Rachel Winslow
Doctor of Education student
When Rachel Winslow had been considering doctoral study for a few years, she wasn’t sure that a traditional PhD was the right fit for her. As soon as she came across AUT’s Doctor of Education, however, she knew she had found what she was looking for.
“I knew instantly that this was the institution and qualification for me. There were two main reasons I chose the Doctor of Education. The first was the structure of the doctorate itself, which includes practice-led research culminating in a creative artefact and an exegesis. This appealed to my research interests and style of learning. The second reason was the cohort entry and face-to-face components of the degree. It has become my favourite part of the degree so far, meeting a few times a semester with fellow Doctor of Education students and our wonderful lecturers to support each other, and challenge and extend each other’s thinking. It’s incredibly inspiring hearing about others’ research projects, challenges and successes as we all journey towards our doctorates.”
AUT’s reputation in education and its approach to supporting students were also important to Rachel when deciding where to undertake her doctorate.
“AUT has an excellent reputation as an innovator in the education space and in how it supports its students. That was the kind of institution and student experience I was looking for when undertaking my doctorate.”
A positive experience
Now nearing the end of her first year of the Doctor of Education, Rachel says it’s the people she has met along the way who have made her experience particularly special.
“If I had to choose one favourite thing, I’d say ‘he tangata, he tangata, he tangata’. It is the people. My lecturers, the support staff, the librarians and the other students have all contributed so positively to my student experience. The accessibility of my lecturers, via online hui and email, has helped me feel supported. The knowledge and experience they bring is incredible. I always walk away from our kōrero feeling so uplifted, not just because of their encouragement and guidance, but also because of their extensive and varied research and knowledge.”
The structure of the doctorate has been surprising but also inspiring, she says.
“The more we discussed this in our hui, the more I realised that the options for practice-led research really are endless. The creativity with which the course was developed enables us to enact our research in creative and innovative ways. I am so grateful for this. For my own research, I’m planning to explore how kindness might be surfaced, complicated, known and experienced through a creative community of clay practice. Because many of us didn’t have any experience with practice as research, the lecturers met with us both as a cohort and individually to support our understanding of this, so it could inform our application into the Doctor of Education. I really thought this was above and beyond what I would expect of a university before I was even enrolled there.”
Highly recommended
Rachel – who is balancing her studies around her work for Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand – wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Doctor of Education to other students.
“I’d recommend it to any of my colleagues who are creatives, educators or neurodiverse, and make meaning in non-linear or non-text ways. I’d also recommend it to people who are interested in working in a cohort and having the added support and community that the Doctor of Education brings.”
If you’re considering doctoral study, just do it, she adds.
“There’s no right or easy time. If you have an inkling that you’ll do your doctorate ‘one day’ then jump in and do it. With AUT’s Doctor of Education you have all the support and structure you need to set you up for success in your doctorate.”
