Doctorate In Education

• Education Policy and Leadership
• Education In Urban Contexts
• Post-Compulsory Education
• Health Professions Education

If you would like to discuss which of the themes you might join, please contact the theme leader concerned (see below). 

This document will provide you with background information to the programme. It is designed to give you a sense of the different areas of focus available to you and the aims and structure of the programme. We also hope it will help you make a decision about whether to join this dynamic and exciting learning opportunity.

The School of Education at the University of Manchester is an internationally renowned research community. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise the School is ranked 9th in the UK on Research Power, with 85% of research identified as internationally recognized or better, of which 20% of research is world leading. Therefore you will join a vibrant research culture and have the opportunity to attend seminars led by academics who are leaders in their field. Specialisms include: education policy (Gunter), school improvement (Ainscow, Chapman, West) school effectiveness (Muijs), urban education and disadvantage (Dyson, Hall, Raffo), primary education (McNamara), the mathematics curriculum (Williams), educational psychology (Farrell) and health professions education (Wass, Dornan).

The Ed.D programme will help prepare you to conduct high quality research on aspects of your own role or professional culture and critically assess others' research in your field. It will also help to prepare you to support others in research roles. All tutors on the Ed.D draw on their own research experience, including funded projects, to inform the lectures, seminars and discussion groups that will take place on the course and we, in turn, look forward to learning from your research experiences as the course proceeds. We hope you will decide to join us on a demanding but highly rewarding route to a Doctorate.

Overview of the EdD Programme:

Doctoral study focuses on the development of the capacity to do research and to use and critique other's research.  A primary concern relates to a critical understanding of the production of knowledge.  This programme will support you to ask questions both about the process of developing knowledge and what constitutues 'worthwhile knowledge' in the context of education.

The EdD has the same intellectual and workload demands as a PhD but with two main differences:

Intellectually you will be required to show how your research grows out of, and is interrelated with, professional inquiry and practice; and
The support that you get, and the course requirements, are more structured than in a traditional PhD

Programme Structure and Content:

Each Ed.D group meets one evening per month and three times a year for more intensive study over a weekend (Friday/Saturday). These meetings include taught sessions, seminars, presentations from guest speakers and workshops. Prior to the evening meetings we expect students to come into the university to make use of the library facilities and engage in tutorials with supervisors.  As the programme proceeds you will also be expected to present and discuss your own work.

Approximately half of these taught sessions focus on substantive issues relevant to your theme (ie. issues in policy and leadership, urban education, post-compuIsory education and health professions education. The remaining half focuses on research methodology. Groups meet separately for the substantive sessions and together for the sessions on methodology.

The first two years of the course are structured around three areas: 'Reading Research', 'Planning Research', and 'Research Methods in Action'. Participants are required to submit three research papers on these areas (each of approximately 10,000 words) in the first two years. This coursework will inform your thinking and writing for your research thesis of 40,000 to 50,000 words. In addition to support from your theme leader, you will be assigned a specialist supervisor who will assist in the development of your work. All research papers have to be completed successfully before progression to the thesis element of the programme.

The Ed.D themes:

The Ed.D themes are led by the following staff:

Ed.D (Education Policy and Leadership): Professor Helen Gunter ( helen.gunter@manchester.ac.uk )

Ed.D (Education in Urban Contexts): Dr Carlo Raffo ( carlo.raffo@manchester.ac.uk )

Ed.D (Post-Compulsory Education): Professor Daniel Muijs ( daniel.muijs@manchester.ac.uk )

Ed.D. (Health Professions Education): Prof Val Wass, Dr Don Bradley ( valerie.wass@manchester.ac.uk , don.bradley@manchester.ac.uk )

Please contact these theme leaders if you would like an informal conversation about applying for the Ed.D and would like to discuss a choice of theme.

The Programme Director is Dr Carlo Raffo.

Ed.D (Education Policy and Leadership)

This theme will examine education policy with a particular focus on leadership. The leadership imperative in relation to training and preparation, roles and practice, effectiveness and performance have come to dominate public sector practice. We will examine national, local and organisational policymaking, and we will locate it within the context of public sector modernisation. We will examine research evidence on educational leadership, and we will look at a range of locations e.g. HE, FE, and Schools. This theme will interest those who want to research the origins and implementation of policy, with a focus on the work of leaders and the leadership processes in educational institutions. It is expected that theme members will be working in a public sector organisation and will usually either be in a leadership role or have career aspirations to develop their leadership potential. This Ed.D theme will provide the opportunity for aspiring and serving public sector leaders to engage with the challenges of researching and theorising about and developing practice.

Ed.D (Education in Urban Contexts)

The quality of education in urban contexts has never been so important, particularly with regard to new arrangements and networks being developed to deliver extended school provision, important developments in widening participation in higher education and the continuing challenges of creating cohesion and educational success in challenging neighbourhoods. This theme will provide the opportunity for education and education related professionals, researchers and policy makers interested in enhancing the educational opportunities and lives of young people and adults in disadvantaged urban communities/context to engage with the challenges of researching and developing practice.

Ed.D (Post-Compulsory Education)

This theme is designed for professionals working in the field of post-compulsory education, be it HE, FE or other forms of post-16 provision. This theme will give participants the opportunity to study a wide range of issues in post-compulsory education, including pedagogy, teaching, training and development; the professionalisation of the sector; the role of post-compulsory education in society; and the national and international policy environment shaping the sector.

Ed.D (Health Professions Education)

This is a developing branch of education. It is increasingly recognised that clinical educators need to have a strong grounding in educational theory and educational research to ensure an increasingly evidence based approach is applied to the training of health workers, This theme will offer participants a stimulating opportunity to work with educators from other fields to explore theoretical frameworks for research methodology and at the same time develop their own research interest supported by the well established medical education research unit in Manchester Medical School. Thus unit offers a wide range of expertise in qualitative and quantitative educational research.

Please indicate on your application form which pathway you would like to follow, or indicate in your accompanying letter that you are unsure of which pathway to choose.

Meeting Dates 2009-2010

Study Weekend One:  

25th-26th September     9.30-4.00pm

22nd October                 4.30-7.30pm

12th November                4.30-7.30pm

3rd December                 4.30-7.30pm

Study Weekend Two: 

12th-13th February           9.30-4.00pm

11th March                     4.30-7.30pm

22nd April                       4.30-7.30pm

13th May                        4.30-7.30pm

Study Weekend Three:           

18th -19th  June               9.30-4.00pm

15th July                        4.30-7.30

NB Prior to the evening meetings we expect students to spend the day at the university to make use of the library facilities and engage in tutorials with supervisors.

Meeting dates for 2010/2011 will be negotiated towards the end of year one.

Entry requirements:

In most instances, candidates should have a Masters degree, completed at a level which indicates potential for research, or evidence of research training and/or experience of research. It is also likely that applicants will have considerable experience in their field. Those without such qualifications are nonetheless encouraged to discuss making an application for the programme.

Programme fee:

The Course fee for the academic year 2009/10 is £1700