This article explores the narratives of two doctoral candidates in a curriculum and instruction program, revealing their dissertation experiences after challenging conventional norms in their coursework. Through qualitative analysis, we identify themes of cultural authenticity, power of the academy, and theory vs. practice. These themes underscore…

Universal guidelines for AI's use in the context of higher education remains unestablished. Despite this, doctoral students utilized AI to help in forming research ideas and with editing manuscripts. Thereby, the socialization of doctoral students into ethical AI use became imperative. This action research study had faculty and EdD students test…

This essay focuses on the components and uses of the Dissertation in Practice (DiP) relative to the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and the alignment of the DiP description and process to the U. S. Office of Research Integrity Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) conditions and requirements. The essay provides a cursory view of…

Education doctoral programs have an essential role to play in this moment of American history, as we train, teach, guide, and prepare education professionals to learn, unlearn, and lead as antiracist education activists. EdD program faculty and administrators sit in critical roles and must examine our own antiracist beliefs, while also…

A qualitative descriptive approach was followed in the research, starting with a theoretical conceptualization of scholar activism within doctoral education as a basis for further inquiry. Seventeen doctoral candidates described how they conceptualized and applied the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate's (CPED) Framework for the Emerging…

Upon discovering inequities and foundational issues with the previous practicum projects completed individually by each EdD student, Frostburg State University transformed its practicum into a consultancy-based group project that students complete remotely. In this revised experience, student teams respond to problems of practice as presented by…

This essay explores the transformative concept of co-active emergence in education, where human and machine intelligence synergize to enhance learning experiences. It discusses the integration of AI in doctoral research, emphasizing collaborative efforts between humans and AI to push academic boundaries. It also addresses the challenges and…

Given the significant challenges PK-12 educational leaders currently face, the purpose of this essay is to orient EdD faculty with Noddings' (1984/2003) care ethics as a framework for conceptualizing their work and employing care acts to support EdD scholar-practitioners through the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical strategies for this work are…

This study examined the applications and perceptions of AI tools in doctoral studies, focusing on their efficacy in enhancing research effectiveness. A survey found that most participants used AI tools in their doctoral studies (63%), with the majority of those users reporting some positive impact from their usage. The most indicated uses of AI…

In this reflective essay, I explore learnings and reflections along my doctoral journey and analyze how this journey has been untraditional for an education administrator. As a scholar-practitioner, I include a section on the impact of societal changes since the COVID-19 pandemic. I then document continuing challenges for women of color…

The Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) program is committed to educational equity and supports, amongst others, K-12 schoolteachers, administrators, and teacher educators who are committed to bridging the worlds of theory and practice. As teacher educators, we advocate for those in doctoral programs to consider…

This essay explores how writing in community for EdD students can be pivotal in helping them succeed in their academic journey. Considering existing research, three UC Davis CANDEL EdD (Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership) students and recent alumni use a case study approach to highlight the ways writing in community was…

EdD programs affiliated with the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate encourage dissertations in practice (DiPs) focused on equity, social justice, and transformative practice. Conversations in our program revealed surface-level or late-stage social justice connections in our students' DiPs. Therefore, inspired by an existing framework that…

The purpose of this study was to investigate online education doctoral students' perceptions of their research competencies. The researchers utilized the Scholar-Practitioner Research Development Scale (Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2018) which consisted of 24 Likert-based items to assess research competency in five areas: attitude toward or value of…

Generative AI has emerged as a tool to assist doctoral students as they conduct academic research and writing. In this study, we explored two ways AI has been used by students in our EdD program--informally and independently and in a more formalized, guided manner. First, we found students have been engaged in self-directed, informal, independent…