Nourishing Alternatives

An Introduction to the Special Issue

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2025.556

Keywords:

alternative dissertations

Abstract

This special issue explores the expanding landscape of alternative dissertations within Doctor of Education (EdD) programs, showcasing how scholar-practitioners are reimagining the dissertation as a dynamic platform for addressing authentic problems of practice. Moving beyond the traditional five-chapter format, EdD programs are embracing formats such as dissertations-in-practice, public scholarship, portfolios, and multimedia projects. These alternatives encompass theoretically informed inquiries that reframe problems of practice through multifaceted lenses, empowering educational leaders with new ways to understand, navigate, and respond to the complex realities of their work. In this introduction, we provide a conceptual overview of the shift toward alternative dissertations, through the work of the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) and calls to bridge theory and practice. We also preview the articles in this issue, which offer insights about the design, implementation, and implications of alternative dissertation models from multiple perspectives across institutions—including those of Graduate Schools, programs, faculty advisors, and students. Collectively, these contributions illuminate how EdD programs and EdD students are reshaping the dissertation to better serve educational leaders and their communities, while honoring the complexity and diversity of scholarly practice.

References

Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED). (2025, May 27). What is a dissertation in practice? https://cped.memberclicks.net/what-is-a-dissertation-in-practice

James, C. (2025). The color of resilience: Decolonizing settler logics of Black parent involvement [Doctoral dissertation, Appalachian State University]. https://doi.org/10.71889/5fylantbak.29538158.v1

Jimenez, H. (2025). Education isn't a to-to list: A podcast dissertation about educational technology and culturally sustaining pedagogy initiatives in NC [Doctoral dissertation, Appalachian State University]. https://sites.google.com/appstate.edu/educationisntato-dolist/home

McIntosh, D.B. (2025). The quilted journey: Navigating leadership and well-being in the lives of Black women principals through the lens of Black feminism [Doctoral dissertation, Appalachian State University]. https://doi.org/10.71889/5fylantbak.29473391.v1

Miller, V., & Brown, S. (2024). Alternative formats: Thinking differently about dissertations in practice and faculty dissertation mentoring. In Everson, L. Hemmer, K. Torres, & S. R. Tamim (Eds.). The importance of the dissertation in practice (DiP): A resource guide for EdD students (pp. 205-221). Myers Education Press.

Perry, J. A. (2024). The history of the DiP: Dissertation in what? In Everson, L. Hemmer, K. Torres, & S. R. Tamim (Eds.). The importance of the dissertation in practice (DiP): A resource guide for EdD students (pp. 9-24). Myers Education Press.

Smith, R.A. (2025). Liturgy: A Foucauldian genealogy on the discourse of moral ideologies within education assessment [Doctoral dissertation, Appalachian State University]. https://doi.org/10.71889/5fylantbak.29613587.v1

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Published

2025-08-01 — Updated on 2025-08-05

How to Cite

Miller, V., & Brown, S. (2025). Nourishing Alternatives: An Introduction to the Special Issue . Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 10(3), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2025.556

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 3 (2025): The Present and Future of EdD Alternative Dissertations

Section

Themed-The Present and Future of EdD Alternative Dissertations

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Copyright (c) 2025 Vachel Miller, Star Brown

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