A view from within: how doctoral students in educational administration develop research knowledge and identity

Abstract

This study reports on experiences of doctoral students in educational administration at a time when the effectiveness of programs preparing practitioners and academics in this field are being questioned. Concerns related to how students in educational administration developed knowledge about research and identity as researchers were closely examined in a research-intensive university in the United States. Through participant interviews and personal narratives, findings revealed the challenges encountered at the nexus of the effectiveness of the educational program intersecting with the experiences of the doctoral students. Participants shared the importance of proximity to campus, self-advocacy, student status (full-time versus part-time) and personal and professional goals as influencing their development of research knowledge and identity. There were indicators that communities of practice, relationships with faculty, thematic pedagogy, public practice and action-oriented research were equally important in acquiring research knowledge and in developing a research identity.

Keywords:

• educational administration
• doctoral preparation programs
• research knowledge
• research identity

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Christine Weiland for her instrumental support in this piece, and Maenette Benham and Susan Printy for their motivation to conduct this study.