Demystifying the Research Process Through an Experiential Educational-Leadership Doctoral Capstone Course: Interplay Within Local, National, and Global Research Trends

This retrospective, qualitative, cross-sectional study examined how experiential-learning contributed to the development of research capabilities of educational-leadership doctoral students. We explored how local problems of practice chosen by a community client for students to investigate aligned with national research trends, which for the purpose of this study were identified through conference themes of AERA and UCEA, and the influence of state, national, and global events between 2008 and 2022. Thematic analysis showed three findings (1) learning how to do research the real/hard way; (2) the occasional crossing of the theory-practice gap; and (3) dictates of local, national, and global contexts.