Sustainability in Doctoral Education: Factors that Motivate and Propel Ed.D. Students in Higher Education Toward Degree Attainment
Track 5: Assessment, Student Success, and Institutional Learning
Name(s):
Dennis Sheridan, Professor of Educational Leadership, and Edlyn Pena, Assistant Professor, California Lutheran University; John Hoffman, Assistant Professor, and Dawn Person, Professor of Educational Leadership, California State University, Fullerton
Attrition rates approaching 50% are common in doctoral education. With the expansion of doctoral education, particularly the Ed.D., in institutions throughout California, there is a growing need to better understand what can be done to help doctoral students persist from admission to degree attainment. This research examined the experiences of more than 50 doctoral students in higher education at California Lutheran University and CSU Fullerton. Sustainability toward degree attainment was associated with strong peer and faculty support, attentive program design, and clearly identified personal resources. The results are being used by faculty in both institutions to improve program quality and facilitate even greater sustainability for future doctoral students.
