Mentoring in Postgraduate Supervision

Abstract

In recent years, postgraduate courses have been subject to close scrutiny. This scrutiny has arisen due to the increased take up of postgraduate studies. In June 2016, the UK government introduced a taught loans system for postgraduate study making financial support accessible for students. A 2013 study by Lindley and Machin notes that many graduates are choosing to stay on in education to undertake further studies. Lindley and Machin (The postgraduate premium: revisiting trends in social mobility and educational inequalities in Britain and America. The Sutton Trust, London, 2013) have calculated that 11% of those in the workplace in Britain have a postgraduate qualification. This is an increase of 4% from 1996. Furthermore, the Higher Education Funding Council discovered in March 2017 that in England 90,600 students began full-time taught postgraduate courses; compared with the previous year this was an increase of 22%. There are wide-ranging reasons why a student would choose to study for a postgraduate qualification. These can vary from a general interest in a subject area, increased high-level-based achievement and most importantly, to boost employment prospects. However, the increased take up in postgraduate courses brings new challenges to teaching and learning in the university sector. In this chapter, the authors critically explore the debates in the higher education sector and offer a mentorship framework for postgraduate studies.