Every doctoral student in the PhD in Education Program has a set of major milestones: Portfolios I-III, the dissertation proposal, and the final dissertation. This process is often intimidating and shrouded in mystery for students, so I have interviewed students at each step in the doctoral journey to illuminate the purpose of these checkpoints and provide insight on how to successfully pass each defense.
To address the dissertation proposal, I spoke with Reagan Mergen (she/her), who recently graduated with her PhD in Education, specializing in special education (primary) and educational psychology (secondary).
The first step in preparing your dissertation proposal is reflecting upon feedback from Portfolio III.
Reagan noted the guidance she had going into Portfolio III shaped her dissertation approval process; “I feel like I was really set up well for proposal.” Reagan noted that her coursework also shaped the questions she aims to “ask about the world and the type of methods that we want to use,” and that this prepared her to have a specific research question in mind for her dissertation proposal.
Walking out of Portfolio III, Reagan’s committee helped her address missing components of her review of the literature going forward. “You’re close with Portfolio III, but there’s more work…If you plan Portfolio III to be leading into your proposal, there are more components that go into it.”
The dissertation proposal consists of three chapters:
- Introduction,
- Literature review, and
- Methodology
Using feedback from her committee, Reagan jumped forward to preparing chapter three of the traditional dissertation: the methods section. Based on the tools she wanted to use and the population she wanted to examine, Reagan then looked back on her literature review from Portfolio III and asked what she needed to address.
This literature review evolved into a detailed exploration of her topic and became chapter two of her proposal. After completing chapters two and three, Reagan said chapter one of her proposal was written “like a highlight reel.” It aimed to emphasize the “big ideas of what you’re going to do.” It’s not exhaustive: it simply addresses what problem you are aiming to explore with your methods.
After drafting your proposal, the next step is to communicate with your committee.
Once Reagan submitted her proposal, everyone in her committee was on the same page about where she was going and what was included in her work. “We were in communication quite a bit,” and this collaboration helped set the expectations going into her submission.
Remember that “it’s your baby…it’s your topic.” Your committee will provide constructive feedback, but regardless, you are the expert on your own work. Taking ownership of your knowledge is vital to working through this process. In Reagan’s words: “it’s scary, but you’ll be fine.”
For the defense itself, Reagan cleared her slideshow with her committee in advance. Having a plan helped her prepare to present her proposed work. She reflected on how her committee committed to her work; “They want it to be a good study, and they want you to have thought through things.” All questions you receive at the defense are for the good of you and your work. Not having the answers is perfectly okay! Thoughtful reflection is key to working through this process with your committee.
Once you have defended, your next goal is to incorporate your committee’s feedback into your work.
This might include changing research questions or tools you’re using during your study. Thoroughly addressing this feedback will ensure that, when you take the next steps towards working on collecting data for your dissertation, you’ve solved any potential problems or questions that may come up.
Reagan shared that overall, clear communication with your committee is essential, “especially when the hiccups come.” Scheduling time with your committee “so that you can talk to them about your questions” is key for your progress. Reagan’s advice is to “choose people that you know, that you can work with, and that you feel comfortable asking questions of—because if you don’t, then it’s going to make that process way more challenging.”
Reagan shared approaches that were helpful while writing her dissertation proposal.
Writing a dissertation proposal is a gargantuan task, so Reagan made a timeline for herself and used this as a guideline for getting through. She noted, “Things happened, life happens, you get off course,” but having a timeline is integral to getting the work done.
Another approach Reagan took was “[blocking] out time every day…Chip away at it.” A task as large as this does not happen overnight, so having the patience to slowly work through it is key. Additionally, she said it’s typical to have “times where you want to totally change course and redo everything.” But “staying committed to your plan” is what helps you achieve your goal. However, there are occasions where flexibility comes in handy. “You might not get the participants that you were hoping for, you might not be in the setting that you were hoping for,” but staying the course and putting time in every day will get you through.
Reagan also suggested finding an “accountability buddy.” This is someone you can “call up and say we’re going to sit on Zoom together.” Having that accountability will help you meet your writing goals and stick to your timeline, which is instrumental in your success.
Reagan ended our interview with a reminder that our own self-efficacy and determination is what makes this possible. “We can do it. Do hard things.”
We can do it. Do hard things.
About the author
Beth Anne Hosek (she/they) is a doctoral student in the PhD in Education Program specializing in educational psychology and research methods. Her research interests include the self-efficacy for self-regulated learning of middle school students who have had adverse childhood experiences. When she isn’t studying, you can usually find her hiking, playing board games with friends, or with her nose buried in whatever book she’s currently enveloped in. She is also a founding member of the CEHD Student Advisory Board!