Have you ever thought about the potential for unintended
consequences in acquiring disciplinary expertise? While one might assume that you see the
rewards as worth the risks, this might not be the case, as some of you might be
in the program more for the post-credential opportunities than for a genuine
desire to become an “expert.” How does all of this relate to your situation and
also to the current state of Doctoral
Education in Education?
kurt here...dfgdfgdafgdd
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I do see education as a discipline. Using Bernstein’s pedagogic device, we can easily see how knowledge from other disciplines is almost always transformed when it enters an educational setting. Why does this happen if not for the fact that education has its own set of “problems, questions, knowledge bases, approaches to inquiry?” (Richardson, p. 254). Therefore, in my opinion, education is a discipline.
ReplyDeleteIn class, it was brought up that our purpose for entering a Ph.D. program should be a mixture of philosophical and practical. I agree with this perspective. Developing a concrete end goal (career trajectory) for after completing a Ph.D. program invites self-reflection as you determine what kind of work fits with your needs, wants, and values. We are not free floating individuals untethered by life choices or responsibilities and we should not pretend to be. Part of a life well lived is honoring your most valued commitments and, often, that means being able to support the ones you love. The reading Doctoral Education in Education also brings up a lot of practical points that one should consider about the current state of education doctoral programs before entering a Ph.D. program to make sure it is right for your needs as a learner and a professional. For example, some might be overwhelmed by the idea that “there is no shared core body of knowledge or courses for most doctoral students in education” (Golde, p. 247)
Despite the complete legitimacy of practicality when mapping one’s career goals, it is still crucial to be motivated by the desire to become a disciplinary expert and enjoy the exploration of knowledge in and around your chosen focus area. One who enters the program with only a desire to achieve a certain career goal will probably be unlikely to stay their career course or, at the very least, unhappy if they do manage to stay their course. In seeking disciplinary expertise, one must strategically access and utilize disciplinary knowledge in order to help keep what is “good” about the discipline and work to transform or replace that which is not. While Richardson’s article points to the University of Wisconsin’s attempt to outline crucial elements of scholarly inquiry that might aid in this process of developing disciplinary expertise in a Ph.D. program, it is unlikely that one would be motivated enough to acquire these “crucial elements” without already possessing a passion for discovery and learning.
I agree with the comment Kim makes (that also came up in class) about how people should consider both the practical and idealistic consequences of pursuing/earning a PhD, and I also appreciate the point she brings up regarding the role of motivation in earning a PhD. Earning the right to put these three little letters at the end of our names requires a whole lot of work and hoop-jumping, and I'm not sure that the practical ends of getting a PhD (e.g. getting a certain job) wholly justify the seemingly arduous means. That is, if my goal is to get a "good job" and earn a decent amount of money, there's probably a more efficient way to get there. Given that, I'd argue that doc students need to have at least some desire to become experts in their disciplines.
ReplyDeleteRe: the Richardson article -- I found myself thinking "so what" fairly often while reading it. I don't necessarily disagree with any of the points in it, but most felt like the same abstract truisms we encounter on a more or less daily basis in the world of education. For example, some of the crucial outcomes for students presented in the article are "have substantive knowledge of the field" and "think theoretically and critically." I doubt anyone would argue with these points, but I also don't know that they contribute anything new to our understanding of how doctoral students should be trained.
Evandra - I have always thought about unintended consequences due to being a Black woman in America with a PhD. In my humble opinion, a PhD opens doors that have been shut in my face for the past 34 years. And the unfortunate thing is that nothing about my Blackness changes by having a PhD. The desire to obtain a PhD is to access those spaces where I can be a voice and an advocate for those who otherwise has no one advocating for them. Also, the fact that I want to be an elected official one day, I believe my constituents would find me more qualified for the job, both due to having a PhD and being Black with a PhD.
ReplyDeleteI would prefer to not be expected to attend conferences, or publish in academic journals, etc. I don’t understand the desire to be an expert for other experts to critique, whereas, I would prefer to be an expert with translatable research into the whole Black community (lower class, middle class, upper class, voluntary and involuntary immigrants), being as though we are not a monolithic group of people. The struggles Black people face within the institution of education, are real and contextual. I find as I become more of an expert in the area of education policy, I am able to better understand the theory and practice of educating Black children, specifically Black males with disabilities.
This all relates to the current state of Doctoral Education in Education, because education is a large field that Blacks tend to access more readily. Reading that nearly half of Black PhD recipients are in education speaks to the desire Black people has to make a change through education. Historically, education was one of the first things taken from us. Why? Because its difficult to brainwash a person with a mind of their own. I would not say that a PhD changes life as we may know it, but I would generalize to stay there is a much different outlook of a Black person who holds a PhD in this country. The field of education gives us opportunities to obtain PhD’s but can move into other disciplines after graduation and use those skills in multiple settings. Golde and Walker (2006) states only a third of PhD recipients in education have an undergraduate degree in education, I think that speaks to the reason why Blacks may pursue PhDs, but may not have a desire to teach or be an administrator, but knows in the larger community Dr. implies expert.
Robin Pelt: There are a couple of unintended consequences that could take place as a result as becoming an expert in the field. While becoming an expert, you are constantly thinking about research and how to narrow your focus. This narrowed focus can sometimes cause tunnel vision. Although this tunnel vision can make you very knowledgeable on your field of research, it can also keep you from broadening your overall knowledge on education as a whole.
ReplyDeleteMy purpose for getting the Ph.D. is so that I can become an expert on students with intellectual disabilities. I want to take my expertise and become an advocate for this population, and also consult with school districts to ensure that these students are given the best opportunity for a successful post-secondary outcome. An unintended consequence of becoming an expert in this narrow field is that it is not broad enough to cover all students with disabilities, which, in a school division’s eyes, could make me not qualified for a leadership position in special education. In order to make myself marketable, not only should I be well versed in students with intellectual disabilities, but I must be well versed in students with disabilities…period.
It is interesting how I fit into the statistics that describe the current state of educational doctoral candidates. Half of the African-Americans who earn doctoral degrees earn them in education. The majority of these degrees are awarded to women. Many of them began as teachers and are in their mid-forties.
As I shared in class I am pursuing my PhD in Education for reasons both personal and practical reasons. Practically a PhD in Education will open doors for me to work as faculty to teach graduate Occupational Therapy students. My profession, Occupational Therapy (OT), encourages OTs to pursue PhD degrees in a variety of disciplines, as the profession believes this is the path to broaden our collective knowledge base.
ReplyDeleteMy personal reasons, what I called my “real” reasons, are my interest in finding like-minded people who are looking for a new experience to grow, learn, discuss, expand and diversify the way we look at the world.
The article, Doctoral Education in Education, speaks to my real life experience of pursuing my doctoral degree mid-career as a part-time student who continues to work full-time in my current discipline. I have worked for 28 years as an OT practitioner and come to higher education to further refine my discipline to focus on disability policy. Coming from an OT discipline that has a common identity as we collectively take similar coursework, learn identical OT theories, and have similar learning experiences it is uncomfortable to me to not immediately find this common core body of knowledge equally readily accessible as an education student. In my OT discipline we are taught to pair theory with practice while looking to research for evidenced based practices. In education, as the article describes, there is more tension between research and practice as well as between theory and practice. I feel less sure of defining my specific specialty, or discipline, in education due to these tensions, but look forward to growing, stretching, exploring, and further defining the area of expertise I will one day be able to call my discipline.
Stephanie - One of the aspects of the study of education that I find appealing is the combination of the practical and theoretical. Having working in K-12 schools for 20 years, I have seen many trends and ideas “come and go” as the educational pendulum swings from one side to the other. While many of these trends are based on research, some are not, and there are times that it feels like a new program is being tried every year. One of the reasons that I am pursuing a PhD is because of the many new policies and programs that are instituted each year; I hope to have a greater voice in the decision-making process for these policies and programs. I would like to see more research prior to their implementation. This seems to complement the idea presented by Richardson that stewards of education “have a strong sense of obligation to their field and to helping preserve the best while promoting change and improvement” (p. 251). To that end, becoming an “expert” in the discipline of education (yes, I agree that it is a discipline) would be helpful. However, there is a definite possibility of unintended consequences. I believe that one can become so focused on a topic of interest that it is difficult “to see the forest for the trees.” While it is important to become knowledgeable about a topic, it is also important to guard against becoming myopic.
ReplyDeleteKendra- My decision to pursue a Ph.D. was two-fold. Over the last five years I’d been a practicing trainer and facilitator around issues of cultural competency, unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion, effective communication, etc. What I realized while practicing is that I had been doing what the article suggests many k-12 educators also do. I had been refining my craft solely based on my experience with the work and lived experience outside of it. I had not come face to face with the theories that shaped not only the content of my work, but also the environment(s) in which my work was carried out.
ReplyDeleteI was working with adults and children on these issues without any real conceptual knowledge of andragogy and pedagogy and the manifestation of either outside of traditional learning spaces. I found myself constantly reflecting on what factors were prohibiting people from “getting it”. What I realized is that perhaps the delivery was not being intentionally and purposefully directed at either of these populations. So while in this moment, I don’t feel like I’ve given much thought the to the unintentional consequences of having this level of education; I have had much time to reflect on the unintentional consequences of not having this education and the impact of those consequences on the quality of my work.
The second factor impacting my decision to return to school was both social and cultural. I recognized early on that as a young, black, professional woman there were spaces that I simply could not access. The credibility of my work, often by nature of my social identities, felt discounted in some ways. So as a practitioner, returning to school felt like the most logical thing to do. It is important to note that my professional career began in higher education, working in student affairs around issues of equity and inclusion. My shift from higher education to non-profits and corporations was rooted in what I perceived to be an influx of people doing great work in student affairs. I felt like the “field” had made great progress in at least validating the need for conversations, cultural centers, policies, etc. What I found in my time outside of higher education is that there are so many well educated people who themselves have made it through graduate study without even considering how these issues; cultural competency, gender bias, communicating across difference, would come to impact their professional lives day to day. Obtaining a Ph.D. gives me an opportunity to shift academic culture, even if just within my classroom. We do our students a disservice when we don’t intentionally equip them with the skills to navigate human interaction.
At this point, becoming an expert in the field is more likely to open doors than to close them.
Paige - I entered the PhD program because I am in a professional role where I am considered to be an “expert.” Because there is always more to learn, I find that title intimidating. I am here for the knowledge, if nothing else to bolster my role as “expert.” I have struggled more with considering what it is that I plan to do with a PhD or how my career path will change. People outside of my professional or student life often ask these same questions: “Why are you doing this?” and “Is it worth all that work?” I am continually formulating the answer to the why, but it is clearly worth it. I am thinking and learning like never before.
ReplyDeleteRichardson discusses the concept of being a steward of education and having a sense of obligation to the field, preserving what is good and promoting change. I would assert that all or most of us pursuing a PhD share a passion for what works and for changing what doesn’t. For me, it is foundational to being here.
There is also an emphasis on three forms of knowledge and understanding. We certainly gain formal knowledge in our coursework. Beliefs and misconceptions are being continually challenged. Practical knowledge is also important. Richardson asserts that this can be achieved within the PhD program. I disagree. While we will gain practical knowledge to do the work as a PhD, we also need knowledge of how things actually work in the field of our area of interest. Experience prior to entering the PhD program is essential. We have to remember, however, that we are limited by the nature of our experience and must consider how that impacts our perception, it is important that we not venture too far from our experience as teachers or even as student. Instruction and student learning are what we are about in the discipline of education. Some of the mistrust of research, I believe, comes from both misunderstanding of the research itself and the distance between the researcher and the practitioner.
The article, Doctoral Education in Education is pretty much spot with my background. My undergraduate and graduate degrees are in computer science and mathematics. Coming into this program, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t really write many non-technical papers during my undergraduate studies. The only one I did write was for UNIV 200 which was about block scheduling in education. All over papers were technical covering topics for my majors in computer science and math. Therefore, I was really rusty when I began to write papers relating to topics in education.
ReplyDeleteI am a “part time student” but with a full time load usually throughout the school year. This is at times challenging since I am in my second year of teaching as well. My hope after my Ph.D. is o be able to teach college computer science, mathematics, and engineering courses. I also hope to be able to lead efforts in STEM education as well to broaden equity and access across many regions. Therefore I am still pinpointing my area of “disciplinary expertise.” I know that I want to do something in STEM, particularly around the policies surrounding access and equity. I am particularly interested in dual enrollment programs surrounding computer science and engineering.
While my undergraduate degree in secondary English education informs my instructional practice, I identify professionally as a librarian. In academic librarianship, there is an emphasis on both practice--in the classroom, in individual research consultations with students, in outreach--and on research, as the service and scholarship required of disciplinary faculty are also expected of academic librarians for promotion and tenure. Academic librarians are therefore more likely to find that their practice and research dovetail instead of clash.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I've noticed that academic librarians tend to be many years behind the trends in K-12 education, and one of these areas where we're behind is theory. In the last 5 years or so, critical theory (and related areas such as feminist theory) has become increasingly prominent in my field, but library research otherwise exists in a theoretical vacuum. As I've learned this year that there is an expectation at the doctoral level of education that all research ought to be informed by theory (and then discussed in publications resulting from that research), I anticipate this being an area of potential conflict as articles in library journals don't typically include such theoretical discussions. I'm excited by the opportunity this presents for my making a small contribution towards bringing my profession into further alignment with the norms of educational research.
The idea of expert and expertise has been something I have wrestled with, particularly since starting my doctoral work. Who determines who or what makes someone an expert? How do we or does anyone ever know if they have arrived as an expert? I see value in how Richardson categorizes PhD knowledge into three areas. At no point does she call for or allude to expertise but growing, learning, and reflecting on all three areas. I think her repeated call for meta-awareness of the entirety of the discipline is a tool that helps prevent a great deal the narrowness of expertise. She seems to be very intentional in calling for stewards and not experts. Stewards are humble, able to adapt and change, more open,aware of the role their focus plays in the larger field, and feel a sense of responsibility to the entire discipline not just their area.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time it seems like the work and preparation Richardson calls for would create even longer PhD programs. As Golde points out, education programs often have little money to pay for assistantship, students are older and often takes longer for them to complete; adding time to programs does not seem feasible or helpful. Now a year into my doctoral work, I can see a lot of the requirements VCU places on us preparing us in ways Richardson recommends. The practical knowledge is found in our co-curricular requirements; preparation for being the next Ph.Ds. The one area I have not see is the ability to process, at least formally, beliefs and/or assumptions about education as we move from practitioner to researchers.. Learning to self reflect and assess the public's beliefs and/or assumptions is an area I see having immeasurable value for improving education at all levels in America.
Richardson’s call for Ph.Ds to be stewards of both a field and enterprise felt very similar to Hill’s work on Public Intellectuals. As doctoral students and PhDs there are multiple responsibilities and obligations to the field, discipline, and the greater good (the public). This is where I want to land. I am one who loves learning and could be a student for life, but know that is not possible or realistic so career and end goals are necessary. If I and we as PhDs are to inwardly focused on our own expertise, interest and or knowledge acquisition we are doing more harm than good. After my first year and these readings, at the end of my program I want to be seen as a Public Intellectual Steward PhD.
Marsha - I too appreciate the use of the word steward. Although I am not distracted by the use of the word expert either. I think it is one's personal application of the word expert to their particular work. I don't view an expert as the end all or one who has arrived at the pinnacle of all knowledge in that area. I see it as someone who has worked extremely hard and built a strong knowledge base in the subject studied and as a result is able to share that knowledge with other communities for greater understanding. I guess to me, I could use the words interchangeably whether I am correct in doing so is another story.
DeleteTom here--I like Richardson's use of the term "steward" in her article. It calls to mind the ethical responsibility associated with earning the Ph.D. A steward of education helps to shape the field. Put another way, we will strive to guide the field in a positive direction as it evolves. Evandra, I appreciate your comments--specifically your statement that the "struggles Black people face within the institution of education are real and contextual." In my opinion, everyone who earns a Ph.D. in education should be prepared in some way to address the institutional injustice that occurs in American education. The field needs to be shaped/guided in the direction of equity and access.
ReplyDeleteReturning to the concept of steward, we're pursuing more than just career advancement. The Ph.D. is more than research paradigms and conference presentations. We are preparing to steward the field of education in the direction it needs to go. It's a tremendous ethical opportunity. For me, the unintended consequence of doc study is that I am starting to understand this. I just wanted to learn and grow--be the best school counselor I could become. As I discover the responsibilities that come with a Ph.D. in education, I hope I am up to the task of being a good steward.
Well said Tom.
DeleteMarsha
Recently, consequences of my acquisition of disciplinary expertise have become very real in various contexts. While I have attempted to reconcile negative consequences with the positive rewards resulting from my studies, I cannot say that I am quite comfortable yet. Prior to entering this doctoral program, I was a classroom teacher and considered myself powerless. I hoped that as an educational doctoral student I would acquire the status and freedom to advocate without fear of retaliation, as well as take on an activist role to empower other teachers, two things I did not feel capable of as a teacher. Currently, and in the context of doing both, I am faced with the unintended consequence of being seen as an outsider by some teachers. I had not thought through how this new position would cause some to view me as no longer one of them, despite my teaching background. But I totally get it. I have gained a great deal of formal knowledge that at times causes even me to feel like an outsider. I don’t quite know how to use this knowledge in a practical or accessible way as a steward of my field, or of the enterprise, but I hope to figure it out sooner than later. While I understand the value of becoming an “expert” as well as the incentives for credentials, I agree with Bryan that a greater emphasis needs to be placed on stewards as public intellectuals, communicating about research with various audiences as a means of extending the conversation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Robin that an unintended consequence of being an expert is becoming myopic. If you are passionate about a topic or cause, you tend to submerge yourself in that endeavor. However, it is vital to always consider the big picture and how your beliefs and research fit into that and ultimately contribute to the field. I also appreciate Robin’s comment on becoming an advocate and it just may be that the letters “PhD” encourage others to listen to what you have to say.
ReplyDeleteI find that my situation does not fit the generalizations made in the article “Doctoral Education in Education”. The article states that most education doctoral students self-finance, attend part-time and that the researcher identity is not the “center of their professional identity. One of the many reasons that I decided to pursue a PhD is because of my interest in research.
As a side note, none of the articles mention Counselor Education and Supervision, and I wonder how the authors would classify it in the realm of disciplines/subdisciplines.
Marsha - I chose to pursue a doctoral degree in Counselor Education for a variety of reasons. As a School Counselor, there aren't very many opportunities for advancement unless you decide to go into administration. Most of the movement is lateral, from school to school. Therefore pursing an advanced degree will, I hope, provide additional options. In addition, I also want to become more of an expert in my field. I desire to move beyond the practitioner role and take on the why's and the how's and the who's while assisting with systemic change and advancement of the field. With that being said, I feel that Education could be a discipline in its own right with many sub-disciplines affiliated. I could see potential risks with becoming such an expert in your discipline that you miss some vital knowledge that will help you address larger issues to wider audiences. However, within Education, I see that risk lessened. Under the umbrella of Education, you get the foundation of educational theory and application as well as specialized theory and application of your particular field. Unless I am conceptualizing this incorrectly, I see this as more of an advantage than risk. I disagree that their isn't a balance between practice and research. VCU, or at least in my program, does a great job of incorporating both.
ReplyDelete