The effects of mentor support on Ed.D students’ research creativity: mediating roles of research self-efficacy and learning engagement

IntroductionDoctor of education (Ed.D) is a professional degree designed to cultivate highly specialized professionals in education, teaching, and educational leadership. Ed.D holds a crucial position within the higher education system, with its core mission being the cultivation of high-quality tal...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Haifei Miao, Lixing Zhao, Zhigang Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1600533/full
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Summary:IntroductionDoctor of education (Ed.D) is a professional degree designed to cultivate highly specialized professionals in education, teaching, and educational leadership. Ed.D holds a crucial position within the higher education system, with its core mission being the cultivation of high-quality talent who possess strong research creativity. However, limited research has specifically addressed how to enhance the research creativity of Ed.D students in higher education.MethodsThis study utilized a structural equation modeling approach to investigate the influence of mentor support on Ed.D students research creativity, with a focus on the chain mediating effects of research self-efficacy and learning engagement. A sample of 366 Chinese Ed.D students was surveyed using validated scales for mentor support, research self-efficacy, learning engagement, and research creativity.ResultsThe findings indicate that mentor support is significantly positively correlated with the research creativity of Ed.D students; research self-efficacy and learning engagement serve as mediators in the relationship between mentor support and research creativity. Moreover, the average scores for Ed.D students’ research self-efficacy and learning engagement are comparatively low, with male students reporting higher levels of research self-efficacy and research creativity on average.DiscussionThese results provide empirical support and practical recommendations for enhancing the research ability of Ed.D students.
ISSN:1664-1078