Transforming doctoral education: preparing multidimensional and adaptive scholars
Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education
ISSN: 2398-4686
Article publication date: 29 August 2019
Issue publication date: 9 April 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Concerning trends in graduate education, such as high attrition and underdeveloped skills, drive toward a new doctoral education approach. This paper aims to describe and propose a transformative doctoral education model (TDEM), incorporating elements that potentially address these challenges and expand the current practice. The model envisions discipline-specific knowledge coupled with a broader interdisciplinary perspective and addresses the transferable skills necessary to successfully navigate an ever-changing workforce and global landscape. The overarching goal of TDEM is to transform the doctoral student into a multi-dimensional and adaptive scholar, so the students of today can effectively and meaningfully solve the problems of tomorrow.
Design/methodology/approach
The foundation of TDEM is transformative learning theory, supporting the notion learner transformation occurs throughout the doctoral educational experience.
Findings
Current global doctoral education models and literature were reviewed. These findings informed the new TDEM.
Practical implications
Designed as a customizable framework for learner-centered doctoral education, TDEM promotes a mentor network on and off-campus, interdisciplinarity and agile career scope preparedness.
Social implications
Within the TDEM framework, doctoral students develop valuable knowledge and transferable skills. These developments increase doctoral student career adaptability and preparedness, as well as enables graduates to appropriately respond to global and societal complex problems.
Originality/value
This proposed doctoral education framework was formulated through a review of the literature and experiences with curricular design and pedagogical practices at a research-intensive university’s teaching and learning center. TDEM answers the call to develop frameworks that address issues in doctoral education and present a flexible and more personalized training. TDEM encourages doctoral student transformation into adaptive, forward-thinking scholars and thriving in an ever-changing workforce.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The TDEM spun out of a funded proposal (NSF-DGE-1545403) to design an interdisciplinary curriculum specific to materials science, informatics and engineering design. The authors are grateful for the faculty and students at Texas A&M University’s D3EM program. In addition, the authors wish to thank the reviewers for their constructive feedback and appreciate anyone who had helpful discussions with them.
Citation
Patterson, C.A., Chang, C.-N., Lavadia, C.N., Pardo, M.L., Fowler, D.A. and Butler-Purry, K. (2020), "Transforming doctoral education: preparing multidimensional and adaptive scholars", Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 17-34. https://doi.org/10.1108/SGPE-03-2019-0029
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited