The role of practice in doctoral degrees. Research in Post-Compulsory Education. ISSN 1359-6748

The role of practice in doctoral degrees connects with how `knowledge’ itself is understood and involves a wider category of knowledge creation inclusive of considerations of practice and also offers more than the application of theoretical knowledge. Concepts of knowledge and what is counted as worthwhile knowledge increasingly incorporate a trandsiciplinary approach, which is more inclusive of professional and artistic knowledge and more practice-based. Often, the aim is to achieve practice-based outcomes that make positive changes to practice. This is the case both for PhDs that have a focus on practice and for professional doctorates. A transdisciplinary lens on the world can open our eyes to multiple realities, and in this sense, academic disciplines that break down knowledge into discrete and bounded areas of knowledge are necessary, but are not always sufficient to support real world developments.