CIP Code: 13.9999
Mission Statement
The Ed.D. program is an outgrowth of the University’s mission of “preparing students to serve in a global and culturally diverse society” and the School of Education’s mission of developing “reflective, problem-solving professional educators of excellence.” The Ed.D. program is a natural extension of academic programs, projects, and community activities that are already in progress.
Overview – Leadership in Teaching and Learning
The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership in Teaching and Learning program is a practical degree program designed to meet the needs of professional administrators and leaders in curriculum and instruction at the PK-Grade 12 district level. The program stresses the development of leadership in teaching and learning strategies that assist schools in promoting a culture of learning and inquiry. The emphasis on leadership in teaching and learning in this program places achievement in the broader context of scholarship and lifelong learning.
The added dimension of the educational doctorate is to build a “culture of applied research” which will continue to serve the PK-Grade 12 and higher educational community in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The emphasis will be on district leaders as change agents who are responsible for creating climates that help administrators and teachers make changes in the context of teaching and learning.
Primary Audience
The primary audience for the Ed.D. program consists of educational professionals who aspire to be or who are already serving as superintendents, assistant superintendents, and curriculum coordinators, although there may be some interest from building-level leaders and administrators as well. These individuals must have completed an Ed.S. degree or the equivalent in post-master’s level study.
Themes
The Ed.D. program emphasizes the needs of leaders within the following themes:
- Leadership in teaching and learning (as a lens through which decisions are made and problems are solved).
- Applied field research (a component of individual courses as well as the dissertation).
- Diversity (diverse experiences working with diverse populations).
- Technology (the sophisticated use of all forms of technology in data collection and analysis in research and in delivery of instruction).
- Service to the community (following the mission of the University “to prepare students to serve in a global and culturally diverse society”).
- Reflective practice (the core of the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework).
These themes reflect the goals of the Ed.D. program. The program prepares leaders in teaching and learning who are aware of increased diversity in classrooms, of greater expectations for student learning, and of new opportunities to use technology.
Objectives
Students in the Ed.D. program will:
- Demonstrate the ability to engage in original, field-based inquiry and research related to pedagogy, pedagogical content knowledge, and/or district-wide strategies for improving teaching and learning in complex and diverse settings.
- Engage in moral and ethical decision-making using analytical and interdisciplinary methods for assessing the complicated financial, political, and cultural issues and dilemmas facing public and private school systems.
- Demonstrate the ability to use sophisticated technological tools for the collection and evaluation of data to make strategic decisions and changes in policies and processes related to teaching and learning.
- Demonstrate critical reflection in analyzing multi-faceted problems at the district and state level and developing creative solutions for resolving these problems.
- Demonstrate leadership skills in assessment, problem-solving, and both short-term and long-term strategic planning related to teaching and learning.
Continuous Enrollment
Students will enter the Ed.D. program as a cohort group and move through the program with their assigned group. Students will enroll in each 12-week term until the end of the coursework and the end of the dissertation study.
Course Load and Timeline
The load for students enrolled in the Ed.D. program will be one three-hour course every twelve weeks or a total of 12 credit hours by the end of the first year. The timeline for completion of the program for most students is projected to be two years, although some students may take longer to complete the doctoral dissertation. It is expected that students will begin the process for completion of the doctoral dissertation with the appointment of a Dissertation Committee Chair near the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter.
Field-Based Research
Two doctoral classes, EDUC 723 Transformational Theories and Applications and EDAD 743 Introduction to the Dissertation , include a field-based research project. These field experiences will be action research projects requiring students to (a) identify a problem within a district setting, (b) obtain the permissions and approvals necessary to engage in research, and (c) use appropriate research methods for collecting and evaluating data.
Research Methods Classes
GRED 753 Methods of Inquiry II: Quantitative Analysis and GRED 763 Methods of Inquiry III: Qualitative Analysis prepare students for the Doctoral Dissertation with an understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
- In Methods of Inquiry II, students develop a working knowledge of (a) the key statistical techniques required for various research designs, (b) the interpretation and reporting of research findings, and (c) the necessary analysis required for completing a research project.
- In Methods of Inquiry III, students practice formulating qualitative questions related to problems in the field of education and identify appropriate qualitative procedures. Students construct data collection protocols for interviews and observations, design surveys, practice document analysis, and apply coding and classification techniques for organizing and interpreting data.
It is expected that individuals completing the Ed.D. degree will continue to engage in applied research at the district level as leaders in the process of teaching and learning.
Assessment
Assessment of the growth of the Ed.D. student will be ongoing, multi-faceted, and in the form of course-embedded assessments, field-based research evaluations, and Doctoral Dissertation/Oral Defense requirements.
Course-Embedded Assessments
Assessments embedded in the Ed.D. courses include case studies, surveys, professor-made examinations, and projects as well as formative and summative evaluations. These will be based on both program and course objectives and will be reflected in the syllabi of the courses.
Dissertation
Students must complete a six-hour dissertation (GRED 786 Doctoral Dissertation) using either quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research methods. Requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:
- An “original” research design and proposal related to a PKGrade 12 district-level problem in the area of Leadership in Teaching and Learning.
- A comprehensive review of seminal historic and current literature on the problem, beginning with a broad background of research and culminating with literature that most specifically relates to the proposal.
- A high level of conceptual complexity and critical analysis of the problem.
- A scholarly quantitative, qualitative, or mixed research project approved by the student’s Doctoral Dissertation Committee, the Proposal Research Committee, and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and conducted appropriately.
- Appropriate interpretation of research findings and conclusions drawn from those findings.
- Articulation and defense of the dissertation in an open presentation before the Doctoral Dissertation Committee, faculty, and other graduate students.
- Publication of the dissertation through ProQuest.
The Doctoral Dissertation is expected to be at least 100 pages with no less than 50 references, unless otherwise directed by the Doctoral Dissertation Committee. The writing style of the American Psychological Association (APA), Sixth Edition, will be followed. The study must include a well-formulated statement of the rationale for the study and research methodology; a thorough and analytic review of related research; a concise explanation of the research design; and appropriate analysis of results and conclusions.
Doctoral Dissertation Committee
The Doctoral Dissertation Committee consists of three members: a committee chair and two committee members. Normally, the chair of the committee should be selected by the conclusion of the third term in the program or very early in the fourth term, from the listing of Graduate Faculty designated as eligible to chair committees. Selection of the chair is an interactive process involving both the student and desired chair from among faculty with compatible research interests and experience. Formal dialogue about the student’s project can begin as soon as the chair has been approved by the Vice President for Graduate Studies, or his/her designee.
The full committee is selected by the end of the fourth term. The Doctoral Dissertation Committee approves the Doctoral Dissertation proposal before it goes to the IRB and assists the student in the research and writing of the study. Normally, all three members will have completed an earned Ed.D. or Ph.D. Occasionally, however, one of the three may not have completed an earned doctorate, but be an individual who has documented special expertise germane to the proposed study. One external committee member may be selected, assuming such individuals meet the requirements for working with doctoral-level students. The committee chair and committee members must be approved by the Vice President for Graduate Studies, or his/her designee. Normally, the student’s project has received approval by the dissertation committee, the Proposal Research Application Committee, and the IRB no later than the end of the sixth term in the program. Specific work on the project, beyond definition, development of the proposed research design, and the review and analysis of relevant historic and contemporary research and scholarship, may NOT begin until the IRB has approved the study.
It is anticipated that the majority of students will have completed their doctoral dissertation by the end of their second year in the program. Students who do not complete the study within this time frame will continue to enroll for one graduate credit hour for each additional term necessary to complete the study. The study must be completed within seven years after admission into the program.
Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
The IRB consists of faculty and qualified staff from MBU’s graduate program. This board is responsible for ensuring that all MBU research complies with University and federal guidelines. The IRB reviews all proposed research studies in the Ed.D. program for compliance with the ethical standards of human research. IRB approval is required before collection of any data.
Doctoral Dissertation/Oral Defense Requirements
The Doctoral Dissertation demonstrates the student’s ability to engage in independent research by identifying a significant problem or question, developing a sophisticated methodology for analyzing the problem, and subsequently identifying the findings and drawing conclusions related to leadership in teaching and learning.
After completing the Doctoral Dissertation, submitting the final written paper, and gaining final approval of the study from the committee, the student will defend the study and conclusions before the research committee, faculty, and other graduate students. The oral defense will be scored based on the following expectations:
- The breadth and depth of the review of literature related to the study
- The validity of the methodology used in the study
- The level of critical reasoning used in drawing the conclusions of the research
- The complexity of arguments used to defend the study
- The impact of the study on the field of leadership in teaching and learning
Based on the oral defense, additional revisions to the study may be required, and the chair of the committee will provide stipulations for the suggested changes. The final approved draft will be submitted to the Vice President for Graduate Studies for final administrative approval, and, if approved, the student will receive notification from the Vice President indicating completion of the Ed.D. program.
Summary of the Doctor of Education Degree Process
To earn the Ed.D. degree in Leadership in Teaching and Learning, a student must complete each of the following steps:
- The student must follow a comprehensive plan of study assigned by the Doctor of Education Office.
- The student must complete all coursework included in the plan of study.
- The student must successfully present his/her doctoral dissertation to colleagues and faculty as scheduled.
- An Application for Graduation, signed by the student, Director of Ed.D. program, and Vice President for Graduate Studies, must be filed with the Graduate Office and the Records Office in the semester prior to the term in which the student intends to graduate.
- Students must pay the required graduation fee. Students are encouraged to participate in the graduation ceremony scheduled the first Tuesday evening after the last Saturday in April of each academic year. Students must notify the Vice President for Graduate Studies and the Director of Records if they choose not to participate. Students must pay the graduation fee whether they attend commencement or not.
- All graduate students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in order to graduate from the program.
Transfer Students/Transfer Credit
Credits will not be considered for transfer into the Ed.D. program in Leadership in Teaching and Learning, with the exception of the Methods of Inquiry I course.
Directed Studies
Courses in the Doctor of Education program are not available by directed study, as specified in the course description.
Grade Requirements
Doctoral level graduate students must earn a grade of B or better in doctoral level courses in order to continue in the Doctor of Education program. A student who receives a grade lower than B will be asked to withdraw from the doctoral program.
Research Requirements must comply with each course syllabus expectation along with the University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Doctor of Education Degree Requirements
Program Requirements
The Ed.D. program in Leadership in Teaching and Learning requires a total of 24 credit hours beyond the Ed.S., or its equivalent. The courses are built upon the curriculum of a 30-credit hour Ed.S. program. GRED 543 Methods of Inquiry I (3 credit hours), or its equivalent, is a requirement for the Ed.D. program and is taken at the master’s level at MBU. Most students will be able to satisfy the requirement for Methods of Inquiry I with previous coursework taken within the last seven years.
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