Research Supervision Research Articles

Applying services marketing principles to postgraduate supervision

PurposeThe paper aims to describe the application of two key service quality frameworks for improving the delivery of postgraduate research supervision. The services quality frameworks are used to identify key areas of overlap between services marketing practice and postgraduate supervision that can be used by the supervisor to improve research supervision outcomes for the student.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a conceptual and theoretical examination of the two streams of literature that proposes a supervision gap model based on the services gap literature, and the application of services delivery frameworks of co‐creation and service quality.FindingsServices marketing literature can inform the process of designing and delivering postgraduate research supervision by clarifying student supervisor roles, setting parameters and using quality assurance frameworks for supervision delivery. The five services quality indicators can be used to examine overlooked areas of supervision delivery, and the co‐creation approach of services marketing can be used to empower student design and engaged in the quality of the supervision experience.Research limitations/implicationsAs a conceptual paper based on developing a theoretical structure for applying services marketing theory into the research supervision context, the paper is limited to suggesting potential applications. Further research studies will be necessary to test the field implementation of the approach.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of the paper include implementation suggestions for applying the supervisor gaps for assessing areas of potential breakdown in the supervision arrangement.Originality/valueThe paper draws on two diverse areas of theoretical work to integrate the experience, knowledge and frameworks of commercial services marketing into the postgraduate research supervision literature.

Using ‘currere' to re-conceptualise and understand best practices for effective research supervision

The article explores a way that could be used to facilitate re-conceptualisation of what is essential to doing research supervision work. It highlights the need to deal with the problematic nature of past supervision experiences and the extent to which they impact on the way students are supervised. It argues that acquiring knowledge and understanding of best practice in supervision requires supervisors to embark on a 'currere' that will encourage them to investigate the nature of their experience of research supervision. This autobiographical method is emphasised as a means to in depth reflection which would subsequently lead to professional development in the area of supervision. The article suggests using currere as a means to expose and critique the influence and assumptions that underlie orientation to the concept of supervision in order to forge new understanding that will guide practice.

On the modelling of postgraduate students' conceptions of research

In contrast to the voluminous literature on undergraduate student learning there are relatively few studies that have set out to explore variation in postgraduate students engagement with research. The analogy is that research engagement represents a process of postgraduate learning, of comparable multivariate complexity to that of undergraduate learning, that explains variation in learning outcomes. In modelling terms, the conjecture is that there are multivariate sources of explanatory variation that shape the quality of learning outcomes. The research question is whether there is such variation, and whether it is amenable to statistical modelling. Based on the analogy between undergraduate and postgraduate learning, a simple prior knowledge and process core model of postgraduate learning is posited. Empirical findings from a number of studies that have reported variation in students' conceptions of research are used to explore some postulated properties of the undifferentiated core model and confirm its sensitivity to various response contexts. These implications of these findings are discussed in relation to research training and supervision.

Reflective Practice in Group Co-Leadership

Group literature on co-leaders' experiences and perceptions while leading groups illuminate reflective practice as highly influential to co-leader relationships and performances. Using practical examples grounded by interdisciplinary literature on reflective practice, this article explores and expands dialogue on the complex interplay between co-leaders' intrapersonal processes, interactions with co-leaders and group members, and decision-making within the co-leader role. Discussion presents implications for clinical practice, training, supervision, and future research.

Research supervision and psychotherapeutic theory: Bridging the research-practice gap1

Research supervision in the field of counselling and psychotherapy is a fruitful area for investigation in view of the fact that the research supervisory relationship is powerful and highly charged, whether consciously acknowledged or not. Researchers trained as counsellors and psychotherapists possess the skills to facilitate the emergence of, and work creatively with, impasses and crises, both in the research itself and the supervisory relationship, as a result of their training and experience in dealing with crisis and catharsis in clinical work. This paper will demonstrate these points using a case vignette from my work as a supervisor of research dissertations undertaken by students on a Masters in Therapeutic Counselling course. Drawing on narrative analysis, clinical supervision theory and discursive analysis it will look at the strengths and weaknesses of a ‘psychotherapeutic’ approach to research supervision.

Facilitator, director or critical friend?: contradiction and congruence in doctoral supervision styles

This paper explores the current issues relating to doctoral research supervision and candidature, set within the context of the neo-liberal and consumerist agendas and the pressures of the Research Assessment Exercise. The paper opens up discussion about the extent to which the discourse of performativity may be having an influence on supervision styles, and explores some of the barriers that may prevent the realisation of effective supervisor/student relationships. The paper highlights the evidence arising from a critical review of literature into current supervision styles and candidate needs, explores the way in which these issues may be applied to education and provides illustrative examples of the way in which principles are currently being translated into practice in the Faculty of Education of one Scottish university.

Awareness in Research Supervision; A Single Subject Study

Theoretically, one part of supervision is the direct object i.e. what can be learnt, another part is the indirect object aiming at how the learning process is constituted and influenced by both the doctoral student and his/her supervisor. Emphasising both the what and the how object of learning as well as their interrelationship may be an important factor for the development of the role of supervisor in research. The aim of this study was to describe supervision of doctoral students from the perspective of a research supervisor. Interview data were analysed in accordance with content analysis. The result showed that research supervision had a latent content of awareness of underlying structures and the preconditions for learning that became visible through self-appraisal, orientation towards a goal, in the interaction and the performance of an art. Awareness was a cornerstone in research supervision that enabled both the what and the how aspect of learning.

Transforming supervisors? A critique of post-liberal approaches to research supervision

Preparation for research supervision has assumed greater importance in academic departments of universities with the increase in the number and diversity of both research candidates and supervisors and the financial incentives for on-time completions. Over the past decade a body of literature by both academics and academic developers has emerged and more recently post-liberal theories and frameworks (feminism, postmodernism and post-colonialism) have been used to problematise the field of postgraduate supervision. Central to the feminist and post-colonial critiques is the belief that supervisors are best equipped for their roles by a process of personal self-transformation which allows them to achieve an appropriate balance between emotional and rational elements in their supervisory practice. We wish to set critical and post-modern approaches in historical perspective. We seek to show that feminist and post-colonial approaches are heir to a form of critique, which was founded upon the assumption that certain institutions and practices of modern society are dehumanising because they fragment human beings’ essential unity. We argue that engaging supervisors in a process of self-transformation reinforces the idea that successful supervision is a function of the supervisor's recovery of a fully integrated and higher self.

Exploring graduate student learning in applied science and student-supervisor relationships: views of supervisors and their students

This study presents the results of a questionnaire about the learning that occurs at graduate level and how the supervision of research contributes to this learning. Graduate students (PhD and Mast...

Research Supervision: An Important Site of Teaching

ABSTRACT Supervision of students engaged in research projects and theses is an important site of teaching. Schon's (1987) well-known framework–educating for reflective practice–proves aptly suited for this teaching forum, offering insights for research supervision at multiple university levels. Conceptually, a research and writing studio where a practicum takes place is substituted for Schon's illustrative architectural design studio. The framework is mined for its fine-grained analysis of student-coach interaction and its emphasis on bringing self-reflection, a practice consistent with social work ideals, to three levels: research and writing, the student-coach dialogue and the relationship in which it is embedded.

How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision

Literature about doctoral supervision has concentrated on describing the ever lengthening lists of functions that must be carried out. This functional approach is necessary, but there has been little exploration of a different paradigm, a conceptual approach towards research supervision. This article, based on interviews with supervisors from a range of disciplines, aims to fill this gap. The main concepts identified are: functional – where the issue is one of project management; enculturation – where the student is encouraged to become a member of the disciplinary community; critical thinking – where the student is encouraged to question and analyse their work; emancipation – where the student is encouraged to question and develop themselves; and developing a quality relationship – where the student is enthused, inspired and cared for. Supervisors of doctoral students are also trying to reconcile the tensions between their professional role as an academic and their personal self, as well as encouraging students to move along a path towards increasing independence. The concepts are examined in the light of these tensions. Finally, the research illuminates the power of the supervisor’s own experience as a student, and suggests that supervisors need to be aware of both the positive and negative aspects of each of these conceptual approaches.

A Forest Science Effective Research Supervision in the Faculty Of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia

At least historically, undergraduate research supervision has predominantly been seen as part of the basic research function of academic staff. In many fields of study, success in research requires not only sophisticated experimental and analytical skills, but good mentoring and managerial skills as well. This paper presents an observational case study and perception based on the author’s true experiences exploring the most effective supervision of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Due to the need of a highly calibre first class honours undergraduates for the future pool of postgraduates and top notch academia in the Faculty and in UPM, the aim of this paper is therefore to provide a good practice guideline for supervision of undergraduates final year project reports/theses to ensure consistency of approach for staff and students across the faculty and university. Key topics covered include building an effective undergraduate final year project/theses supervisory relationship, negotiating expectations, providing good communication and feedback and providing motivation and guidance to them. Personal interviews of undergraduates' perceptions of their supervision as they undertake their final year research projects were presented. Students reported that only a select few of their supervisors were supportive and sympathetic to their needs. Only a few of the Faculty supervisors adopted the role of resource person, directing undergraduates to references and contacts, discussing ideas and work undertaken. Only a few students had considerable freedom in the conduct of their final year project work. They were not able to choose their own research topic and supervisor but most determined the pace at which they worked. Some appeared to cope well with the autonomous role of a junior researcher while some commented on difficulties. Though the majority of students were given considerable freedom in their research the results of the observation indicated some differences amongst supervisors.

Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire: reliability and factor structure with Master’s in Nursing graduates

This paper is a report of a study to measure the psychometric properties of the Postgraduate Experience Questionnaire when used to evaluate the research experience of graduates who had completed Master's in Nursing programmes. Evidence of standards and outcomes of Master's in Nursing programmes is lacking, despite their continuing growth worldwide. The Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire was introduced to evaluate the research experience of graduates. The instrument is a multidimensional measure of graduate students' experiences of research and research supervision. Six constructs that comprise the research experience of graduates are measured: the supervision process, academic climate, goals and expectations, infrastructure, skill development and the dissertation examination process. A cross-sectional postal survey of graduates from coursework Master's in Nursing programmes in Ireland was undertaken in 2006. The response rate was 71%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test construct validity, while internal consistency measures were used to test reliability. Factor analysis identified a six-factor solution, as hypothesized by the instrument's developers. According to oblique rotation and confirmatory factor analysis, the majority of scales that comprise the instrument were relatively robust. Internal consistency measures identified that the six scales were reliable. The construct validity of Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire when psychometrically evaluated with coursework master's graduates differed slightly from the factor structure reported in the literature for the original scale. However, overall, adequate estimates of reliability and validity were found when the instrument was used to evaluate the research experience of graduates who complete a supervised dissertation as part of their degree.

The student-supervisor relationship in the phD/Doctoral process

Many nurses in the United Kingdom are now undertaking PhDs; however, the process is both complex and time consuming. Research has shown that effective supervision can significantly influence the quality of the PhD and its eventual success or failure. Consequently, many common problems experienced during a PhD often relate to difficulties in the supervisory process. PhD students and supervisors often have different expectations, needs and ways of thinking and working. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to provide an overview of the key elements of research supervision. The paper is aimed at students, prospective students and supervisors involved in the PhD process and explores the perspectives of a student and a supervisor and discusses what each can and should reasonably expect from supervision, how to identify and address potential supervisory problems and how to maintain an effective working relationship.

Strategic Planning in CSD Programs: The San Francisco State Example

Strategic Planning in CSD Programs: The San Francisco State Example

Developing effective supervisors: Concepts of research

Educating our early career researchers is becoming more complex. The range of doctoral degrees, the fast moving nature of knowledge, internationalisation, the demands of funding bodies and employers are all pulling on PhD supervisors. The untrained PhD supervisor will copy (or avoid copying) the way that they were supervised themselves. Current literature on PhD supervision focuses either on lists of tasks that the supervisor must undertake or on conceptions of research. There is a need for a conceptual approach to research supervision. This review of the literature relating to research supervision identifies six main concepts all of which contribute to our understanding. These are not competing concepts. Supervisors, supervisory teams and co-supervisors might use them to define or illuminate their practice. It is proposed that the range and depth of concepts that a supervisor holds will dictate how they supervise and the type of researcher who emerges at the end of the process. In an age of supercomplexity, when demands of academic and other employers are unpredictable, the skills of the effective researcher, and thus their supervisor, are likely to become even more important.

The changing reality of research education in Australia and implications for supervision: a review of the literature

This paper consists of a literature review addressing changes in research education in Australia and their implications for research supervision. The organising principle for the review is expressed in the question: What scholarly literature can support and educate universities and supervisors to effectively carry out the work of research supervision in the current climate of Australian tertiary education? Two categories of literature are examined: literature on new ways of conceptualising research degrees and literature on effective supervision. The research agenda of the Australian government and the massification and diversity of the Australian research student population demand new ways of conceptualising the research curriculum, and in particular, call for flexibility and a holistic view. The paper challenges the traditional notion of ‘good’ supervision as a private contract between supervisor and student, and claims that in this new climate ‘good’ supervision can be defined in specific ways, as one critical component in a whole research curriculum.

Agonistic Struggle

Hegel's master and slave is a significant archetype for graduate research supervision. The master—slave relation vividly exemplifies the hierarchical bond that ties supervisor and student together. Such a confronting view of supervision provides a counterbalance to contemporary emphases on equality between supervisor and student. In what follows, I use Zali Gurevitch's interpretation (`Dialectical dialogue', 2001, British Journal of Sociology) of Hegel's master and slave ( Phenomenology of Spirit, 1807) to analyse an extract of supervision dialogue between a supervisor and a Masters student in the Humanities. My analysis shows the mundaneness of the master—slave relation in action. This mundaneness derives from supervision's institutional underpinnings and contributes to the relative invisibility of the master—slave relation as an influential dynamic. In closing, I argue that this investigation usefully draws our attention to the third player in supervision, the thesis, and that master—slave dynamics may have both disturbing and helpful effects for supervisor and student.

A Phenomenographic Study of What It Means to Supervise Doctoral Students

We utilize the research methodology of phenomenography in this study to explore what doctoral supervisors understand supervision to be and how they enact this understanding in the practice of supervising students. Twenty interviews were undertaken with supervisors at three Australian universities to uncover lived experiences of doctoral research supervision. Five qualitatively different ways of conceiving supervisors' roles emerged through phenomenographic analysis of the transcripts. Our findings suggest that while supervisors undertake similar tasks when supervising, they approach these tasks differently because of their qualitatively different understandings of what supervision is.

Unity and Detachment: A Discourse Analysis of Doctoral Supervision

In this article the authors report on an approach that they used to enhance their understanding of the complex nature of doctoral supervision by analyzing e-mail communication within a supervisory relationship. Although some scholars have discussed research supervision, empirical research on the subject is limited, and the authors found no published attempts to explore doctoral supervision through the analysis of e-mail communication. The authors analyze correspondence between one doctoral student and two supervisors using discourse analysis influenced by the Foucauldian notion of disciplinary power. The findings revealed the discourses of unity and detachment operating throughout the course of the doctoral relationship. The authors suggest that research students might be no less detached from their supervisors on completion of their studies than at the beginning of their relationship and argue that understanding the discourses of doctoral supervision can enhance the quality and successful outcome of the experience.