Academics’ perceptions of the professional or clinical doctorate: findings of a national survey

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Abstract
Aims and objectives.  The aim of this study was to report the perceptions of senior academics’ working in institutions of higher education towards professional doctorates for the health and social care professions.Background.  The professional doctorate is a product of its time introduced for the purpose of developing and improving clinical practice. The extent to which this has been realised, however, has yet to be determined, there being little empirical or theoretical work in this field. This research is an attempt to begin to produce an evidence base in this area by reporting the views of those stakeholders responsible for delivering the curriculum and its intended aim of improving clinical practice.Design.  A modified version of illuminative evaluation was designed to map the range of perceptions and intended outcomes of the professional doctorate.Methods.  Fifty‐five academics from 41 institutions of higher education were telephone interviewed and their perceptions of the professional doctorate elicited, together with a content analysis of the curriculum documents.Results.  Academics’ views fell into one of three broad categories: enthusiastic, ambivalent and sceptical.Conclusions and relevance to practice.  Academics’ perceptions of the professional doctorate may have a bearing on whether the stated aim of the curriculum and improvements in clinical practice is realised. Academics are responsible for the recruitment of students and the quality of the educational experience. Respondents’ perceptions raise questions about their commitment to professional doctorates relative to PhD, factors that will be considered during stages two and three of this research where the views of students and sponsors will be reported.