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The purpose of this study was to understand the ways doctoral students in an online Ed.D. program developed their skills as practitioner researchers through a project-based learning (PBL) experience. In order to describe and analyze the nature of the students’ PBL experiences, case study methodology was used. Interviews, a video-recording of a two-hour synchronous class session, and student generated artifacts were iteratively analyzed by a team of researchers. Results reveal underlying tensions within three case themes: individual versus collective learning, simulated versus real research experience, and public class activity versus private group conversations. These findings demonstrate that Ed.D. program area faculty must balance the competing tensions raised by these case themes in order to facilitate research skill development and foster the ability of their students to grow as practitioner scholars.

Investigating a “problem of practice” is a signature feature of the EdD dissertation. Yet, little is known about how doctoral students derive their problems, the nature of the problems they study, and the impact studying problems of practice has on students’ local contexts. The purpose of this study was to investigate EdD students’ problems of practice through document analysis of 28 dissertations completed in one EdD program at a large, research-intensive university. Findings revealed that problems are derived from doctoral students’ felt difficulties and real-world dilemmas in three main categories: supporting marginalized students, increasing the quality of educator professional development, and supporting novices’ entry into the profession. Furthermore, five generic themes that describe the types of impact dissertation studies had on students’ local contexts are reported. Based on findings, four guidelines to assist EdD students in deriving problems of practice are offered.