This special issue explores the value of the professional doctorate in education (EdD) journey and the sources of motivation for individuals pursuing their doctoral research based on their personal history and circumstances. While an EdD is, at its core, a research degree, the process of completing a professional doctorate offers so much beyond the development of high-level research skills. In the UK, EdDs are usually comprised of two distinct components; a structured phase of taught modules and a second phase of independent research that must make an original contribution to both theory and practice.

It is the structure of the EdD which offers its students the opportunity to learn alongside each other, and it is in this group that each student shares the challenge of finding time, space and motivation to maintain their momentum. Those who embark on their doctoral journey do so within the context of already busy personal and professional lives. 

Whether fuelled by a passion for their subject, a desire to drive change, or a need to make the education system better for future learners, the doctoral journey has become a distinct part of the academic identity of each of the authors of the blog posts in this special issue. 

At the time of writing, the authors of this special issue were all preparing to move into their independent enquiry as early career researchers. This collection of reflections shares honest and authentic insights into the value of doctoral study and why it matters to the individual.

The contributions to this issue explore: 

• the vital place of collaboration on the doctoral journey, an aspect unique to the EdD among other postgraduate research routes
• the inevitable uncertainty associated with research and the various emotions that motivate students to continue with their enquiry
• the perspective of a school leader using doctoral research as a means of shaping the educational landscape
• the dual pursuit of motherhood and doctoral research
• the convergence of personal and professional identities – and how individual heritage, values and relationships provide a researcher with a unique motivation and passion to continue their journey of enquiry
• how doctoral study can challenge individuals to become brave in the face of change and challenge, and the elements of the EdD which enable this
• researcher positionality and the individual nature of the doctoral journey, which allows students to become insider researchers driven by their own values and experiences
• the importance of the professional doctorate as a vehicle for amplifying unheard voices through research and how this fuels a passion for doctoral study.