Abstract
The current discussion around recognition of the doctorate of education (EdD) typically focuses on a national context, usually in relation to the PhD; however, relatively little is known about recognition of the EdD degree in countries that do not offer the qualification. As international cohorts and online delivery of doctoral education grows, it is valuable to understand the recognition of the EdD, particularly in countries that do not currently offer it, and in which policy and legislation may impede its recognition. Using Israel as a case, this study explores EdD recognition in a country that does not offer the degree and that has a particularly rigid recognition system, likely as a result of a neoliberal experiment with the deregulation of the higher education arena in the 1990s. My investigations indicate three spheres of recognition for the degree: the public, private and academic spheres. This article outlines these spheres and explores the implications of such a system.
Highlights
Background to the EdDWhile it is not within the scope of this paper to provide an exhaustive review of the EdD, it is essential to have a general grasp of the degree from the academic literature
The Ministry of Education (MoE), under the Department of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and External Relations, hosts the Division for Evaluation of Foreign and Academic Degrees, which has been responsible for the official recognition of degrees obtained at foreign academic institutions since 1973
The main purpose of the department is to assess the equivalency of degrees attained abroad to degrees obtained in Israeli higher education institution (HEI) for use in the public sphere
Summary
While it is not within the scope of this paper to provide an exhaustive review of the EdD, it is essential to have a general grasp of the degree from the academic literature. Global developments impact on the spread of professional doctorates: information and communications technology that facilitates new forms of provision (for example, online delivery) that allow students around the world to access programmes remotely, and the unprecedented movement of people, the increase in international students. For these myriad reasons, professional doctorates and EdD programmes are expanding their global reach (Wildy et al, 2015). Scholars note participant motivations are largely personal, with emphasis on the importance of the degree in boosting confidence, fostering reflexivity and spurring personal growth (Wellington and Sikes, 2006; Biddle, 2013; Scott et al, 2004; Burgess and Wellington, 2010)
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