Doctoral Motivation and Program Environment in Ed.D. Programs: A Qualitative Study of Student

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  In Roundtable Session: Advancing Equity and Access in Educational Systems

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates how an Ed.D. program environment influences
doctoral student motivation through the lenses of Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Adams’
Equity Theory. Eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with Ed.D. students and
graduates from a comparably rigorous Ed.D. program at a regional public university. Participants
shared their perceptions of how curriculum design, time to completion, faculty mentorship, and
key assessments shaped their motivation and persistence. A central finding is that students
compared their experiences to those in other Ed.D. programs at different institutions, fueling
perceptions of inequity. The study provides actionable recommendations for program redesign
based on student perspectives to better align with practitioner goals and improve doctoral
pers

Authors

• Christa Reyes, Florida Gulf Coast University

• Jingshun Zhang, Florida Gulf Coast University