Rebooting the EdD

Abstract

In this essay, Jon Wergin reminds readers of the philosophical and historical foundations of the doctor of education (EdD) degree. He argues that the EdD should be based, in large part, on John Dewey's progressive ideals of democratization and Paulo Freire's concepts of emancipatory education. Drawing on theories of reflective practice, participatory action research, and signature pedagogies, Wergin proposes five principles through which schools of education can "reboot" their EdD degrees, creating programs that represent continued scholarship into practice and a commitment to social action. He then illustrates one potential application of these principles.