What Is a Problem of Practice? The Benefits Of Spalding's EdD Capstone Project

Whether you are a current or aspiring leader, pursuing a doctorate in leadership will prepare you to elevate your organization and community. Doctoral leadership programs build the knowledge, skill and evidence-based practice to address real-world local, global and organizational issues. If you are passionate about solving a systemic problem, earning a doctorate in leadership will equip you to achieve exactly that.

The Doctor of Education (EdD) is a doctoral leadership degree that combines theory and practice, preparing graduates to lead transformational change. EdD programs have a rigorous research component—a capstone project or traditional dissertation—where candidates investigate a problem of practice within their organization or community.

What is a problem of practice, and how does addressing them through research equip EdD candidates to become transformative leaders? Keep reading to explore the differences between Spalding University’s online EdD capstone project and a traditional dissertation through the lens of a problem of practice.

 

What Is a Problem of Practice in EdD Research?

The focus of EdD capstone projects and traditional dissertations is a problem of practice. A problem of practice is a persistent issue in a process or system that affects desired outcomes.

Professionals pursue EdDs to develop the practical leadership skills to drive organizational change. Studying problems of practice can help professionals create sustainable transformation in their work, organization and community.

These capstone research projects developed by Spalding EdD students showcase the diverse topics and disciplines that doctoral research can address:

• “The Relationship between Leadership and Healthcare Worker Burnout: Caring for Patients with HIV/AIDS”
• “The Effects of Service-Learning at a Historically Black College and University”
• “Leadership Attributes for Innovation and Change in a Cultural Arts Organization”
• “Built to Last—Why Leadership Structures Matter in Catholic Education”
• “Factors Influencing Student Success in Associate Degree Respiratory Therapy Programs”

 

How Do EdD Candidates Choose a Problem of Practice?

Choosing a problem of practice takes reflection and research. Every EdD program has guidelines, but here's a general overview of what's involved:

 

1. Brainstorm

Generate potential problems of practice through brainstorming.

Reflect on your professional practice, recalling the challenges or recurring issues you encountered. You can also consult colleagues and peers in your field about their challenges.

Make a list of the problems you uncover, noting the ones that align with your career interests and passions.

 

2. Decision

Next, determine whether a potential problem of practice is worth studying.

Check that it has these characteristics of a well-defined problem of practice:

• Urgency: Is the problem rooted in a perceived need?
• Strategy: Is it connected to organizational or community goals?
• Relevancy: Is the problem related to specific practices existing within your work?
• Progress: Does addressing the problem advance your work, organization or community?

Gather evidence to confirm the relevance and significance of the problem. Review the literature to understand the current scope of the problem and any proposed solutions. Does what you learn about the state of the problem justify it for further investigation?

 

3. Articulate

A bonafide problem of practice must be articulated for research. Create a concise problem statement outlining the issue, its significance and impact.

It should answer these questions:

• What is the problem?
• Why does the problem matter?
• Who or what does the problem affect?

 

What Is a Capstone Project vs. Traditional Dissertation?

EdD programs conclude with a capstone project or traditional dissertation addressing a problem of practice. While both are extensive and rigorous, the capstone focuses on applying research to practical challenges instead of purely theoretical research like the traditional dissertation.

 

Research Outcome

The main difference between capstones and traditional dissertations is the research outcome.

The capstone applies research to solve a problem of practice in a real-world setting. EdD candidates often study one in their own workplace, making the capstone directly applicable to their careers. The traditional dissertation exclusively contributes new theoretical knowledge related to a problem of practice. 

For example, consider these hypothetical problem statements about teacher retention:

• Capstone Problem Statement: High teacher turnover in urban schools undermines student learning and school performance, creating challenges for achieving educational equity and improvement.
• Traditional Dissertation Problem Statement: Limited theoretical understanding of how leadership styles affect teacher retention in urban schools hinders efforts to reduce turnover, which challenges student learning and school improvement.

The capstone problem statement focuses on the specific problem of teacher turnover in urban schools, whereas the traditional dissertation version highlights a gap in theoretical knowledge about the issue.

 

Research Format & Defense

Another difference between capstones and traditional dissertations is how EdD candidates conduct and present their research.

In Spalding’s online EdD program, candidates work on their capstone during the last four courses. They compile their research and insights into a paper and present it during a 20-minute public presentation with faculty, family and peers.

Candidates in EdD programs with traditional dissertations conduct research after completing all coursework. They write about their findings in a paper, usually over 100 pages, and present them in a longer defense with a private or limited audience.

 

Student Support

Spalding online EdD candidates receive individualized support from day one of their program. For the capstone, this includes guidance from the University Writing Center and one-on-one faculty mentoring. Candidates also attend an interdisciplinary workshop that connects them with peers from other fields of study, where they can access doctoral resources and templates to strengthen their research.

EdD candidates developing a traditional dissertation sometimes have access to their university’s general writing center, which can be less hands-on and relevant to doctoral research. They may also receive peer and committee mentorship and less frequent one-on-one guidance from faculty.

 

What Is Involved in Spalding’s EdD Capstone Project? 

The leadership skills gained in an EdD from Spalding prepare current and future leaders to create sustainable, transformational change in their organizations and communities. Spalding's two-year online EdD program culminates in a capstone project that evolves candidates' leadership approach through applied research that they can directly implement in their workplace. 

Spalding’s online EdD capstone has five key phases: 

• Literature review
• Methodologies
• Context/history/problem-to-be-solved
• Empirical findings
• Analysis

This streamlined approach to doctoral research allows candidates to produce a potentially publishable piece of research with greater efficiency, focus and precision. By embedding the capstone within the final four courses of the online EdD program, Spalding also provides a guided, practical and integrative pathway to completing doctoral research.

 

Spalding Online EdD Capstone Process

Here are the highlights of Spalding’s online EdD capstone process:

1. Identify a capstone project topic.
2. Write and submit a research proposal for Capstone Committee approval.
3. Submit the research study proposal for the University Research Ethics Committee approval.
4. Conduct qualitative, quantitative and/or mixed-method research studies.
5. Complete data analysis and write a scholarly paper presenting the capstone project.
6. Submit and defend the research study to the Capstone Committee.

 

Spalding’s EdD Capstone vs. Traditional Dissertation

	Spalding University EdD Capstone	Traditional Dissertation
Research	The capstone project addresses practical problems, often applied in real-world settings.	Traditional dissertations contribute original research to theoretical understanding.
Research Format	Embedded in the focus of the last four classes.	Individual research after coursework is completed.
Research Length	50-70 pages.	Typically 100+ pages.
Final Defense	20-minute public presentation with faculty, peers and family followed by a Q&A session.	Usually a longer public defense.
Publication Potential	Some capstone projects are published quickly after graduation.	Some universities emphasize publication, others less so, but the process can be longer.
Writing Support	Individualized support from the University Writing Center, including an annual workshop for all doctoral students across disciplines.	Some offer general writing centers that are less hands-on and irrelevant to doctoral-level research.
Research Guide	Co-chairs.	Chair.

 

Prepare to Drive Real-World Change by Getting an EdD Online from Spalding University

Choosing a terminal degree in leadership from Spalding can help you inspire change in your workplace and community. As a student in Spalding’s online EdD program, you will gain a fresh perspective on how to be a transformative leader.

Spalding’s accredited online EdD program emphasizes the practical application of theory and research, equipping leaders across all industries and roles to address real-world problems of practice. Its comprehensive, personalized approach to mentorship, doctoral-level writing and engaging coursework will support you in earning your EdD in just two years.

Amplify your influence across all industries and roles with our online EdD in Leadership. Connect with an enrollment advisor to get started.