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 Porfolio III, I spoke with Sahar Wahidi (she/her), a doctoral candidate in the PhD in Education Program, specializing in educational psychology (primary) and interdisciplinary approaches for methods to practice in early childhood/early childhood special education (secondary).
The Portfolio III process builds upon feedback from Portfolio II.
Sahar recounted that each committee member read her work, got a sense of where she was going, and provided feedback on “the different gaps that I need to fill.” Sahar noted that this feedback was incredibly helpful as “…when we think about a dissertation topic, we don’t realize how narrow it really needs to be, how specific it needs to be, until we work out those little details.”
when we think about a dissertation topic, we don’t realize how narrow it really needs to be, how specific it needs to be, until we work out those little details
Sahar also reflected on writing composition feedback itself. “There was a lot that I learned about my own writing and how I came across, and what I can do to improve it.” This was especially important to her with respect to her audience. She discussed thinking about “who’s reading my work,” and wanting to both address that audience, but also be inclusive in her writing: “Elaborating where I need to elaborate, being technical where I need to be technical.”
Portfolio III is both comprehensive and summative. It has five parts:
- Updated CV;
- Final review of your program of study;
- Finalized academic archive with your major assignments from each class;
- Analytic Personal and Professional Essay; and finally a
- 30-page Knowledge Evidence Paper
So really when it came to doing Portfolio III, it was just taking everything that I’ve written so far…and really kind of just gluing it together
Sahar reflected on knowing what she wanted to focus on from the very beginning—Portfolio I—and making that her focus anytime she had to write something for her coursework. “So really when it came to doing Portfolio III, it was just taking everything that I’ve written so far…and really kind of just gluing it together.” She used the fundamental ideas from all of her work thus far and put it together as a template for her Knowledge Evidence Paper. While it was a substantial amount of writing, she didn’t find it as intimidating or challenging as expected “…because I had already done the work… [I had] been building that expertise all up into this point…I got all these puzzle pieces. Let’s put it together and make this picture.”
Once she got “80 percent” of the way and put together her first draft of the Knowledge Evidence Paper, it was time to address that final “20 percent.” Sahar reflected, “I was very lucky enough that like all members of my committee were very highly involved in this process and they all gave me feedback.” Given that each of her committee members addressed a different facet of her work, Sahar received feedback pertinent to each respective committee member’s role.
Sahar filled that final “20 percent” by combining recent and previous feedback and adding a brief discussion of her considered methods at the end of her Knowledge Evidence Paper. She was subsequently able to narrow down on specific points, pull in more literature to address those points, and then use her proposed methods to ensure her literature review fully justified the research she wanted to perform.
After drafting the Knowledge Evidence Paper and assembling materials, the next step is preparing for the Portfolio III defense.
Sahar said she “…asked my co-chairs what they were expecting for the defense, because. . . it’s a little different for everyone.” She prepared by ensuring that her defense aligned with the expectations of her committee. Sahar put together a slideshow to share with her committee during the defense, structured around the headings from her Knowledge Evidence Paper. Sahar shared the draft of her slides with her chair, and refined them based on the feedback she received. This set her up for success when it came to the defense itself.
During Sahar’s defense, the feedback she received from her committee focused on aligning her research questions and methodology with the literature she presented. “…We’re kind of moving away from the theoretical knowledge and more into that practical research piece, like, how is this going to look like in real-time, right?”
We’re kind of moving away from the theoretical knowledge and more into that practical research piece
Ultimately, Sahar notes that it’s key to celebrate your wins.
“I know it’s so much easier said than done, but, you know, getting up to this point in the journey, it’s a lot of work. If you ask anybody, it’s a lot of work.” She wants people to remember that everything we do in this portfolio process, especially working through Portfolio III, is “…a huge feat. It’s a big step…That’s what turns you into a candidate.” Acknowledging and making space for this massive milestone is fundamentally important to working through the process of a doctoral program. “Take a moment and celebrate, and genuinely celebrate it.”
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!