This paper suggests ways in which the profile of philosophical research in education could be raised, to demonstrate that it is legitimate and genuinely productive to engage in non-empirical research in education. I begin with some historical context for philosophical research in education, exploring the approach known as "conceptual…

Many MSW-level social workers make the decision to earn a doctoral degree in social work or a related field. A large number of so-called predatory doctoral programs lack rigor or much academic substance and are ultimately of little value in advancing one's career. This article describes the characteristics of legitimate social work doctoral…

The National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education conference theme -- "Leading Beyond the Campus: Driving Change as Experts" -- responds to public policy demands and signals consequential choices. Many choices are illuminated by the prototype for the Neo-liberal university. Essentially, economic development imperatives give…

If a person managed to finish his work--whether it was research, teaching, or service--on time and in the correct format, he would have a huge competitive advantage over many of his peers. Procrastination is not always bad: Sometimes the work one puts off doing is better left undone. And sometimes the best ideas just come late. But perennially…

The continued importance of university rankings has only served to fuel the growth of the "world-class" university movement. There is a growing impression that, in a globalised and interconnected world, no country can do without a world-class university. No country, that is, except Brazil. While Brazil has the resources necessary to…

Amy Morris Homans had a vision that graduates of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics and Wellesley College would make physical education a well-respected profession. The professional preparation received by her students equipped them to be educators, administrators, and future leaders of physical education. The purpose of this essay is to…

In this paper, we situate the findings from the studies in this thematic issue within the current policy environment that influences the status, rankings, and funding contexts for doctoral programs in Physical Education Teacher Education within and across institutions. We identify common challenges that these doctoral programs are confronted with…

Being a professional stems not only from external regulatory and eligibility guidelines, but also from an individual's willingness to internalise and apply the values and insight gained during their training. Increasingly, professionals are expected to undertake ongoing education and training that is now seen as an integral component of…

The Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC), the academic consortium of twelve research universities located in eight midwestern states, piloted the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) in 1986 to encourage minority students to consider graduate education and help them prepare for the graduate admissions process. In addition to SROP,…

It is argued that professional doctorates such as the Doctor of Education degree have value as a means of reconstructing the relationship between theory and practice, by demanding a reconstruction of university research relationships with practitioners. In turn, this requires that universities change their conceptualization and teaching of…