study. Assignment 4: Thesis Proposal 5,000 6,000 words You will demonstrate the feasibility and rigour of your proposed doctoral study, drawing on work completed in the previous assignments.

5 The Doctorate of Education (EdD) 5 Year 2 Thesis You will work with your supervisor to develop your chosen areas of research, develop a literature review and conduct a piece of pilot research. You will produce four progress reports over the year, which culminate in an End of Year Report of 10,000 12,000 words. Your report will serve as a probation assessment point which you will need to pass in order to proceed with your thesis. There will also be opportunities to attend doctoral training days. Years 3 and 4/5 Thesis You will continue to work with your supervisor on the development of your thesis, again submitting four progress reports over the course of the year. There will be a second residential training weekend in Year 4 if you expect to submit in Year 4 and further School of Education training days. Your final thesis should be 55,000 words long, be methodologically rigorous and comprise work of publishable quality that makes an original contribution to knowledge in its field. Final Assessment Your thesis will be assessed by internal and external examiners and you will undertake an oral examination (viva). Successful examination will lead to the award of the Doctorate of Education. Entry Requirements and How to Apply A Masters Degree relevant to the topic selected You can apply online at Please see the School of Education website for full details on the supporting documents that you need to submit with your application and to download our proposal guidelines: We welcome informal enquiries and are happy to discuss the course and your interests.

6 6 University of Leicester School of Education Martine Hamilton Knight At Leicester we re proud to do things a bit differently. We believe that our worldchanging research should go hand-in-hand with highquality teaching. Our research credentials are impressive. The research conducted by the University has the strongest impact of any Midlands university. Our research citation levels place us amongst the top 2% of universities in the world and are the 6th highest in the UK. About the University Some universities consider their primary purpose to be high quality research, others concentrate on excellent teaching. Here at Leicester we think that the two are not only complementary, they re inseparable. We believe that teaching is more inspirational when delivered by passionate scholars engaged in world-changing research and that research is stronger when delivered in an academic community that includes students. We think that a university should be about empowering people to explore what they don t know. We achieve this through passionate, dedicated research and teaching. When we were named University of the Year for by the Times Higher Education, the judges applauded Leicester s very different approach, calling us elite without being elitist. Of Britain s top 15 universities only one Leicester exceeds its government benchmarks for inclusivity. Our dedication to providing an excellent student experience can be seen in our consistent performance in the National Student Survey. Since the launch of the survey in 2005, Leicester has consistently featured amongst the top-10 universities in England for student satisfaction. With these ideas at heart, Leicester is reframing the values that govern academia and re-defining what a university needs to be in the 21st century; we are constantly finding new ways of being a leading university.

7 The Doctorate of Education (EdD) 7 My first year on the EdD I have found it challenging, enjoyable, thought-provoking and interesting I feel really well-supported. John Bridgman The University of Leicester is a highly respected institution in my home country and I felt confident that a doctoral qualification from Leicester would be held in high regard. Wafa Zoghbor School of Education Great feel and solidarity between students. Thank you for a great, well facilitated study school. Student comment following Summer Study School

8 Contact Details Doctoral Studies Office School of Education University of Leicester Upper New Walk Leicester LE1 7QA UK t: +44 (0) f: +44 (0) e: w: All information in this brochure was correct at the time of going to press. However, changes and developments are part of the life of the University, and alterations may occur to the programmes and services described in this brochure. University of Leicester Leicester LE1 7RH UK This brochure was printed by Print Services, University of Leicester, using vegetable based inks on FSC certified stock 5785_06/13