Rachel Knott & Hector Williams The professional doctorate: a marriage of theory and practice The professional doctorate: a marriage of theory and practice.

Rachel Knott & Hector Williams

The professional doctorate: a marriage of theory and practice

Institute for Health &

Wellbeing Research

Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland:

Graduate School

Nursing and

Midwifery

Pharmacy & Life

Sciences

Health Sciences

Applied Social

Studies

Aberdeen Centre for

Trauma Research

CORE

Graduate School:

• 55 – 60 research students

MSc MRES PhD DPP

Summary:

• Doctorate of Professional Practice (DPP)• Development and implementation• Challenges faced

Tension between theory and practice• Current status and future development

Development and implementation:

Programme outline:

• 5 years part time – Year 1: 2 X 30 credit modules– Year 2: 2 X 30 credit module– Years 3 – 5: 420 credit research project

• Facilitate progress within a busy work environment

Course characteristics: Aligned with existing professional practice Engage with work-based supervisor Utilisation of virtual learning environment Blended learning (4 modules within 2 years) Opportunity to engage with wider research student

community Equivalence to PhD Recognisable within respective professions Include ‘transfer’ stage Build in exit routes

applied research methodsSCQF 30 level 11

creating impact in professional practiceSCQF 30 level 11

Research skills or other subject specific module or APLSCQF 30 level 11

research process and critical analysisSCQF 30 level 11

PgCert Applied Res Meth

PgDip Applied Res Meth

Doctoral research projectSCQF 420 level 12

Doctorate of professional

practice

MRES Applied Res Meth

Masters level research projectSCQF 60 level 11

Course structure:

Equivalence to PhD:

applied research methods

creating impact in professional practice

Research skills or other subject specific module or APL

research process and critical analysis

conduct research independently, contribute to knowledge, communicate, command a body of knowledge, demonstrate competencies in generic and subject specific skills

Doctoral thesis

Comparison with other professional doctorates:

medica

l and hea

lth sc

iences

archite

cture

art an

d design

business

and finan

ce

earth

and en

vironmen

t

engin

eerin

g

humanities

Langu

age,

lingu

istics

law an

d crim

inology

life an

d chem

ical sc

iences

Medica

l and M

edicin

e

business

and finan

ce

physical

scien

ce, m

aths a

nd computing

profes

sional

andvo

cational

studies

socia

l scien

ce0.00

2.00

4.00

6.00

8.00

10.00

12.00

14.00

16.00

18.00

20.00

subject area

num

ber o

f pro

gram

mes

Comparison with other professional doctorates:

Module options with supported e-learning Project within professional field Accreditation of prior learning Duration (2-6 years) Specificity of name Emphasis on theoretical underpinning

Example• Problem with communicating with young

diabetes patients about glucose control and general support from the diabetic nurses.

• Can an alternate communication strategy be defined within this region and how can we determine clinical effectiveness?

• Student – senior nurse with vast experience of clinical practice

Theory and practice:

13

Practice

Modified Practice

Professional led research process

All professional practice is set within a wider societal context.Essential therefore to engage in psychosocial or related theory to develop praxis.

Inductive Theory

14

Adapted from Lartey, E., 2000, Practical Theology as Thoelogical Form, in Woodward, J., & Pattison, S., 2000, The Blackwell Reader in Pastoral and Practical Theology, Blackwell, Oxford.

Practice

Mutual Critical Correlation

Review

of

LiteratureTheory grounded in

Practice

Practice’sAnalysis of Theory

New PRAXIS

Empirical DataThemes/Hypotheses/Concepts/Narratives,

……

Theoretical positioning

Theory’s Analysis of Practice

THEORY

Socio-Psycho perspectives

THEORY

Organisational perspectives

THEORYAny other relevant perspective (e.g.

Economic)

Practice

New praxis PracticeNew praxis

Current status and future development:

• Steep learning curve;• Students now at later stages;• “I have no doubt that the outcome of my research will not only

benefit policing within the UK, but also law enforcement globally.”

• Evidence-based Practice;• Practice-led Evidence PRAXIS;