This paper is both a reflexive report on an attempt to operationalise 'doctorateness' in a specific case context and a synthesis of theory from the philosophy of education and curriculum design. Using the context of a new Professional Doctorate programme in Law (the DLaw) at a University in the North-East of England, it is an exploration of the…

In Australia, the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) remains a popular program but considerable anguish persists within the university sector over just what it is offering students. In this article, we use the process of postgraduate socialisation to understand how candidates, supervisors and administrators navigate pathways to successful…

This article explores the discursive work done by different notions of professional development in adult education. In particular we outline the ways in which the discourses of technical expertise, competence and reflective practice are deployed to mobilise professional practices and identities in particular ways and position certain practices and…

Doctoral programmes and education do not necessarily pay enough attention to the professional development of the student. Doctoral students may struggle with an unclear conception of who they can and want to become as a result of their doctoral studies. This paper describes an event that aimed to provide doctoral students with opportunities to…

The field of educational development has a 40-year history of providing continuing education or professional development for academic staff, particularly focusing on improving teaching and learning. However, little has yet been written on the historical origins and development of this field, apart from content analyses of some key journals and…

Storytellers have always known that there is more to a story than "just a good yarn". It is through stories that individuals construct and reconstruct their sense of self as they learn "to be" in the world. Learning through stories is common across a number of professional contexts. However, storied approaches are…

The impetus to broaden the scope of research education is not new. Since the 1970s, concern has been expressed about the suitability of research education as preparation for a research career outside academe. Universities have been criticized for producing over-specialized research graduates, who struggle to apply their expertise to new workplace…