The Power of Writing in Community

Being Seen and Supported in an EdD Journey

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2024.440

Keywords:

EdD students, critical friendships, community writing, sense of belonging

Abstract

This essay explores how writing in community for EdD students can be pivotal in helping them succeed in their academic journey. Considering existing research, three UC Davis CANDEL EdD (Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership) students and recent alumni use a case study approach to highlight the ways writing in community was instrumental to their own journeys and enhanced their sense of belonging. This essay highlights the challenges faced by the EdD students, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. They leaned into the transformative power of writing in community and use vignettes to detail their personal experiences. They showcase the power of critical friendship that encouraged vulnerability and connection within their group and catapulted them towards dissertation completion. The essay also recommends institutional support for specific interventions to further writing in community in all EdD programs.

References

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Hamann, E. T., & Wunder, S. (2013). Using a cohort approach to convert EdD students into critical friends. In: V.A. Storey (Ed.) Redesigning professional education doctorates. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137358295_10

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Maldonado, L. G., Dolfi, J. J., Bartlett, J. E., & Bartlett, M. E. (2021). Forward momentum: Providing supportive space for EdD students' dissertation progression through weekly online writing sessions. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 6(3), 13–20.

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Settles-Tidwell, M. (2021). At the table activism: Centering the experiences and elevating the voices of female administrators of color navigating historically white institutions while making institutional change. (Publication No. 28652405) [Doctoral dissertation, California State University East Bay]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

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Storey, V. A. (Ed.). (2013). Redesigning professional education doctorates: Applications of critical friendship theory to the EdD. Springer.

White, J., & Nonnamaker, J. (2008). Belonging and mattering: How doctoral students experience community. NASPA Journal, 45(3). https://doi.org/10.2202/0027-6014.1860

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Published

2024-08-06

How to Cite

Randle, M., Anders, C. I., & heck, molly m. (2024). The Power of Writing in Community: Being Seen and Supported in an EdD Journey. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 9(3), 13–17. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2024.440

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2024): Voices from CANDEL: Leading for Equity and the Scholar-Practitioner Journey

Section

Themed-Leadership for Equity: Voices from CANDEL

License

Copyright (c) 2024 Marney Randle, C. Inez Anders, molly m. heck

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