Education EdD

Our researchers create knowledge and advance understanding, and equip versatile doctoral researchers with the confidence to apply what they have learnt for the benefit of society. Find out more about working with the Supervisory Team.

You are welcome to approach your potential supervisor directly to discuss your research interests. Search for expert supervisors for your chosen field of research.

Doctor of Education (EdD) programme of study

There are four study blocks in the taught component of the programme spread across the first two years (6 weekend study schools per year) with end of year papers as follows:

Year 1

ED6700: Improving education and enhancing educational professionalism

• The (recent) history of educational improvement in the UK and abroad, particularly from the perspective of policy (including standards-based improvement; inspection and improvement; measurement, curriculum reform, learning outcomes; league tables)
• The possible contributions of research to educational improvement (including action research; school effectiveness and improvement; teacher judgement; teacher activism)
• The literature on professions, professionalism and professionality, and its relevance for education (including conceptions and definitions of professions, professionalism and professionality; teacher professionalism; teacher agency; teacher autonomy). Enhancing professionalism (including the role of teachers, of research, of policy; the role of accountability)

ED6701: Making sense of education: Theory, history and policy

• Theories of education (with a particular focus on how educational theories and forms of theorising differ from theories and theorising in other practical fields and academic disciplines)
• The history and development of education as a scholarly and academic endeavour, in the UK and elsewhere. The history of education (with a particular focus on the history of school education and educational reform)
• Trends in education policy in the UK and elsewhere (including critical analysis of political dimensions of education policy and how such policy helps or hinders educational practice and educational professionalism)

End of year 1 task: 10,000 words historical paper on a topic of personal choice

Year 2

ED6702: Making sense of educational and social research

• The development of the social sciences and the interrelationships between science, social science and educational practice
• The history of educational research and its status among the social and behavioural sciences
• Normative and moral dimensions of social and educational research

ED6703: Close-to-practice research; design, skills and judgement

• Understanding different approaches to research in education (including the difference between explanatory, interpretative and critical research)
• Main approaches and designs of close-to-practice research (including action research, evaluation research, case study and ethnography). Principles of research design. Data collection, data analysis and data interpretation in close-to-practice research
• Improvement of practice and the role of research. Values, ethics and politics of close-to-practice research

End of year 2 task: 10,000 words paper based on an empirical inquiry (topic of personal choice) within own professional context

Years 3, 4 & 5 – Thesis writing stage

There are four Saturday schools for each year group spread across the academic year

Annual research conference

The department organises a research conference in July each year and doctoral researchers in all year groups are expected to present either an oral or poster presentation based upon their ‘work in progress’

Find out about what progress might look like at each stage of study here: Research degree progress structure.

Research support

Excellent research support and training

The Graduate School provides a range of personal, professional and career development opportunities. This includes workshops, online training, coaching and events, to enable you to enhance your professional profile, refine your skills, and plan your next career steps as part of the Researcher Development Programme. The researcher development programme (RDP) offers workshops and seminars in a range of areas including progression, research management, research dissemination, and careers and personal development. You will also be offered a number of online, self-study courses on BBL, including Research Integrity, Research Skills Toolkit, Research Methods in Literature Review and Principles of Research Methods.

Library services

Brunel's Library is open 24 hours a day, has 400,000 books and 250,000 ebooks, and an annual budget of almost £2m. Subject information Specialists train students in the latest technology, digital literacy, and digital dissemination of scholarly outputs. As well as the physical resources available in the Library, we also provide access to a wealth of electronic resources. These include databases, journals and e-books. Access to these resources has been bought by the Library through subscription and is limited to current staff and students.

Dedicated research support staff provide guidance and training on open access, research data management, copyright and other research integrity issues.

Find out more: Brunel Library

You will receive tailored careers support during your PhD and for up to three years after you complete your research at Brunel. We encourage you to actively engage in career planning and managing your personal development right from the start of your research, even (or perhaps especially) if you don't yet have a career path in mind. Our careers provision includes online information and advice, one-to-one consultations and a range of events and workshops. The Professional Development Centre runs a varied programme of careers events throughout the academic year. These include industry insight sessions, recruitment fairs, employer pop-ups and skills workshops.

In addition, where available, you may be able to undertake some paid work as we recognise that teaching and learning support duties represent an important professional and career development opportunity.

Find out more.