D Prof Prac

Reflections on the first five years of Professional Doctorate provision at the

University of Northampton

Mary Dobson, Jackie Campbell, Michelle Pyer and Jackie Parkes

Doctoral study programmes offered in the UK are wide-ranging (1)

Doctoral Study in the UK

PhD seen as the traditional route for doctoral education.

Professional doctorates currently growing at the fastest rate (2):

• They vary in focus and objectives set for students (3)

• Most require students to make an original contribution to professional practice (4, 5)

The generation of new knowledge through original research (1).

Doctoral Study in the UKObjectives of doctoral study

AQF (2013) (6)

PhD: a significant and original contribution to knowledge Prof Doc: …In the context of professional practice

‘graduates of a doctoral degree will demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills:

• to plan and execute original research• with the ongoing capacity to generate

new knowledge, including in the context of professional practice.’

Objectives of a Professional Doctorate• To allow the practitioner researcher to generate

and apply knowledge and expertise from practice, for practice within practice (7)

• Application to practice differentiates the Professional Doctorate from the PhD

• Policies in the UK link advanced, independent and specialist practitioner status to educational attainment at doctoral level

• Focus on application to practice may account for the increased numbers of students selecting Prof Doc route

Doctoral Study in the UK

Designed to enable students to demonstrate:• Advanced knowledge and understanding (literature and

research methods relevant to practice)

• Independent critical judgement related to specialist area

• Engagement in research within an inter-disciplinary and multi professional learning environment

• Original contribution to advancement of professional knowledge and practice in an area of professional activity through the identification, development and execution of original research based in a health or social care practice environment

• Capacity to integrate research within professional context

Doctorate of Professional Practice: University of Northampton

Doctorate of Professional Practice at the University of Northampton

• Started in Oct 2010 as first programme at UoN

• Six year programme (max)

• Delivered in two parts (facilitated modules & research project)

• Students from a range of professional backgrounds: (n = 33)

• Nurses

• Allied Health Professionals

• Social workers

• Managers/ service commissioners

• NHS R&D managers

• Academic staff (n = 14; 42%)

• Teachers

Years

1-2

3-6

Facilitated modulesPrinciples of ResearchAdvanced Quantitative Data AnalysisAdvanced Qualitative Data AnalysisResearch LeadershipReflections on Professional Practice

Independent research projectProfessional Practice Research thesis• 40,000 words• Supported by supervisory team• Submission (latest) 6 years from

enrolment onto programme• Subject to viva voce

Introduction to the programme

Reflections on first five years• Informed by academic literature reviewing Professional

Doctorates

• Professional networking with similar programmes both nationally and internationally

• On-going research programme (Application of Doctoral Learning into Practice Study [8])

• Feedback from staff and students

1. PhD ‘versus’ Professional Doctorate

Features of the Professional Doctorate:-Cohort experience-Breadth of research training-Application to practice

For academic staff the benefits are:

-Increased peer support associated with the shared journey (evidenced by lower attrition rates than typical seen in PhD programmes)-Improved research training across a range of methodologies (staff are better prepared to conduct and/or supervise primary research)-Application to professional role and academic practice.

Application of doctoral learning into practice study

Staff interviewees asked to comment on the meaning of the term ‘application of learning to practice’:

• The phrase was considered particularly pertinent to professional doctorate study;

• Important to ‘unpick’ the terms ‘practice’ and ‘learning’

Practice: Different roles mean different practice

Learning: A consideration of the distinction of ‘knowledge’ and ‘skills’

In many ways it’s the one thing that you can identify

as unique about the professional doctorate. That

doesn’t mean to say that research that is done in a traditional PhD can’t be applied to practice, or

indeed research done in any sphere, but it is the raison

d’etre I think of the professional doctorate.

Application of doctoral learning into practice study

Importance of application

The application of learning to practice is important at many levels:

• Patients/ service users• Students• Employers• Profession

This was exemplified by both by staff and students.

2. Teaching Teachers

• High levels of anxiety amongst academic staff who are students on the programme

• Common at other UK Institutions

• Perceived implications for security of job role

• ‘Bagging a doctorate’ (2nd year Prof Doc student) versus research training

3. Progression and Achievement• Trends are consistent with those seen at other UK Institutions

• Completion rate for facilitated modules is good

Cohort 1: 1 withdrawal for academic reasons

Cohort 2: 0 withdrawal for academic reasons

Cohort 3: Too early to report

• Attrition tends to be for non-academic reasons (e.g., work pressure, change of job role)

• Key Issue:

Poor progression from modules (facilitated study) to thesis (independent study)

Initial findings: Students more likely to suspend study at this point

Recommendations:• Professional Doctorate study is a suitable route for level 8 study for academic staff

• Such programmes offer the opportunity to reflect on professional identity from subject area and academic perspectives

• We need to consider how we support staff during the transition to the independent research element of the programme (e.g., embedding within the research culture of the School and University)

• We need to nurture new researcher so that ‘bagging a doctorate’ is not seen as the end point of the programme.

DBA – new programme in NBS

References1. Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Doctoral degree characteristics. London: QAA; 2011.

2. VITAE. Types of doctoral degrees. 2014 [updated 2014; cited]; Available from: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers/1248/Types-of-doctoral-degrees.html.

3. McCarty LP, Orloff DH. Reforming the doctorate in education: three conceptions. Educational Perspectives. 2005;37(2):10-9.

4. Costley C. Evaluation of the current status and knowledge contributions of professional doctorates. Quality in Higher Education. 2013;19(1):7-27.

5. Wellington J. Searching for 'doctorateness'. Studies in Higher Education. 2013;38(10):1490-503.

6.Australian Qualifications Framework Council, Australian Qualifications Framework, 2nd edition, 2013

7. Rolfe G and Davies R, Second generation professional doctorates in nursing, International Journal of Nursing Studies, 46, 1265-1273, 2009

8. Dobson, M., Campbell, J., Pyer, M. & Parkes, J. (April, 2014). Application of Doctoral Scholarship in Health and Social Care Practice Setting in the UK. In: Conference Proceedings of the 11 th Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference, Adelaide, Australia.

jackie.campbell2@northampton.ac.uk