Abstract
This exploratory case study examined supervisors' perceptions of supervision of undergraduate research projects, and whether the level of experience affects the quality of the supervision process. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Participants were three supervisors with varying levels of experience in the supervision process at Yanbu University College in Saudi Arabia. Obtained themes were used with the whole data-set. The data were rearranged according to the emerged common themes among the three participants. Findings revealed that the level of experience affected the supervision process in relation to the supervisors‘ perceptions. It also suggested that the level of expereince of the supervisors influnced the process of supervision and the feedback given to the undergraduate students. An implication of these findings is that providing novice supervisors with training and guidance should be considered. Departments should create a discussion platform between experienced and novice supervisors to ensure that the supervision expereince is well delivered to undergraduates during their research projects. The study recommends supervisors to revisit all phases of their practice.
Highlights
According to Brewer, Dewhurst and Doran (2012, p. 208), “undergraduate research forms an integral part of higher education and [in particular], the research project represents an important component of the undergraduate degree.” Rubel and Okech (2006) state that describing supervisors‟ experiences during the undergraduate supervision process and whether and how supervisors give different types of feedback throughout the supervision process, as they gain experience, would provide essential information regarding their feelings, thought processes, and actions that could confirm and add to existing practices and models of supervision
This study aims to examine the perceptions of supervisors working in the Applied Linguistics (AL) Department at Yanbu University College (YUC) about the process of supervision of undergraduate research projects
The first research and sub-question(s) that guided this study were: What are the perceptions of supervising faculty members with varying levels of experience, of the process? (a) What are their perceptions of their own roles and/or responsibilities in the process? Regardless of level of experience, all supervisors viewed their expected role of supervision as „guidance.‟ Participant 1 stated that her role was as “one who provides guidance throughout the research project.”
Summary
According to Brewer, Dewhurst and Doran (2012, p. 208), “undergraduate research forms an integral part of higher education and [in particular], the research project represents an important component of the undergraduate degree.” Rubel and Okech (2006) state that describing supervisors‟ experiences during the undergraduate supervision process and whether and how supervisors give different types of feedback throughout the supervision process, as they gain experience, would provide essential information regarding their feelings, thought processes, and actions that could confirm and add to existing practices and models of supervision. Novice supervisors' perceptions of undergraduate supervision and the initial practices of experienced supervisors clearly impact the supervision process and contribute to students‟ learning, especially when supervision is provided as part of teaching other courses and as part of their students‟ academic work. Borg (2009) suggests that to deepen the understanding of effective practice in the supervision process, there is a need for understanding both novice and experienced supervisors‟ conceptions of research, together with studying their perceptions about the different roles they, and their students, play during the supervision process. Rowley and Slack (2004) highlight the importance of shedding light on the changing nature of the undergraduate research supervision experience, stating that the lack of a more proactive approach to supervisors‟ conception would lead to serious degradation of the supervision experience and outcomes. Vereijken, Rijst, Driel, and Dekker (2018) lay emphasis on what novice supervisors do to support student learning in undergraduate research projects and “why they do what they do in student-supervisor interaction,” prioritizing the need for “adapting supervision to student characteristics or traits in practice” (p.523)
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