Life as a Researcher: Exploration of an Alternative Dissertation Model

Joanne Rutkowski, The Pennsylvania State University

Linda P. Thornton, The Pennsylvania State University

Although the Ph.D. is a research degree, Ph.D. recipients in Music Education may not continue to be engaged in research throughout their careers. These recipients may become higher education faculty who perceive research and publication as “hoops” through which one must jump to achieve tenure, rather than as satisfaction for curiosities. While the nature of some university positions may not support research efforts, it seems possible that research experiences in graduate school may not have prepared these persons for life as a researcher.

The dissertation phase of a Ph.D. degree often presents many challenges for students and may in fact discourage them from engaging in future research endeavors. The scope of this project is typically large and the written report long and often pedantic – not typical of what most researchers do in their careers. In addition, this huge project may represent the student’s only research experience in graduate school. Dissertation advisors find themselves hounding their graduates to condense this volume into an article – “get it published!” Given these reflections, conversations about alternative models for a dissertation have begun in the profession. What is the more typical life of a researcher and how might we better prepare graduate students for that life of curiosity?

Music Education faculty at our institution pondered these questions and an alternative dissertation model is now an option for our students. Based on the premise that learning to do research requires doing research, the Ph.D. students are required to conduct various projects throughout their doctoral study. For students for whom an area of research interest emerges early, their dissertation may represent a collection of studies related to one topic rather than one large study. Further, considerable student independence is expected during the final phase of the dissertation process.

The purpose of this study is to explore the process and effectiveness of the revised dissertation model from the perspective of the doctoral students and faculty. Of particular interest are the students’ interest in conducting research, their publication and presentation activity, and their impressions about the process. The faculty perspective is also important – do the committee members feel this dissertation model is appropriately rigorous for a Ph.D. and do the students exhibit the necessary background and expertise to continue as researchers? Two doctoral students who have completed the degree, three doctoral students soon entering the dissertation phase of the degree, and members of these students’ doctoral committees will serve as participants. Each will complete an open-ended questionnaire followed by interviews. Questionnaire responses will be used to guide the interviews. Data will be collected during summer, 2015 and the project will be completed prior to the SMTE conference in September. Findings will not only inform this doctoral program regarding the dissertation process, but will also be useful to our conversations about dissertation models in Music Education and aligns with the mission of the Music Teacher Educators’ ASPA through examining “preparation of the ‘next generation’ of music teacher educators.”