Faculty Mentors’ Perceptions: Evidence of Applied Practitioner Research by EdD Candidates

The purpose of this research was to understand faculty mentors’ perspectives on the impact of CPED-aligned methodology courses on doctoral students’ development as scholarly practitioners. This study was a pilot study and exploratory in nature. Methods included distribution of a survey which included Likert items, as well as open-ended questions. The study presents descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of the survey results. Additionally, exemplar DiPs were analyzed to demonstrate alignment with CPED principles. Findings indicated that faculty mentors perceive that the CPED-aligned methods coursework is having a positive impact on students’ learning and development as scholar practitioners. However, areas for growth and continuous improvement were identified. Implications of the research indicate a need for ongoing program assessment and evaluation of the impact of methodological coursework as the institution moves forward in program redesign and improvement. This study also serves as a model for incorporating faculty mentor perspectives in course and program assessment.