Individualised, Tailored and Personalised Approach to the Teacher-Learner Relationship in Postgraduate Staff Development Studies—A Case Study of Postgraduate Research Supervision Training

William E Boyd,Airdre Grant

doi:10.4236/ce.2017.83025

Abstract

This paper discusses the impact and value of feedback that was personable and individually tailored in a postgraduate staff development program that taught supervision skills at an Australian university. The modelling of this feedback style resulted in high student satisfaction. The students were all academic staff who reported transferring that style of feedback into their own teaching practices. They also indicated a desire to bring that feedback style into their supervisory practices as a strategy to promote engagement, retention and more rewarding supervisor-student relationships. The feedback style was seen as precursor to a more effective and rewarding academic relationship that would have ongoing impact on future collegial research and teaching connections.

Highlights

The feedback style was seen as precursor to a more effective and rewarding academic relationship that would have ongoing impact on future collegial research and teaching connections
Of note is the specific style of conversational and personable feedback, which appears to have had an ongoing impact. This is articulated through student feedback indicating that students are projecting the skills learned within the unit regarding postgraduate research supervision and to other teaching and learning professional contexts
Some of the students talked of this approach being applicable to other parts of their professional academic life. This suggests that student learning extended beyond the stated unit outcomes, and that students projected the skills learned within the unit regarding postgraduate research supervision to other teaching and learning professional contexts

Summary

Introduction

This paper overviews a postgraduate professional development unit of study delivered to early career staff at the authors’ university, TCH03411 Higher Degree. Of note is the specific style of conversational and personable feedback, which appears to have had an ongoing impact This is articulated through student feedback indicating that students are projecting the skills learned within the unit regarding postgraduate research supervision and to other teaching and learning professional contexts. Some of the students talked of this approach being applicable to other parts of their professional academic life This suggests that student learning extended beyond the stated unit outcomes, and that students projected the skills learned within the unit regarding postgraduate research supervision to other teaching and learning professional contexts. The paper outlines the content, structure and delivery of the unit, drawing on student responses to the assignments and requirements for reflective comment, and on the unit assessor’s responses to student submissions, and will seek to isolate the critical teaching and learning process that has resulted in such projected and extended student benefit. These narratives create a case study to provide insight into the success of the unit in achieving its intentions (Yin, 2009)

The Study Unit TCH03411 Higher Degree Research Supervision

Overview of the Unit Content

The Learning Activities

Did This Work?

Elements of Success