In this paper I examine the impact of the new 'knowledge economy' on contemporary doctoral education. I argue that the knowledge economy promotes a view of knowledge and knowledge workers that fundamentally challenges the idea of a university as a community of autonomous scholars transmitting and adding to society's 'stock of knowledge'. The paper…

St. Louis University is one of a growing number of higher education institutions that are retooling their Doctor of Education, or Ed.D., programs to concentrate more on the practical skills required of district leaders. Such programs have emulated the structure of Ph.D. programs, despite the fact that they generally serve a different purpose. At…

The lack of enthusiastic research activity among counseling professionals has been a subject of professional concern for the last 2 decades. Many graduates of counselor education programs are not connected to academic research and do not establish a research identity. Qualitative research methods have the potential for creating this connection for…

In this study of learning to research on a higher degree programme in Education, half the sample of 18 students reported that the experience of learning changed them as people. The lived experience of learning of these students was analysed using an approach based on a Variation Theory of learning. The critical aspects of this object of learning…

This article summarises research into the effectiveness of a distance learning doctorate in education (EdD). Drawing on an emerging literature which attempts to conceptualise professional doctorates as distinctive from the PhD, we developed a case-study approach to investigate the EdD student experience. Four themes emerge which are developed into…

Many of us do not realize the prejudices we learn by living our lives. However, through reflection we can understand who we are, why we are that way, and how we can change. As a teacher I naively believed that I had transcended prejudicial thinking and acting. Yet, through much reflection during my doctoral program, I came to understand myself…

In this paper, the author, a doctoral student, examines his past to understand why spirituality is important in his present life and why it is important to integrate spirituality within the academy for young adults. In this personal narrative, the author discusses how spirituality becomes important for him from his childhood, as he grows up in…

The ethical considerations that university students have to be concerned about when undertaking research projects are a matter for a range of publications and committees. This article considers the terms of reference of ethical considerations in students' research projects, given the number of researchers who are now doing research within their…

Doctoral students become so focused on the classroom, exam and dissertation burdens of the moment that they graduate without really being prepared in terms of networking, intellectual development, and publication-ready texts. Hence, certain strategies that have proved reliable indicators are recommended, including starting the dissertation,…

Although education researchers have spent years pondering what makes a good school or a good lesson, not much thought has gone into what makes a good researcher. Does the job require extensive training in a wide range of research methods? Or is it better to become an expert in just one? Should a budding education researcher steep himself or…

Attrition of doctoral students is costly to society. This study examines organizational and personal factors that contribute to the number of graduate students leaving their program of study prior to receiving the terminal degree. The authors make suggestions for program modification and present results from a stress-management intervention…

A conceptual matrix for the development of professional identity as a counselor educator is presented as a method of promoting self-management for doctoral-level counselor education students. Seven areas of intentionality are discussed, suggested activities are provided in each category for a 4-year program period, and implications for current and…

Randy Shilts (1987), author of "And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic," uses the analogy of the sinking ship and the "band playing on" to draw attention to America's false sense of security in the midst of the growing AIDS crisis. We describe a doctoral curriculum in which students examine the conflicts inherent in their…

The educational environment for postgraduate health professionals from developing countries in contemporary western universities is an intermediate zone between home and host culture. In this zone, knowledge is shaped through the development of concepts within the limitations of (often) pre-fluent language capacity. It is characterized by the…

This paper reports on a study of 12 postgraduate research students' development of information search expertise. It focuses on students' perceived importance and growing understanding of different source types as they progress through their studies. Taking an in-depth longitudinal approach, this study makes use of surveys, direct observations of…