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Northeastern University
College of Professional Studies
EDU 7209 Introduction to Doctoral Studies
Instructor: Joseph W. McNabb, PhD
Email: j.mcnabb@neu.edu
Overview
Introduction to Doctoral Studies is the first of four foundation courses that provide students
with an opportunity to gain a shared, broad platform of knowledge upon which to build their
future studies in the Doctor of Education program.
This course examines doctoral studies, resources, philosophical issues, and basics of research.
Students will have the opportunity to integrate theoretical and scholarly knowledge in the
development of a researchable issue.
The foundation courses which also include Transforming Human Systems, Changing
Conceptions of Learning and Human Development, and Leadership: Theoretical
Perspectives and Practical Frameworks collectively provide an overview of scholarly
thinking, research, and writing on learning, leadership, and change.
The foundation courses provide the framework for what we mean by scholar practitioner.
Each of the foundation courses is grounded in the assumption that research in service of
improved practice will facilitate deliberate change. These courses address such issues as:
how bias and our histories inform how we understand the world; how we can interrogate the
biases at play in order to transform our context toward a more just expression of the human
condition; how we can ethically identify and describe practice-based research topics; how
conducting a literature review and applying theory allows us to be transparent and critical
about the ways we pursue and generate knowledge; how we can align research questions
and approaches; and what it looks like to gather and work with research data in the context
of practice.
Introduction to Doctoral Studies is the point of entrance to the Doctor of Education program. The
concepts and skill sets introduced in this course are re-visited, refined, and studied in more depth in
the remaining three foundation courses and throughout the program.
Objectives
Students will have an opportunity to:
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Articulate problems of practice that are timely and significant.
Integrate theoretical and scholarly knowledge with professional practice.
Find, analyze, and synthesize peer-reviewed research.
Demonstrate skill in academic writing, including mechanics, appropriate use and citation
of literature, and fluency in APA format and style.
Texts:
Required texts:
Anfara, V. A., & Mertz, N. T. (2015). Theoretical frameworks in qualitative research. Thousand
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Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. ISBN 978-1452282435
Butin, D. (2010). The education dissertation: A guide to practitioner scholars. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Corwin Press. ISBN 978-1-4129-6044-1
Freire, P. (2014). Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN: PB: 978-0-82641276-8
Johnson, A. P. (2006). A short guide to academic writing. Lanham, MD: University Press of
America. ISBN 0-7618-2503-7
Machi, L. A., & McEvoy, B. T. (2012). The literature review: Six steps to success. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. ISBN 978-1-4522-4088-6
Rocco, T. S., & Hatcher, T. (Eds.). (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-470-39335 -2
American Psychological Assocation (2010). Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.).Washington, DC: American Psychological
Association. ISBN 1-4338-0561-8
Recommended text:
Willis, J., Inman, D., & Valenti, R. (Eds.). (2010). Completing a professional practice
dissertation: A guide for doctoral students and faculty. Charlotte, NC: Information Age
Publishing, Inc. ISBN 978-1-60752-439-7 (pbk.) ISBN 978-1-60752-441-0 (e-book)
Methodology
The emphasis of the course will be developing a range of competencies across the spectrum of
doctoral work. There will be several and frequent assignments requiring both research and
writing. Students will be encouraged to critique the works of other scholars and of each other.
This course is constructed to give students the opportunity to explore the topic they may wish to
use for their doctoral thesis. One outcome from this course will be a literature review, the aim of
which is to discern how scholars approach and explain a variety of issues associated with the
student’s selected research topic.
A thorough and sophisticated literature review is the foundation for substantial and useful
doctoral research. In developing their literature review, students will have the opportunity to
learn the fundamentals of academic writing, to select a research paradigm, to identify a
theoretical framework reflective of the selected research paradigm, to focus on a researchable
construct, and to find, analyze, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative research published in
refereed journals.
Participation
As one of the major goals of graduate education is to instill in each student an understanding of
and a capacity for scholarship, independent judgment, academic rigor, and intellectual honesty,
faculty and graduate students have a shared obligation to work together to foster this goal. Your
instructor has carefully constructed this course so that each student has the opportunity to
achieve each of the stated objectives. Students are expected to become familiar with course
materials and to make note of questions, inconsistencies, areas of interest, and connections found
to readings in peer-reviewed journals.
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Additionally, students are expected to participate in class discussion through the forums each
week. Assignments are due no later than 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. Responses that reflect and
accurately cite research studies that support arguments or opinions expressed in the posts are
expected. Each student is expected to respond to at least three colleagues’ posts each week unless
he/she is assigned as summarizer for that week.
Summarizer: Each discussion board will have assigned student summarizers. The task of
the student summarizers is to draft one paragraph that synthesizes the responses of the
assigned question or readings using the four questions:
1. What are the one or two most important ideas or themes that emerged from the
discussion?
2. What remains unresolved or contentious about the topic?
3. What do class members understand better as a result of the discussion?
4. What do we need to talk about in future discussions to understand better the
issue(s) this discussion addressed?
If you are assigned to summarize a discussion board forum, you have the responsibility of
completing your assignment and summarizing your assigned number of students’ responses.
You do not have to respond to three of your colleagues' posts. You will be assigned the students
in the class, by alpha, and will be responsible for completing and posting the summary based on
the above four questions by 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. Your name will appear in the
assignments section of Course Material on the week you are assigned.
Personal illness, urgent family business, work-related issues, and transportation-related issues are
the only basis for not submitting an assignment when it is due.
Disabilities Resource Center
If you have a disability and wish to receive accommodations, please contact Disabilities Resource
Center at (617) 373-7800.
Academic Integrity
Essential to the mission of Northeastern University is the commitment to the principles of
intellectual honesty and integrity. Assignments must demonstrate the student’s own work efforts.
For more information, please refer to the integrity policy.
Core peer-reviewed journals
The journals listed below are a sample of the most widely cited peer-reviewed journals in each of
the concentrations with the Doctor of Education program at Northeastern University. There are
many other scholarly or peer-reviewed journals and periodicals in each of the concentrations.
When developing a basic literature review, as is required in this course, your faculty requires use
of articles only from peer-reviewed or refereed journals. The list below is only a beginning list
of acceptable, refereed journals. Periodicals are not peer-reviewed journals and therefore are not
acceptable as sources for a literature review in this course.
Core peer-reviewed journals in Teaching, Learning, Curriculum, and Leadership: American
Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Educational
Researcher, Review of Educational Research, Theory into Practice, Teachers College Record,
Equity and Excellence in Education, Educational Leadership, Urban Education, Perspectives in
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Urban Education, Educational Administration Quarterly, Journal of Latinos and Education, Child
Development, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
Core peer-reviewed journals in Organizational Leadership Studies: Academy of Management
Journal, Administrative Science Quarterly, Communication Review, Group Dynamics: Theory,
Practice, and Research, Human Resource Development Quarterly, International Journal of
Knowledge, Culture, and Change Management, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Journal
of Applied Communication Research, Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, Journal
of Organizational Communication, The Leadership Quarterly, Learning Organization,
Organizational Studies, Systems Research and Behavioral Science.
Core peer-reviewed journal in Jewish Educational Leadership: AJS Review, American Jewish
History, International Journal of Jewish Education Research, Journal of Jewish Communal
Service, Journal of Jewish Education, Journal of Religious Education, Peabody Journal of
Education, Religious Education, Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies, The
Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, The Journal of Religion.
Core peer-reviewed journals in higher education: Review of Higher Education, Research in
Higher Education, the Journal of Higher Education, the Journal of College Student
Development, Higher Education, Community College Journal of Applied Research and Practice,
Community College Journal of Research and Practice, Community College Review ,and New
Directions for Community Colleges.
You can access articles from all of the above journals through Snell Library either directly or
through Illiad. Log in to Snell through NUOnline (Blackboard) or through your myneu account.
On the library homepage, click on the NUCat tab on the left side of the page, use the drop down
arrow and click Title/Journal. Click on the journal title and select the record that says Internet
resource. This approach is good when you want to see the types of research/scholarship that the
journal reports. Additionally, a research guide has been set up specifically for students in our
Doctor of Education program. This approach is good when you have a subject in mind. You will
also be able to access dissertations, among other valuable resources at this site.
Course Assignments and Evaluation
Write a positionality statement 10%
State a problem of practice. Write a positionality statement identifying and describing
your perspectives and biases in relation to this problem of practice. The positionality
statement must have a title page and a references page and be no fewer than three pages
in length (exclusive of the title and reference pages). APA style and formatting is
required. Ensure that your paper has one inch margins (top, bottom, left right), a running
head, and Times New Roman 12 font, double spacing among other APA conventions.
Explain the use of paradigms of inquiry 10%
Based on your reading of Ponterotto’s schema, discuss how your problem of practice
might exist within the following paradigms of inquiry, (post)-positivism, constructivisminterpretivism, and critical-ideological. Ensure that you provide a brief description of
each paradigm sufficient to demonstrate that you know what the paradigm is about.
Then, describe what your problem of practice might look like in that paradigm. Write no
fewer than 500 words for each paradigm. This assignment will be no fewer than 6 pages,
excluding the title page and references pages. As with all assignments, APA style and
formatting is required.
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Analyze two research articles 20%
Find two research articles that support your problem of practice and analyze each article.
Follow the template in the Course Material section from the Fraenkel, Wallen, and Hyun
text and include a PDF copy of the article in your posting.
Each analysis must have a title page and a references page and be no fewer than five
pages in length, exclusive of the title page and references page (maximum length with
title page and references page is seven pages for each analysis). This is an opportunity to
practice academic writing skills. Begin with an introductory paragraph in which you give
full information about the article you are analyzing. Finish with a summarizing paragraph
which includes your perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of the studies that make
the results particularly applicable or limited with regard to your problem of practice.
Critique One Dissertation Related to Your Problem of Practice 10%
Find a dissertation related to your problem of practice. Critique the dissertation and
provide an analysis that is no longer than ten pages, exclusive of title page and references
pages.
Write a basic literature review 40%
This project entails writing a literature review on a topic that is germane to your
professional or research interest. A thorough and sophisticated literature review is the
foundation for substantial and useful research. A characteristic of a good literature review
is its ability to provide a new perspective on the literature with more explanatory and
predictive power than what is offered by existing perspectives. The aim of the literature
review in this course is to discern how scholars approach and explain a variety of issues
related to your identified problem of practice. The final paper should have no fewer than
twenty five references from peer-reviewed journals, with text totaling no greater than
5,000 words. In other words, your text should be fifteen to twenty pages in length,
exclusive of title page and references pages.
Discussion Board 10% Participation in each of the discussion board forums is required. The
discussion board forums include summaries and analyses of assigned readings and responses to
at least three of your colleagues’ posts.
Summary report: Required. Provide a maximum three-page report on (a) what are the most
important learning experiences that resulted from this course, (b) what specific assignment(s)
was of most interest to you and why? and (c) compare your understanding of the doctoral inquiry
and the research process before the class and after week eleven of the class.
Points/Letter Grade 95-100=A, 90-94=A-, 87-89B+, 83-86B, 80-82=B-, 77-79=C+, 73-76=C,
70-72 C-, 60-69=D, >60=F
Schedule
Class 1: Scholar Practitioner and Educational Research
Readings:
Fink, D. (2006). The professional doctorate: Its relativity to the PhD and relevance for the
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knowledge economy, 1, 35-44
Jenlink, P. M. (2005). Editorial: On bricolage and the intellectual work of the scholarpractitioner. Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly, 3(1), 3-12.
Labaree, D. F. (2003). The peculiar problems of preparing educational researchers. Educational
Researcher, 32(4), 13-22.
Nganga, C. W. (2011). Emerging as a scholar practitioner: A reflective essay review. Mentoring
and Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 19(2), 239-251.
Freire, P. (2014). Pedagogy of the oppressed, 43-69
Short, D. C., & Shindell, T.J. (2009). Defining HRD scholar-practitioners. Advances in
Developing Human Resources, 11(7), 472-485.
Assignments:
Read the assigned articles.
1. Select your topic and probable direction of research for your literature review. You will
need to include the citations for at least five peer-reviewed sources that you will be using.
Post this information in the appropriate forum. Be sure to comment on at least three of
your colleagues’ posts by asking clarifying questions and making suggestions on
potential readings or direction of research.
2. As a beginning doctoral student and a practicing educator or educational administrator,
identify common themes in the articles and text readings assigned and post your own
understanding and definition of a scholar-practitioner in the appropriate forum. No fewer than
300 words. (Use Tools-Word Count on Word). Be sure to respond to at least three
colleagues’ posts. Summarizers:
Class 2: Positionality and Educational Research
Readings:
Briscoe, F. M. (2005). A question of representation in educational discourse: Multiplicities and
intersections of identities and positionalities. Educational Studies, 38(1), 23-41.
Carlton Parsons, E. R. (2008). Positionality and a theoretical accommodation of it: Rethinking
science education research. Published online 19 March 2008 in WileyInterScience
(www.interscience.wiley.com), 1127-1144. doi: 10.1002/sce.20273.
Fennel, S., & Arnot, M. (2008). Decentring hegemonic gender theory: The implications for
educational research. Compare, 38(5), 525-538.
Jupp, J. C., & Slattery, P. (2006). White male teachers on difference: Narratives of contact
and tensions. International Journal of Qualitative Research in Education, 23(5), 199-215.
In Machi & McEvoy, The literature review, pp. 13-33.
Assignments:
Write and post a positionality statement. State a problem of practice. Write a statement
identifying and describing your perspectives and biases in relation to this problem of
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practice. Incorporate concepts from at least three of the assigned readings. The
positionality statement must have a title page and a references page and be no fewer than
three pages in length (exclusive of the title and reference pages). Use of 12 font, Times
New Roman, double spacing is required. Post in the appropriate discussion forum and be
sure to comment on at least three of your colleagues’ posts by asking clarifying questions.
and highlighting what you believe is the most relevant aspect of your colleagues’ response
to your own positionality statement.
Post a brief summary of the key points and your own analysis of the significance and
relevance of these points of one of the articles: Briscoe (by alpha); Carlton Parsons (by
alpha); Fennel (by alpha); Jupp (by alpha). Summarizers: (identified in Course Material)
Class 3: Academic Writing Part 1
Readings:
In Rocco & Hatcher (Eds.), The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing:
Rocco, T. Reasons to write, writing opportunities, and other considerations 3-12.
Skolits et al. Publishing in peer-reviewed journals and nonrefereed journals:
Processes, strategies, and tips. 13-25.
Nackoney et al. Learning to write: Wisdom from emerging scholars. 26-43.
Wallace & Wray. Scholarly reading as a model for scholarly writing. 44-61.
Lee & Aitchinson. Working with tensions: Writing for publication during your
doctorate. 62-73.
In Machi & McEvoy, The literature review, 35-57.
Assignments:
Update your colleagues on the status of your literature review by identifying and posting
five sources from peer-reviewed journals.
Complete all the readings. Post a brief (no fewer than 300 words) summary of the key
points and your own analysis of the significance and relevance of these points from one of
the articles: Rocco (by alpha), Skolits et al (by alpha), Nackoney et al (by alpha) ,
Wallace and Wray (by alpha), and Lee and Atchinson (by alpha) Be sure to comment on
at least three of your colleagues’ posts. Summarizers: (identified in Course Material)
Class 4: Theoretical Frameworks
Readings:
Anfara & Mertz, Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research, Chapters 1-10
Assignment:
Read each study. Select one study to focus on. Post a brief summary of the key points and your
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own analysis and relevance of these points to your developing understanding of theory and/or
theoretical frameworks.
Class 5: Paradigms of Inquiry
Readings:
Alexander, H. (2006). A view from somewhere: Explaining the paradigms of educational
research. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 40(2), 205-221.
Ponterotto, J. G. (2005). Qualitative research in counseling psychology: A primer in research
paradigms and philosophy of science. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52(2), 126-136.
Butin, D. (2010). Structuring your research. In The education dissertation: A guide to
practitioner scholars (pp. 57-69). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Merriam, S. (1991). How research produces knowledge. In P. Peters & P. Jarvis (Eds.), Adult
Education: Evolution and Achievements in a Developing Field of Study (42-65). San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Assignment: Explain the use of paradigms of inquiry.
Discuss how your problem of practice might exist within the following paradigms of
inquiry: (post)-positivism, interpretivism, and critical theory. Write no fewer than 500
words for each conceptual framework. Ensure that you provide a brief description of each
conceptual framework sufficient to demonstrate that you know what the framework is
about. Then, describe what your problem of practice might look like in that conceptual
framework. This assignment will be no fewer than 6 pages, excluding the title page and
references page. Be sure to comment on at least three of your colleagues’ posts.
Class 6: Academic Writing Part 2
Readings:
In Rocco & Hatcher (Eds.), The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing:
Epstein, Writing with authority: Pitfalls and pit stops, 91-101.
Lee, Finding voice: Appreciating audience, 102-114.
Ellinger & Yang, Creating a whole from the parts: Qualities of good writing, 115124.
Imel, Writing a literature review, 145-160.
In Machi & McEvoy, The literature review, 81-103.
Assignment:
Post a brief (no fewer than 300 words) summary of the key points and your own analysis of the
significance and relevance of these points of one of the articles: Epstein (by alpha), Lee (by
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alpha), Ellinger (by alpha) Imel (by alpha), Be sure to comment on at least three of your
colleagues’ posts. Summarizers: (identified in Course Material)
Update your colleagues on the status of your literature review.
Class 7: Qualitative and Quantitative Research
Readings:
In Rocco & Hatcher (Eds.). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing:
Rocco & Plakhotnik, Increasing the odds of publishing a qualitative manuscript,
161-178.
Newman & Newman, Increasing the likelihood of publishing quantitative
manuscripts. 179-190.
Newman, Newman, & Newman, Writing research articles using mixed methods:
Methodological considerations to help you get published, 191-208.
In Machi & McEvoy, The literature review, 105-126.
Assignment:
Analyze two research articles
Find two research articles that support your problem of practice and analyze each
article, one qualitative, and one quantitative. Follow the template in the Course
Material section text and include a PDF copy of each of the articles in your posting.
Be sure to comment on at least three of your colleagues’ posts.
Class 8: Near-Final Draft
Reading:
Davis, M. (2009). Formative feedback within plagiarism education: Is there a role for textmatching software? International Journal for Educational Integrity, 5(2), 58-70.
Gilmore, J. et al. (2010). Weeds in the flower garden: An exploration of plagiarism in graduate
students' research proposals and its connection to enculturation, ESL, and contextual
factors. International Journal for Educational Integrity,6(1), 13-28.
In Machi & McEvoy
The literature review, 127-154. Be sure to complete Perliminary Draft: The Audit on p. 145
before submitting your near final draft.
Assignment: Post your near-final draft and be sure to follow through on review of one
colleague’s near-final draft.
Class 9: Dissertations/doctoral theses
Reading:
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Herther, N. (2010). Dissertations and research in an era of change. Searcher, 18(2), 22-35.
Assignment:
Critique One Dissertation Related to Your Problem of Practice
Find one dissertation related to your problem of practice. Critique the doctoral thesis and
provide an analysis that is no longer than ten pages, exclusive of title page and references
pages. Be sure to comment on at least three of your colleagues’ posts.
Class 10: Literature Review
Readings:
Boote, D. N., & Beile, P. (2005). Scholars before researchers: On the centrality of the
dissertation literature review in research preparation. Educational Researcher, 34(6), 3-15.
Bruce, C. S. (1994). Research students’ early experiences of the dissertation literature review.
Studies in Higher Education, 19(2), 217-230.
Rocco, T. S., & Plakhotnik, M. S. (2009). Literature reviews, conceptual frameworks, and
theoretical frameworks: Terms, functions, and distinctions. Human Resource Development
Review, 8(1), 120-130.
In Anfara & Mertz, Theoretical Frameworks in Qualitative Research, xiii-xxxii.
Assignment:
Post a brief (no fewer than 300 words) summary of the key points and your own analysis
of the significance and relevance of these points from one of the articles: Boote (by
alpha), Bruce (by alpha), Rocco (by alpha), Anfara & Mertz (by alpha). Be sure to
comment on at least three of your colleagues’ posts. Summarizers: (identified in Course
Material)
Class 11: Formulating the Research Problem
Readings:
In Rocco & Hatcher (eds.), The Handbook of Scholarly Writing and Publishing,
Jacobs, R.L., Developing a research problem and purpose statement. 125-142
Alversson, M., & Sandberg, J. (2011). Generating research questions through problematization.
Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 247-271.
Agee, J. (2009). Developing qualitative research questions: A reflective process. International
Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 22(4), 431-447.
Vanderling, R., & van Braak, J. (2010). The gap between educational research and practice:
Views of teachers, school leaders, intermediaries and researchers. British Educational Research
Journal, 36(2), 299-316.
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In Machi & McEvoy, The literature review, 59-79.
Assignment:
Restate your problem of practice. Identify key themes and ideas from at least three
of this week’s readings that influenced your restatement of the problem. The restated
problem of practice must have a title page and references page and be no greater than
three pages (exclusive of title page and references page). Be sure to comment on at
least three of your colleagues’ posts.
Class 12: Post your literature review and comment on at least three of your colleagues’
work.
Assignments:
Post your final paper for your literature review no later than Wednesday evening, 11:59 p.m. Be
sure to review at least three of your colleagues’ posts and comment on their work. Your
comments should be evaluative to the extent that you assess that the main conclusions of their
research are clear and that the form and logic of each argument to arrive at those main
conclusions are stated or clearly implied.
Post your summary report no later than Friday evening, 5:00 p.m.
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