Professional Doctoral Degree Research Articles

“Reclaiming” Special Education’s Professional Practice Doctorate: Strengthening the Pipeline of Special Education Leaders

In 2006, Schulman and colleagues made a call to “reclaim” education’s doctorate (i.e., the EdD) by developing a robust professional practice doctoral degree with a distinctive scholarly base. Separate from its more traditional and research-intensive counterpart (i.e., the PhD), the EdD is intended to be more specifically tailored to and focused on skills necessary for enhancing practice. In this conceptual article, the authors argue that “reclaiming” special education’s professional practice doctorate—especially amid times of great workforce instability—serves an important and often overlooked need in terms of developing and sustaining the pipeline of special education leaders. They discuss the role of the EdD student as a scholarly practitioner and “credible insider,” illustrating how they are uniquely positioned to enact local change and build or strengthen the school’s capacity through improvement science. Recommendations for multiple impacted groups will also be addressed.

Association Between Vision Difficulty and Sociodemographic Factors in Children: A Population-Based Analysis

To determine sociodemographic predictors of poor vision in children and adolescents less than 18 years of age in a large, nationally representative sample of the US population. Retrospective, population-based cross-sectional study. Using data from the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), participants less than 18 years of age for whom data were available on vision difficulty were included in our analysis. Our primary outcome was vision difficulty. Sociodemographic variables were investigated as predictors of vision difficulty. Logistic regression models were performed using Stata version 17.0. An odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were reported for analyses. The 2021 NHIS reported on 8261 children and adolescents, of whom 7373 had data pertaining to vision difficulty and were included in our sample. Vision difficulty was associated with being unable to afford medical care (OR=2.60, 95% CI=1.17, 5.80, P=0.02) and having public health insurance (OR=1.52, 95% CI=1.09, 2.12, P=.01). Compared to children less than 5 years of age, children ranging from 5 to 8 years (OR=4.29, 95% CI=2.26, 8.15, P < .01) and adolescents ranging from 16 to 17 years (OR=6.06, 95% CI=3.17, 11.58, P < .01) had a higher odds of vision difficulty. Compared to participants for whom the highest level of education of adults in their family was grade 1 to 11, the odds of vision difficulty were lower in those whose parents had a professional school or doctoral degree (OR=0.30, 95% CI=0.11, 0.84, P=.02). Multiple sociodemographic factors are associated with vision difficulty in young persons. In working toward achieving equity in vision health, it is imperative that disparities mediated by sociodemographic factors be addressed through public health policies.

Pharmacy School and Pharm.D. Program in the United States of America

Pharmacy schools in Japan started to offer the 6-year undergraduate program in 2006. Currently, students are eligible for the national licensing examination to become a pharmacist only after completing the six-year program and receiving a bachelor's degree. Meanwhile, pharmacy schools offer the four-year graduate program in the United States of America (U.S.A.). In addition to the length of the program, there are several significant differences between pharmacy schools in Japan and the U.S.A. In the U.S., students receive a professional doctoral degree in pharmacy, doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.), after completion of the program. Fourth-year pharmacy students in the U.S. spend 1600 h in their clinical rotations, which is considerably longer than those in Japanese programs. It is also unique that pharmacists and pharmacy students are authorized to administer vaccines in the U.S. upon completion of immunization training. This symposium review aims to introduce the pharmaceutical education and the Pharm.D. program offered in the U.S.

Academic program recommendations for graduate degrees in medical physics: AAPM Report No. 365 (Revision of Report No. 197).

Academic program recommendations for graduate degrees in medical physics: AAPM Report No. 365 (Revision of Report No. 197).

AAPM WGPDMP Report 373: The content, structure, and value of the Professional Doctorate in Medical Physics (DMP)

The Professional Doctorate in Medical Physics (DMP) was originally conceived as a solution to the shortage of medical physics residency training positions. While this shortage has now been largely satisfied through conventional residency training positions, the DMP has expanded to multiple institutions and grown into an educational pathway that provides specialized clinical training and extends well beyond the creation of additional training spots. As such, it is important to reevaluate the purpose and the value of the DMP. Additionally, it is important to outline the defining characteristics of the DMP to assure that all existing and future programs provide this anticipated value. Since the formation and subsequent accreditation of the first DMP program in 2009–2010, four additional programs have been created and accredited. However, no guidelines have yet been recommended by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. CAMPEP accreditation of these programs has thus far been based only on the respective graduate and residency program standards. This allows the development and operation of DMP programs which contain only the requisite Master of Science (MS) coursework and a 2‐year clinical training program. Since the MS plus 2‐year residency pathway already exists, this form of DMP does not provide added value, and one may question why this existing pathway should be considered a doctorate. Not only do we, as a profession, need to outline the defining characteristics of the DMP, we need to carefully evaluate the potential advantages and disadvantages of this pathway within our education and training infrastructure. The aims of this report from the Working Group on the Professional Doctorate Degree for Medical Physicists (WGPDMP) are to (1) describe the current state of the DMP within the profession, (2) make recommendations on the structure and content of the DMP for existing and new DMP programs, and (3) evaluate the value of the DMP to the profession of medical physics.

Estudos sobre as representações do corpo: diálogos possíveis

O artigo apresenta um recorte do projeto de pesquisa desenvolvido no Mestrado Profissional em Educação Profissional e Tecnológica - ProfEPT. Por meio do estado da arte, este trabalho visou averiguar como a temática da percepção corporal vem sendo abordada por pesquisadores brasileiros, e identificar se os sujeitos demonstram ter suas percepções corporais influenciadas por modelos estabelecidos pela sociedade, buscando ratificar a relevância dos estudos sobre o tema, especialmente na Educação Física inserida na linha dos mestrados profissionais da área de ensino. Para tal análise, foi realizada uma busca na base de dados do Portal de Periódicos e no Catálogo de Teses e Dissertações da CAPES. A investigação revelou que a maioria das pesquisas aponta a importância e a atemporalidade do tema, pois apesar do transcorrer do tempo, as concepções e as formas de poder continuam a existir sobre o corpo. Verificou-se haver poucas intervenções após a produção de dados seja em pesquisas acadêmicas ou profissionais. Encontramos um grande número de pesquisas acadêmicas e poucos estudos advindos de mestrados ou doutorados profissionais que abordem o tema do corpo sob uma perspectiva das representações sociais. E quando consideramos essa abordagem em estudos da área da Educação Física, a quantidade é ainda menor.

A Unique and Scalable Model for Increasing Research Engagement, STEM Persistence, and Entry into Doctoral Programs.

Low persistence in science majors and limited participation in high-impact research experiences contribute to the nationwide underrepresentation of minorities in the science workforce, particularly jobs requiring a graduate degree. The Program for Excellence in Education and Research in the Sciences (PEERS) is an academic support program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that supports first- and second-year science majors from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds to maximize student success and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) persistence. Here, we evaluate the success of PEERS through data from the UCLA registrar, student surveys, and longitudinal tracking of student outcomes. Results show that PEERS students have significantly higher participation rates in undergraduate research, despite PEERS having no formal research component. Importantly, PEERS students were seven times as likely to enroll in PhD programs, and twice as likely to enroll in MD programs compared with propensity-matched controls. Combined results show that increased success of PEERS students in their first 2 years as science majors resulted in improved outcomes later in their undergraduate studies and had tangible impacts on subsequent educational trajectories that will increase participation of underrepresented groups in high-skill STEM careers.

Advancing the Entry-Level Practitioner: A Curricular Model of the Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degree

Advancing the Entry-Level Practitioner: A Curricular Model of the Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral Degree

Perception and Acceptance of the Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (MLSD) Degree (A Professional Doctorate Degree) among Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria

Background: The practice of Medical Laboratory Science has witnessed advancement globally, with increasing need for laboratory input in modern healthcare delivery. This has brought about the need for advanced education and training for practitioners of Medical Laboratory Science.&#x0D; Objectives: This descriptive, cross-sectional study assessed the perception and acceptance of the Doctor of Medical Laboratory Science (MLSD) degree among Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria.&#x0D; Methods: The study involved five hundred (500) Medical Laboratory Scientists across Nigeria, who participated based on informed consent. The survey instrument was a structured questionnaire that contained demographic information and 16 items which the respondents responded to.&#x0D; Results: Out of the 500 respondents, 380(76%) were male while 120(24%) were female, with majority of them within 20 to 49 years of age. On the perception of the MLSD degree, 355(71%) of the respondents agreed that MLSD will increase employment opportunities for practitioners, 460(92%) agreed that it will offer practitioners enhanced emoluments while 490(98%) agreed that MLSD will enhance the knowledge base and clinical expertise of practitioners. Also, 400(80%) agreed that MLSD will help reduce quackery and impersonation of Medical Laboratory Scientists, 485(97%) agreed that it will enhance the prestige of the profession, 470(94%) agreed that it will enhance laboratory diagnosis and biomedical research. Data on acceptance show that 420(84%) of the respondents indicated that they would like to obtain the MLSD degree, 345(69%) will like one of their children to obtain the MLSD degree, 305(61%) do not support quasi-specialization in MLSD, 445(89%) agreed that MLSD without quasi-specialization will broaden the clinical knowledge and skills of practitioners and improve patient-care while 415(83%) believe that the MLSD without quasi-specialization will give more meaning to postgraduate specialization.&#x0D; Conclusion: It is concluded that the MLSD has positive perception and acceptance among Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigeria. Therefore, MLSD is recommended for adoption and implementation for the training of Medical Laboratory Scientists in Nigerian universities.

Professional Doctorate in Clinical Exercise Physiology

Professional Doctorate in Clinical Exercise Physiology

Factors Leading Educators to Pursue a Doctorate Degree to Meet Professional Development Needs

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the professional development needs of educators with a Master’s degree and seeking or having a doctoral degree in education. Background: Understanding the professional development needs of educators is important for meeting these needs. The literature focuses on post-bachelor education but does not address professional development and doctoral degree needs. Methodology: Educators with a Master’s degree in education seeking or having completed a doctoral degree participated in one 30 minute semi-structured interview. Contribution: This research can be used as a guide for how to support Master’s-level educators seeking doctoral degrees. Findings: Master’s level students earning a doctorate degree in education found professional development satisfied through their programs when experiential learning opportunities were provided and in-depth institutional support. Recommendations for Practitioners: Educators seeking a doctorate degree in education to meet their professional development needs should seek out higher education opportunities that include mentorships and experiential learning opportunities. Recommendation for Researchers: Further research is necessary to understand how additional professional development needs can be met in higher education and in the creation of successful professional development partnerships. Impact on Society: Required teacher professional development can increase classroom performance if necessary educator needs are met. Future Research: Additional research on professional development successes in schools partnering with higher education institutions potentially for a dual purpose of obtaining doctorate degrees may provide an invaluable increase in classroom performance.

Time to Elevate the Education of Clinical Exercise Physiologists: A Professional Doctorate Model

ABSTRACT The increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and multimorbidity negatively affects an individual’s quality of life and health trajectory; this trend and resultant personal and clinical outcomes are of significant concern. Healthy living (HL) behaviors (physical activity, dietary modification, smoking cessation, and medication compliance) are known to provide substantial health benefits that slow the progression or in some cases reverse the deleterious effects associated with inactivity and consumption of a diet high in sodium, fat content, added sugars, and energy-dense foods. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to HL interventions in populations at risk for or diagnosed with noncommunicable diseases is inadequate to promote optimization of health outcomes. Practitioners implementing HL interventions, such as clinical exercise physiologists (CEP), must instead understand the complexity or multimorbidity phenotypes and be able to effectively tailor programs for each condition. Although CEP may receive master’s level training in this area, the rise in patients with complex multimorbidity warrants consideration of elevating the professional expectations to better prepare CEP in training to deliver highly effective primary and secondary prevention HL interventions. Many licensed allied health professions (i.e., physical therapy, pharmacy, occupational therapy, nursing, nutrition, etc.) have recognized the call to move toward professional doctoral degree programs to better prepare practitioners within their field. This article proposes a professional doctorate degree program aimed at enhancing the training of CEP to become highly effective practitioners.

Status quo and reform proposals of professional doctorate education on clinical medicine

The present clinical doctorate system has some irrationalities in the connection with professional qualification. According to analyses of main problems in recruitment, training objective, curriculum design and clinical examination, we proposed some suggestions for carrying forward the comprehensive pilot system: clarify the training objective and improve the overall understanding of reform; improve the examination condition and standardize the recruitment process; improve the curriculum system and reform the teaching method; strengthen the way of quality examination and supervision; attach more attention on constructing tutor teams and explore the way of joint guidance. Key words: Clinical medicine; Professional doctoral degree; Training system; Training quality

Análisis comparativo entre el doctorado profesional y de investigación en México

Se analiza la evaluación de los doctorados en el Programa Nacional de Posgrados de Calidad (PNPC) para identificar bajo qué criterios se justifica el doctorado profesional, a través de su comparación con el doctorado de investigación. A partir de la revisión documental se identifican dos tendencias sobre la definición de la educación doctoral: una orientada hacia la armonización y otra hacia la diversificación de doctorados. El PNPC se ubica en esta última tendencia, al proponer un doctorado profesional que se distingue del de investigación por valorar el aprendizaje adquirido tanto en la academia como en el trabajo; de esta manera se impulsa la investigación aplicada para el desarrollo de las profesiones y la vinculación de los graduados con el sector productivo.

The development of doctoral degree curriculum in England: Perspectives from professional doctoral degree graduates

The paper investigates two issues surrounding the field of higher education leadership, particularly in doctoral education, namely the reasons why potential doctoral students decided to enroll in a professional doctorate instead of a traditional Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and how did professional doctorate status enhance its graduates’ professional development and career promotion. Guided by the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), 20 professional doctorate graduates who are members of a professional association in London were invited as participants. The paper discovers that in the view of professional doctorate graduates, the program offers the flexibility for professionals to enjoy the rigorous education at doctoral level. Second, the curriculum of the professional doctorate allows graduates to apply both theories and practical applications into their current workplace directly. Third, the rich supports from lecturers enhancing the prosperity of professional doctorate graduates’ life experience. This study provides solid evidence and recommendation for university administrators, policy makers, organizational employers, and potential doctoral students in the United Kingdom and other Anglophone countries to understand the learning outcomes and gained skills of professional doctorates. Keywords: career counseling; doctoral student experience; professional doctorate; qualitative

Academics with Professional Doctorate Degrees in Ghanaian Universities

Over the years, entry into the academia in any Ghanaian university requires an advanced research degree, more preferably traditional doctorate. In the last ten years, a reasonable number of academics entering Ghanaian universities enter with professional doctorate degrees. This article seeks to investigate the acceptability of professional doctorate degree holders in Ghanaian universities, how they are perceived by their counterparts in the academia and their suitability in the universities. The data was gathered from respondents in public universities using interview schedule. The study concluded that since university education is not only to prepare students to enter the academia the involvement of professional doctorate holders in university teaching and learning would also help universities to effectively train students to acquire skills that will make them versatile in the present world of work.

Student Debt in Professional Doctoral Health Care Disciplines

Introduction. Higher education has been experiencing funding shortfalls in the past several years. While it is apparent that the financial burden has been impacting students in all fields in both undergraduate and graduate education, there is a potentially even greater impact to those earning professional doctoral degrees. With continuously rising costs of professional education, many concerns are arising in regard to the student debt that is being accumulated by students in these disciplines. Therefore, the objective of this research article is to examine the affordability of doctoral education in medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy. The primary aim is to analyze the financial impact and economic burden of the degree attainment on graduates in their early careers with a secondary aim to assess the trends in historic physical therapy education costs. Methodology. This study utilized publicly available data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify salary trends in the professions with a cross comparison to economic frameworks defining the hardships due to loan repayment dollar amounts and structure to examine economic strain on early career providers in medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy. To assess trends in physical therapy education, Consumer Price Index adjustments were made to professional data, outlining annual and total costs of physical therapy education. Key Findings, Discussion, and Implications. Student indebtedness and salary data suggest significant impact to all disciplines upon their entry into their given profession. However, the implications to entry-level and early career physical therapists are much more severe due to lower earning potential compared to the other disciplines. Conclusion. Students in professional doctoral health care disciplines of medicine, pharmacy, and physical therapy need to be cognizant of their borrowing patterns and institutional costs of their education to avoid possessing financial hardships upon their entry into their given field of practice. Physical therapy students, however, possess high potential for obtaining unmanageable debt due to the costs of education and earning potential early in their career.

Content analysis of DBA and PhD dissertations in business

ABSTRACTThe doctor of business administration (DBA) degree is widely considered as a professional doctorate or professional doctoral degree that is designed to prepare business practitioners. The doctor of philosophy (PhD) in business, by contrast, is thought to prepare research scholars and higher education faculty members. Prior research conducted by the authors comparing the curriculum of DBA and PhD programs, analyzing accreditation and regulation of the degree programs and examining the terminal degrees of business faculty, did not support the theoretical difference between the two degrees. This study consisted of an analysis of 147 DBA versus 151 PhD dissertations. The analysis indicated a significant group mean difference in the number of PhD versus DBA dissertations in institutions with an R1 classification by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. However, no significant correlations nor group mean differences were found in methodology choice, sample size, or research type (applied vs. basic), based on the degree type (DBA vs. PhD).

Does Family Matter? A Phenomenological Inquiry Exploring the Lived Experiences of Women Persisting in Distance Education, Professional Doctoral Programs

Aim/Purpose: The qualitative study aims to examine the lived experiences of women persisting in the distance; professional doctoral degrees as they seek to integrate and balance their family of origin and current family system with their development as scholars. Background: A vital reason many women choose not to drop out of their doctoral programs is that they experience conflict between their identities as women and scholars – a conflict between “the enduring sense of who they are and whom they want to become” (Cobb, 2004, p. 336). A supportive family is a salient theme that arises in studies on doctoral persistence, with many researchers noting that the family is essential in helping women navigate the doctoral journey (e.g., Lott, Gardner, &amp; Powers, 2009; Tinto, 1993). Methodology: This qualitative study employed Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental phenomenological approach through a purposive sampling of eleven women who are enrolled in distance education, professional doctoral programs at two universities in the southern United States. Contribution: This study furthers the existing research by demonstrating that family is intimately tied to the scholarly identity development and persistence of women enrolled in distance education, professional doctorate programs. While previous research has shown that family support is a factor promoting doctoral persistence, previous studies have not examined how women integrate and balance their family of origin and current family system with their development as scholars while persisting in a doctoral degree. Findings: Findings highlighted that the doctoral journey is marked by personal fulfillment and struggle. Women’s development and persistence are influenced by familial support, choosing to continue or discontinue family of origin patterns, and differentiation from the family. Recommendations for Practitioners: To support women’s persistence and scholar identity development, the university can facilitate discussions and provide opportunities that explicitly orient families to the rigors of doctoral training. The university can host family webinars, create family orientations, offer family counseling, and develop family social media groups. Recommendation for Researchers: This study is an essential step toward understanding the role of the family in the doctoral persistence of women. The study provides a foundation for further research with women who are divorced, never married, or identify as LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual). Further study should focus on women enrolled in various disciplines and residential programs. Impact on Society: If women are to succeed in doctoral programs, the academic institution cannot ignore the role of the family in persistence. Future Research: The role of the family in doctoral persistence for men and residential students needs to be explored. Experience of women in distance education and residential programs should be compared to highlight differences and similarities.

The Levels and Training Strategies of Chinese Higher Vocational Education

Chinese higher vocational education has already formed a relatively complete system covering the four degree levels: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral. The associate’s level mainly cultivates people with high-tech capabilities for enterprises. The bachelor’s level is mainly divided into application and teaching bachelor’s, whereby an application bachelor’s education focuses on strengthening the practical teaching segment, and the teaching bachelor’s focuses on strengthening students’ “dual-teaching” abilities. The master’s level includes professional master’s degrees, master’s degrees for secondary vocational school teachers who are studying while working, and professional master’s degrees in full-time vocational and technical education—all of which should make clear their own training objectives, apply flexible educational teaching models, and enlarge practical teaching segments. The doctoral level includes professional doctoral degrees and professional doctoral education in vocational and technical education. It is aimed at major practical issues in the field, strives to increase the practical contributions of degree applicants to the field, and inspires innovative results.