EdD-Activism Through the Dissertation in Practice and Beyond
An Introduction to the Special Issue
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2025.591Keywords:
activism, action research, dissertation in practiceAbstract
This special issue celebrates our colleagues, graduates, and current students for being, becoming, and supporting EdD-activists. Grounded in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate framework, our program has long emphasized advocating for equity and social justice, yet we recently went a step further by framing students’ action research dissertations as opportunities for activism. Stemming from these ongoing efforts, this issue may nourish comparable transformation in other schools and communities. This introduction outlines our aim to introduce and illustrate the concept of EdD-activism, aided by a range of student, graduate, and faculty voices. By highlighting students’ and graduates’ experiences and achievements as EdD-activists and describing the structures and approaches that give rise to EdD-activism, we hope to inspire other educators to see and act upon the activist potential in their own practice, as well as encouraging fellow teacher educators to instill or enhance that mindset in the students they serve.
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