Understanding the Experience of Educational Leadership Doctoral Studies Contribution to Alumni Growth, Community Engagement, and Impact

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: The Power of Educational Leadership Programs to Foster Personal, Professional, and Community Development (Table 18)

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative study was to trace the experience of EL doctoral studies alumni and to examine their study's contribution to their growth, community engagement, and impact, guided by the following questions: (1) How do alumni perceive the moratorium of doctoral studies retrospectively? and (2) What are the main impacts of these doctoral studies on self, community, and system? Guided by these questions, we utilized in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 program alumni. From these crucial conversations, and unsilenced voices four important themes emerged: (1) repositioning oneself through inquiry; (2) reimagining the dissertation process; (3) retrospective reflections; and (4) community impact. This research can inform future program redesign to enhance relevance and increase self and community impact.

Authors

• Khalid Husny Arar, Texas State University

• Shannon Belcher, Texas State University

• Munube Yilmaz, Texas State University