Have you ever thought about the potential for unintended
consequences in acquiring disciplinary expertise? While one might assume that you see the
rewards as worth the risks, this might not be the case, as some of you might be
in the program more for the post-credential opportunities than for a genuine
desire to become an “expert.” How does all of this relate to your situation and
also to what we have read and discussed so far about doctorial studies?
kurt here...dfkgad;lfgjadadfaljkddsgkjl
ReplyDeleteI guess I see it differently. I am not in this for the "rewards." I see this as a journey that I am so fortunate to be involved in. I have several ideas as to what my next step will be, but I am allowing the experience to play out a little before I decide. I know I want to make a difference. Our educational system has some many serious problems. Our children need more than we can possibly do as educators. Our teacher need more than they are receiving. I know I want to make a difference. If my degree opens a door to make that happen then so be it.
DeleteI feel exactly the same way Sarah! Except, I am a little more adamant that my degree needs to open a door that allows me to make that happen.
Delete-Joy
The sentiment of rewards being worth its potential risks presents such an undeniable allure, yet proves challenging for me to readily accept as my role as a full time doctoral student spirals my parallel investments as a full time teacher. Personal interpretations of what constitutes rewards, risks, and value as a doctoral student and middle school teacher may be independent from how my classes experience the same circumstances. Because the trajectory of my work as a doctoral student carries with it the weight of responsibility to my pupils, I often contemplate the ethics of my young learners standing as a notable component of what influences the configurations of my perspective, beliefs, and actions from year to year. Have any of you grappled with similar concerns?
ReplyDelete-Sandy Ting
There are many reasons to pursue a doctorate, each depending upon personal goals. I am in pursuit of my doctorate in order to improve post-secondary transitions for individuals with disabilities. My overarching goal is to improve individually-defined qualities of life for culturally diverse students through increased opportunities for post-secondary education, employment, and independent living. This focus area is very narrow and defined, especially when I explain my desire to conduct research on favored topics in special education, such as culturally responsive self-determination for Black students with intellectual disabilities. I choose to be an expert in a narrowed area because with my expertise, I believe I will have greater success in pinpointing change for specific populations.
ReplyDeleteI also admit that accomplishing my overarching goal (to the greatest of my ability) would be a personal reward; however, this is not why I am in a doctoral program. Similar to many of my colleagues, I have witnessed problems in the field which I do not have the power, knowledge, or connections to change. I desire to have a voice that demonstrates continuously expanding expertise in order to make the most appropriate recommendations and implications from my research.
While I feel that having the credentials at the end of my program will help me in my future career choices, this is not my driving force. But I am also not in this to just gain a lot of theoretical knowledge so I can profess to be an expert. What I hope to get out of this experience is to examine myself, and my experiences, and take this together with my learning of theory and research to work it into something that can be used to make a difference in education. I do think that we are very much “stewards” of education, or at least we should strive to be. I know that sounds very idealistic, but I truly believe that aside from meeting basic needs such as healthcare, food, and shelter, the most important function of a democratic society is education of its people.
ReplyDeleteJoy
5-23-18
ReplyDeleteUnintended consequences are nothing more than unconsidered outcomes. (Yes, an essential distinction exists.) An unintended consequence is an outcome that was not considered to be a likely possibility prior to the decision that sets in motion the course of events that ultimately culminated in the unintended consequence. It’s the “Here-Hold-My-Beer Effect,” which usually results in ER visits or calls to attorneys or apologies to the neighbors or civil litigation, as well as choruses of “Damn, that was dumb” from family and friends, but such unconsidered outcomes are often obvious upon post-consequence reflection. While a comparison to the unintended consequences of acquiring disciplinary expertise might appear tenuous – or even flippant – at best, the comparison serves to illuminate how we, as fallible humans, pay the price or reap the rewards due to our decisions.
Which brings me to my decision to plunge into the PhD program. I gave a great deal of thought to the path I wanted to pursue for a PhD, especially following my previous adventures obtaining a JD, which can best be characterized as daily relay races carting 1,200-page legal tomes across campus to classes in which I endured Socratic lectures more akin to public floggings while my classmates hurled flaming feces at me, which, in all fairness, I gleefully hurled back when their turns under the withering examination of our professors rolled around. Ah, the memories…but, as usual, I digress. So, before launching into the PhD program, I engaged in careful reflection and discussion with my family and friends; explored deep analysis of all likely outcomes using white boards, pushpins, and red yarn; sought consultation with experts in the field; and made significant investments in tarot card readings. I ultimately determined that VCU’s CCC PhD track offers a path that many PhD programs in other disciplines do not: exposure to an interdisciplinary body of knowledge that not only has applicability in the field of education but also has utility in other scholarly areas as well. Even though I intend to leave the classroom and pursue a career at the state or national level in educational policy and program management, I might return to the legal field with my PhD as a flexible, complementary degree to support a career in civil rights litigation or some other area where I can joyfully tilt at whatever windmill strikes my fancy. Ultimately, I see no downside to furthering my education and expanding my knowledge, because knowledge is a reward in and of itself. Whether I find myself actively working toward systemic change in public education, advocating for criminal sentencing reform, or simply boring my friends at cocktail parties is yet to be determined. But no matter how it ultimately pans out, I’m cool with it, and that’s what really matters.
Pete W.
From John Marshall:
ReplyDeleteI am pursuing my doctorate so that I can better my skill set and “toolbox” as I work toward my goal as an educator: to make an impact on the world by positively affecting as many kids’ lives as possible. Given my abilities and position, I believe that the best way that I can do that is by having a transformative impact on my little corner of the field – the building that I will lead.
I am hopeful that this process will make me a better consumer of research and plug me into the researcher world so that I can remain a part of it, impacting my school and using my school and my position as someone in both worlds (practitioner and researcher) to advance the discipline.
I provide that background because I am encountering one unintended consequence of a deep dive into any part of education. For many problems, from school segregation, to violence in schools, to a failure of the system to serve English Learners, the more I learn about a topic, the less optimistic I am about our abilities as educational leaders to affect it. Working towards expertise in this very imperfect system has left me with a bit of pessimism and I must battle the “existential crisis” (in Dr. Stemhagen’s words) of paralysis due to the daunting nature of the challenge. These are fleeting moments that I can bracket away, but certainly a surprising side effect of the process of learning more about the challenges facing my field.
John Marshall
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ReplyDeletePursuing a doctorate, in my opinion, is generally driven by an unrelenting desire for achievement and improvement, both at the micro (individual) and macro (societal) level. At the micro level, it is my belief that I cannot and should not have to choose one or the other- the desire for post-credential opportunities and the desire to be an expert. It is essential to acknowledge how well these two forces can work together and fuel the drive for improvement and enhancement of society and the individual. Personally, I believe that I can "attain" expertise (which, in my opinion, is close to impossible as there is always great potential to learn more, and acquire new skills and knowledge) through post-credential opportunities as they can open several professional doors to enhance my practical knowledge and further my exposure as a professional in the field. It is a high possibility that a lack or absence of post-credential opportunities will prove to be detrimental to my drive to become an expert, rendering this desire incomplete and unattained; these opportunities can aid in increasing practical experience which is often lacking in research focused education.
ReplyDeleteOne can never be a true expert in any discipline as there will always be new and conflicting ideas, discoveries, and implications. However, treading this path can help position individuals in jobs where this supposed expertise can inform practice and add to the greater good. Personal goals, more often than not, influence our decisions, and achieving these goals are therefore personally rewarding, but as long as one's personal goals and achievements help in the advancement of society, the debate surrounding the superiority of one desire over the other is rendered null.
The decision on whether or not to leave behind my career as a speech language pathologist and enter a doctoral program was a laborious, and thought consuming process. I recall constantly cycling through the list of pros and cons for taking the leap, and becoming a full time student again and continuous conversations with family and friends about how obtaining a doctoral degree will alter, impact, and shift the direction of my future career.
ReplyDeleteThrough my optimistic lens, the majority of consequences I thought about were positive. Here are a few aspirations that floated through my head;
I would have the ability to open more doors with more opportunities and available careers, in the field more individuals would take my seriously, I would gain more knowledge on the education system, and I would create a nitch for myself with a Master's in Speech and Language Pathology and a Doctorate in Special Education.
Through my realistic lens, I would leave behind a career that was lucrative and one that I enjoyed, I may make myself too qualified, and I may make my area of expertise too limited and narrow. In the eyes of employers I have know taken my necessary Master's degree and upped the ante to a doctorate; thus, indicating that employers will have to increase my pay, which they may not have the available funds to do so, I may have taken my broad range of knowledge obtained in my Master's program and made my area of expertise so specific that I know longer think broadly, which my also impact the way employers see me. These are the negative consequences that I try to push to the side because for me the more knowledge I have the better I can serve.
I do not believe I will ever become an expert, I mat strive to do so as I am plagued with a perfectionist and type A personality. However, on the other hand, with this personality type I do not believe I will ever achieve expertise but I will continue to strive for it because in the end I do believe the more knowledge I have the more I can help. However, I need to also remember stay humble, grounded, and connected.
My reasons for pursuing a doctoral degree have changed since being in the program. At first, I wanted the credibility that one has from having the privilege to be called doctor. I was certainly unaware of how the program would help to shape my lens and reaffirm my purpose. Though I love research I have a gift to teach, and the more I learn, the more I become excited about sharing with others. I have a hard time grasping the idea of acquiring disciplinary expertise. I believe in becoming grounded in an area in order to present it to others with confidence and power. However, I find myself focusing on one are and discovering resources from other areas. For example, I am interested in tailoring a counseling intervention for African American couples. In my research, I started with counseling articles and eventually found myself indulged in resources grounded in religion and history. I guess in a sense, using resources from other fields to support my area of interest further grounds me in the topic. Initially, I believed that becoming an expert would limit me to focus on that area alone. However, I understand the importance of connecting other areas to further solidify my area of expertise.
ReplyDeleteI made a very conscious effort to not leave my current career as an educator behind while pursuing my PhD. There was an opportunity for me to go full-time and work as a GA in another state, but that did not really appeal to me. Even though I love the idea of being immersed in the program, I don't think leaving the profession was something that would help me achieve my goals. I am currently an ITRT in Henrico and previously taught 3rd grade in the same county. Every day I have the opportunity to work with students and teachers and (hopefully) impact the type of instruction occurring in the four schools I support. I see myself using what I learn through this journey as a tool to help inform the public education in my county. With every career move in public schools that I could make I think I need to make sure that I can impact what happens in the classroom. While doing research can impact the teaching and learning in the classroom, it feels even more removed than working directly in a school system. I find my joy in my career when I am working directly with teachers and students, so I do not see this changing as I progress through the PhD program. I am studying the implications of maker-based education in the core content areas through the use of technology tools. This is something that I am already doing in the classrooms, so I am hoping that I will develop my expertise through the practice I already exercise in conjunction with the knowledge I am gaining through the PhD program. While I would never argue against upward career moves brought about by completing my PhD, this is not a guarantee. I love my job and going to work every day, so if I can equip teachers and students with tools for learning through my PhD journey I would say that it was worth it, even if I continue my path as an ITRT.
ReplyDeleteThis was Matt by the way!
DeleteWhen entering the doctoral program my goals were quite clear. I had carefully considered the risks of leaving a job that, while often difficult, I loved, selling my house, and moving. I had become frustrated with many of the circumstances in my rural low socioeconomic school system and desired to somehow affect change for educators and students. Specifically, I want to work with pre-service teachers preparing to teach math to elementary school students. While I have taught math to fifth grade and spent many hours in younger grade math classrooms as well, I could not by any means have called myself an expert at teaching mathematics. Obviously, to enter into academia, I need the credentials of the Ph.D. However, I also desire to learn as much as possible about both the educational climate as a whole (past and present) and mathematics education.
ReplyDeleteAs for unintended consequences, honestly, I am not sure I had thought deeply about this before entering the program. I was so focused on elementary math education, but as I have gone through classes and interacted with faculty and peers, I also find myself interested in other facets of education. Specifically, teacher retention and teacher agency and voice are things I would also like to delve into through my research. While I do not think expertise has to be limited to one specific subject area, it does seem to become a balancing act when other focuses are brought in throughout the limited time of a Ph.D. program. I think choices have to be made about what to write about or become an expert in based on future career desires. The question becomes how much should one interest be put on the backburner in order to focus on truly achieving expertise in another area?
- Brooke
There is a high potential for unintended consequences in doctoral studies. As discussed in class, no matter what reason you had for wanting to obtain a PhD, there will be some unforeseen drawbacks or advantages to the endeavour. While I applied to the Educational Leadership program to understand more fully the problem that exists with what children are learning (education) and its impact on (in)security and conflict around the world especially in developing nations, I also knew that acquiring a doctorate would give me the required prestige to share my findings and knowledge with relevant policy makers and gatekeepers of the education sector worldwide.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have come to realize that being an “expert” does not necessarily mean that people will always listen to what you have to say or that this will help you make a noticeable difference in the field. Acquiring a PhD, like any other degree is a tool. One needs to find the best ways to use this tool; and in doing so (just like with medicines), there will be side-effects such as the competition for the few available positions/opportunities to ‘use’ the tool or the amount of time you need to invest. But I chose not to see the negative unintended consequences of this pursuit. It is not a journey that has been embarked on lightly – moving thousands of miles away from all that is familiar, leaving most family and many friends, I want to focus only on the positives. For me, these are: I am enjoying what I am doing; I am using my brain and learning new things everyday (which is good); I will be able to achieve personal goals as well as contribute to my field even if only in a little way; and I will have the opportunity to impact social change in my community through solutions that will come out of my research.
I had my Master in Teaching English as a Second Language, which is more instruction oriented than research direction, but I have great interest in students’ motivation, especially in second language acquisition. That is the main inspiration for me to enter a doctoral program. But I may not consider my situation as a desire to become an “expert” because I feel in the sense that expertise requires long-term practice and accumulation involving some innate nature. For me, gaining more knowledge and research in my interested topic is always the right choice. If I have the passion and nature to go further in the field, then I will see where it directs me to go. After entering the doctoral program, I pay some attention to some of the post-credential activity.
ReplyDeleteAlso, not like many peers in the doctoral program, I did not have teaching and other working experience, so there is no struggle in trade-offs between work and continuing study. However, the advantages of the transition from teacher to researcher in Labaree’s study are what I need to make up, such as, maturity, professional experience as well as language barrier.
Like Matt, I, too, made the conscious decision to continue with my current role as a secondary literacy coach while pursuing my doctorate degree. I initially decided to "go for it" when I began my work at Randolph-Macon College, where I teach undergraduates in the education department. I loved this work-the impact of working with preservice teachers was mind-blowing- I could see me doing this full time in the future. For me, obtaining a doctorate was the means to an end...I have to have those letters to be full-time at a higher level. I wasn't really interested in a wider impact through research or publishing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, now that I've started classes and I've been pushed to think more deeply and critically, I've realized that there are soooooooo many things I want to know more about within my area of literacy, as well as with the idea of research and sharing, that is maybe more than just a public intellectual. I strive to be an expert, but maybe that is the point...to continue to strive.
I see so much more for myself than just working with preservice teachers. It's collaborating with schools, being "in the field" doing action research, and sharing this practical knowledge with higher education that it appears to me to be more reciprocal in nature.
This is Julie!
DeleteMy reason for pursuing a PhD has changed over time, especially after I got into CCC track at VCU and switched to Research and Eval at the end of my first semester here. I originally thought about pursuing a tenure-track professorship at a research institution before I arrive at the program. This plan was must due to my time I spent at BYU while I was getting a Master's degree in Sociology. I fell in love with research and the topic (diversity, culture and how these components shape and mold our society) that I was involved in. My research back then were mostly qualitative oriented, I felt I was short in quantitative skills, therefore, as I entered the program, I was determined to do more quantitative research to be equipped with the expertise and skills that I need for my future career. As I switched track from CCC to Research Eval, I am a little bit lost in terms of what I want to do and what I can do with this PhD degree. I am still searching for the "right" path, but one thing I do know for sure was something practical to make a positive impact on educational reform in issues related to diversity, equity, and assessment.
ReplyDelete