‘Don't become so much high sounding’: Power dynamics in master's thesis viva

Abstract

The viva is a crucial component of the master's thesis examination process. It offers students opportunities to defend their thesis and engage in scholarly dialogue with disciplinary experts. As the viva involves participants with unequal and hierarchical power relations, the possibility of a scholarly dialogue in the viva is primarily shaped by the positioning of the examiners in relation to the students. Although master's students writing a thesis outnumber those doing a PhD, the research on master's thesis viva is in the embryonic stage. This study set out to extend this research by examining ten master's thesis vivas at a comprehensive university in Nepal. The analysis of audio-recorded feedback sessions revealed that the vivas were primarily examiners' monologic and directive talk. There was little negotiation of power because the students contributed minimally to the dialogue. The examiners acted as custodians and gatekeepers of the discipline to ensure the reproduction of academic norms and conventions. The implications of the study for enhancing the effectiveness of the viva are provided.