Educated in Deep

Doctorateland:

A personal narrative of the theory

and practice of a research Doctorate

Dr Stephen J Hall

Centre for English Language Studies

Sunway University

The W H questions

• Why? – intrinsic and extrinsic reasons• What ?– thesis only or a mix of papers and

thesis• Where ?- the university brand game• When ? – time is money• Who ? – friends, supervisors and administrators• How ? – survival tips

Why?

– the inner drive• Deep interest in your field

• Determination to find something new

• A culmination of interest, expertise and/or experience

• Development or reaction with earlier research

• Gaining breadth in your field

Why? the big carrot

• Professional recognition

• Networking opportunities

• Status recognition- Malaysia’s title itus

• (Hofstede’s research)

• Minimal financial recognition as most administrators have little idea of what a Doctorate involves

What ? – An EdD or a PhD

• An EdD includes course work – networking with others

• An EdD forces deadlines by coursework. An EdDmay be regarded by some as a lesser being

• All post graduate study involves commitment and the loneliness of the long distance researcher

• The academic process teaches as much as the content exploration

What is it? - 1

• A significant contribution to knowledge

• A critical investigation

• Evidence of building on knowledge and discussion of the field of study

• Well presented and organised development, improvement or innovation

What is it for an employer -2

• Evidence of attention to detail

• Admission to a community of specialists

• Institutional status in a world of KPIs

• Often misunderstood if overly specialised

• A stretch in listening attention if described in fullness

What is being looked for?

• A clear focus

• A coherent rationale

• Connections linking research questions, literature, methods, results and discussion

• Originality grounded in awareness of others work

• Addressing a gap

What is it ? Choices 2

• New development, theory or reinterpretation of theory

• Applying an existing idea to a new field or set of data

• A new research tool, model or perspective• Added depth to earlier research• A critical analysis• A carefully controlled experiment using stats• A collection of generalizable findings

Where? The choice of university

• Matches your interests

• Determines the quality of your learning (ask ex

students)

• Provides some or little collegial support

• Adds or distracts to your marketability

When ..when we are

• Prepared to forgo some of the other of life’s joys

• Open to the discipline of academic writing

• Supported by caring others and colleagues

• Able to organise blocks of time

• Committed to a long meander with milestones on the way

• Investing in the everyday as well as the intellectual rigour

When we

• Have read surveys and cutting edge articles for our field – seek out meta analysis articles in initial stages-Scopus journals

• Begin to define what NOT to dive into• Are able to turn down the ego and listen• Avoid over generalist ion in aims and product• Recognise the rules of academic discourse

Who is involved

• Ourselves prepared to balance life’s complexity with some hermit time

• Supportive family, partners and ‘sounding boards’

• Work supervisors (time, space, finance, understanding)

• Colleagues – net work, conferences, E lists of specialists

• THE SUPERVISOR• The external examiner

Choosing the supervisor – the

realities• Recognised in your field of interest

• Prepared to take you on and you them

• Stable in the University- watch retirements

• Likeable and known to other researchers

How

• Start before the bank balance pain kicks in• Talk to specialists in the field• Set up information classification systems and

your study space• Read widely• Define, narrow, redefine , rework and rephrase

and then rework• Beware the immediately easy topic

The mechanics of how

• Set up literature classification /referencing and be prepared for change/drop out info

• Realise that it is not a linear process

• Set milestones

• Become a focused semi-hermit

• Listen intensely to the supervisor

• Include up to date work by the supervisor

• Network at conferences

Centre for English Language Studies

How …two

• Establish your field of interest• Network professionally• Find the supervisor as well as the institution –

check their interpersonal skills as well as knowledge base

• Be aware that supervisors can change• Sign up only when you have a core question area• Be flexible but avoid the noble art of

procrastination

How …three

• Research question – an evolving beast• Methodology – a must in time invested• Qualitative vs quantitative or mixed mode• Practicalities – subjects and ethics• Stay open to change but also know where you

want to go

How – forward

• Invest in IT tools• Set up the referencing system, fonts and layout and stick with it• Choose and “stroke” the supervisor• Be prepared for endless rewriting• Prepare carefully for the viva• Beware the three Ds- death, divorce and Doctorate as these are

relationship zappers• Keep a sense of humour while working with targets• Let others know you are in the field• Celebrate and share the lonely joy

• Enjoy and be flexible

Thank you for listening

• My Doctorate which took four and half years is 80 000 words of

A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF THE OPENING PHASES OF CROSS CULTURAL

IN-SERVICE TEACHER TRAINING INTERACTION IN RURAL MALAYSIA

After – articles & presenting• Beware the “that’s It ,I’m done”

• In-Service Training in Preparing Native English Speaker Teachers and Non–Native English Speaker Teachers. 2016 in press .In Encyclopedia of TESOL in English Language Teaching. Liontas, J.I.( Chief Ed). TESOL Association and Wiley Publishing.

• A past before a blueprint: Malaysia's challenges in English Language Teaching.' 2015.In (Eds.) Stroupe,R. and Kimura, K..ASEAN Integration and the Role of English Language Teaching. IDP Education,Phom Penh.pp.149-168.

'Gaining acceptance of task based teaching during Malaysian in service teacher training.' 2014. In (Eds.) Thomas,M and Reinders, H. Contemporary Task Based Language Learning and Teaching in Asia. Bloomsbury Academic, London. pp.156-169.

Review of 'English in Southeast Asia, Features, Policy and Language Use’ by Low Ee Ling and Azirah Hashim. RELC Journal, 2014, 45, pp.101-106.

'Learning from teacher educators; Reflecting on the certainty of teaching recipes.’ The English Teacher Vol. XLII, (3) ,December 2013.pp.37-152.

• 'Deconstructing aspects of native speakerism: reflections from in service teacher education.' 2012.The Journal of Asia TEFL 9,3, pp.107-130.

• Review of` 'Understanding Asia Forms of Address in Asia’ by Hyacinth Gaudart. 2011 Asia TEFL Journal 8,4, pp.271-274.

• ‘Observe. Listen and Learn: Reflective Questions for Cultural Awareness’ 2011. ELTAM Newsletter, Winter 2011, English Language Teachers Association of Mongolia, pp. 2- 4.

• See www.stephenjhall.com

Centre for English Language Studies

Thank you for listening

Dr Stephen J Hall

Centre for English Language Studies

https://www.facebook.com/cels.sunwayu

Centre for English

Language Studies