The International Schools Review Forum

Would having a doctorate help or hinder an instructor in landing top positions?



***not leadership positions, rather run of the mill teaching positions.

You'll probably get a range of opinions but for me it's about a wash. In theory it SOUNDS like a good thing to be highly/overly educated/qualified but int'l admin types are a funny breed. For every one that thinks having a PHD on the faculty would be great (e.g. looks good on the website, respects having faculty with advanced degrees, etc.) there will be one that either consciously or unconsciously has reservations (e.g. may not like teachers with more education than they have, wonders whether having a PHD gives you an ivory tower outlook, wonders whether you will be satisfied with being a classroom teacher for long, etc).

My personal anecdotal experiences with colleagues with PHDs have not been that great in that they may have extensive/specific subject knowledge but have lacked follow through or execution in the classroom and/or as a team member. I have no idea why this has been the case.

For myself, it would be a teacher first, Dr second. Only reason to advance myself would be for university postings back home. Yet, a recent thread made me question that. "100k+ thread"

Having a doctorate, I generally agree with @WT123. You will find elite tier ISs and leadership that see it as a benefit (looks good in advertising to parents), and you will find about twice as many that have ego problems, think your more scholar and less practitioner, too much of an academic, etc..

The real utility in marketability with a doctorate is when pursuing leadership roles.

@WT123

I find that ITs with a doctorate are good at talking but not doing, as most of the academic knowledge doesnt translate to application in the classroom. They can talk about differences of Socratic instruction vs. knowledge transfer instruction, but other than identifying it that debate and its merits and flaws doesnt equate to changes in practice in the classroom.