Doctoral Supervision Research Articles

Do benevolent and altruistic supervisors have higher postgraduate supervision throughput? The contributions of individual motivational values to South African postgraduate supervision throughput

This study seeks to understand how the individual values of a supervisor potentially influence their masters and doctoral supervision throughput. Grounded in Schwartz’s theory of basic human values, the objective of the article is to test theory that predicts different effects of different value orientations on postgraduate supervision throughput, using a census sample of a large South African university. What is not clear from the literature is whether self-transcendent values (associated with benevolence and “caring” values) or self-enhancement values (associated with prioritisation of the self and achievement values) increase an individual’s postgraduate supervision throughput. According to Schwartz’s theory, however, self-transcendent and self-enhancement values are oppositional, in that the higher an individual’s endowment is in one, the lower it is in that of the other. What is also lacking in the literature is knowledge of whether innovative openness to change values or their oppositional non-innovative conservation values enable postgraduate supervision throughput. Ordinary least squares are used to test these hypotheses across five different faculties, representing a clustering of similar academic fields. According to the results of tests across the broad faculty fields of Engineering, Commerce, Humanities, Health Sciences, and Science, it is not the individual values associated with benevolence or caring that facilitate postgraduate supervision throughput, but rather those related to the prioritisation of the self over others, such as power, achievement and hedonism. Similarly, innovation-related values associated with openness to change are largely insignificant in their associations with postgraduate supervision throughput. The implications of the findings are discussed and recommendations are derived for theory and practice.

Supervisor perspectives on the ‘end-stage’ of the doctoral examination process

ABSTRACT There has been substantial research on doctoral supervision and examination, yet rarely a focus on what happens at the end-stage of the process when examiner feedback is received and addressed. This article reports survey findings (n = 262) from a study investigating supervisor perceptions about Australian end-stage doctoral examination processes. In general, supervisors believed that existing university processes were satisfactory, with the caveat that, at times, there was undue variability between examiners, or difficult-to-reconcile committee decisions about the outcome. Supervisors generally identified that revisions and the preparation of the response-to-examiner report was a ‘shared responsibility’. While supervisors strongly agreed that graduates achieve doctoral level in terms of substantive knowledge, they were less sanguine about their research autonomy. This impression was compounded if candidate input into the decisions about examiner comments was undervalued or if there was no direct avenue of response by the candidate.

Encounters of cultures in doctoral supervision: productive or problematic?

In the ambit of higher education internationalization, Portuguese universities have been receiving an increasing number of students from Portuguese-Speaking countries (CPLP), namely at the level of Ph.D. studies that pose questions related to the intercultural dimension of doctoral supervision. Research in Portugal concerning this issue is scarce and this paper focused on Ph.D. students from the CPLP and their supervisors in the Department of Education and Psychology of the University of Aveiro, intends to answer the following questions: in the situation of intercultural doctoral supervision in which both students and supervisors are engaged, what cultural encounters occur? Are these encounters productive or problematic? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve students and eight supervisors. Results from thematic analysis indicate that different cultural encounters do occur between pedagogical/academic cultures; linguistic backgrounds; research and knowledge cultures and communication/relational cultures. Both students and supervisors acknowledge that these encounters bring about potentials (productive view) and constraints (problematic view) which will be discussed.

The experience of reforming primary health care in conditions of increasing of population average age

The article presents the experience of reforming primary health care in Belgorod Oblast in 2016-2019. In the process of reforming, the original organizational model of new interaction pattern "family doctor - patient - family members", was developed and implemented. The measures were taken to strengthen material-technical base and manpower potential of primary medical care. The general practitioners offices were positioned within "step accessibility" for patients. The continuous training of family doctors was organized at the workplace. The unified regional medical information system was developed and implemented enabling corporate conference communications, remote consultations, public feedback and remote arrangement of visits of patients to physician. The differentiated approach to remuneration of medical personnel was implemented using key performance indices that permitted to increase salaries and work quality. As a result of the reforms, the percentage of patients under supervision of family doctors increased up to 13%, the number of medical emergency calls decreased up to 3.3% and the number of calls because of illness decreased up to 17%. The mortality of population older than able-bodied age began to decrease and life expectancy reached relevant 74 years in 2019.

Medication adherence among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease treated in a primary general hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to investigate medication adherence and the associated influencing factors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were treated in a primary general hospital in Shanghai China during the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.MethodsFrom March to April 2020, all of the COPD patients treated in our department in the last 7 years were interviewed by telephone. The basic patient data and each questionnaire item were collected, and influencing factors were analyzed by the Chi-square test, U test, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.ResultsA total of 191 patients with COPD were queried, and 84 (44.0%) valid questionnaires were obtained. Among them, individuals with group B symptoms were most represented (45.2%); 53.6% had Medical Research Council (MRC) dyspnea levels of 2 or above. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease assessment test (CAT) had an average of 9 [3, 13], and 52.4% of patients used two-drug combination therapy. Medication adherence was both good in ordinary times and over the past 2 months of the pandemic, and 88.8% of patients had no acute exacerbation during the pandemic. The CAT scores of male patients <70 years old, and patients with general outpatient follow-up and regular gargling were reduced (P<0.05). Drug combination and doctor’s supervision were favorable factors affecting medication adherence during the 2 months of the pandemic, while possible depression was an unfavorable factor (P<0.05).ConclusionsDuring the pandemic, medication adherence in patients with COPD was similar to that in regular times, and was significantly related to drug combination, doctor’s supervision, and accompanying mood disorders. An effective way to improve patient adherence and disease control could be strengthening follow-up education and diagnosing and treating depression and other complications.

Originality of a Scientific Work not Precluded by Experts’ Judgments on the Ideas Presented or by Doctoral Supervision

Originality of a Scientific Work not Precluded by Experts’ Judgments on the Ideas Presented or by Doctoral Supervision GRUR International, Volume 69, Issue 9, September 2020, Pages 960–963, https://doi.org/10.1093/grurint/ikaa087 Published: 26 September 2020

Medical students’ knowledge of their future supervisory role of a new cadre

Abstract Background Clinical associates (ClinAs) are mid-level health professionals in South Africa who must practice under the supervision of a medical doctor. Not only are they a new category of health professional, but it is the first time that medical doctors are directly responsible for the clinical work done by some-one else. By extension medical students should also be prepared for this responsibility. This study explored whether final-year medical students at one university were aware of their future supervisory role, felt prepared and were aware of the ClinAs' scope of practice. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study used a questionnaire adapted from an American study. Final year medical students (n = 151) were invited to participate. Data were analysed with Stata and Microsoft Excel. Ethical permission was granted (53/2017). Results The response rate was 77.4% (n/N=117/151). The majority of participants (76.1%, n = 86) had worked with a qualified ClinA or ClinA student before and they were positive (81.4%, n = 70) about working together. Almost half (47.8%, n = 56) thought that ClinAs' scope of work was similar to registered nurses rather than a doctor's (38.2%; n = 44). Most (65.8%; n = 77) were unaware that they would be required to supervise ClinAs once qualified. Among the few who were aware of this future supervisory role (12.8%; n = 15), almost half (46.7%; n = 7) felt adequately trained. A 20-item 'knowledge test' on the ClinAs' scope of practice revealed that on average, participants selected 12/20 treatments or procedures that a ClinA may legally perform. Conclusions Despite having worked with ClinAs, participants appeared largely unaware of their future legal obligation. Knowledge of the scope of practice was variable in this study. Main messages: Adequate clinical supervision is based on the knowledge of the scope of practice. Working with ClinAs is not adequate preparation for supervision and formal training is needed to prepare future doctors. Key messages Working with ClinAs is not adequate preparation for supervision. Formal training and preparation is needed to prepare future doctors for this new role.

ТРІУМФ-3: антигіпертензивна терaпія в Україні – оптимізація артеріального тиску у фoкусі. Використання потрійної фіксованої комбінації антигіпертензивних засобів у практиці сімейного лікаря

Мета дослідження – вивчити профіль пацієнтів з неконтрольованою артеріальною гіпертензією (АГ), які одночасно приймають два або три антигіпертензивні засоби, та оцінити результати досягнення контролю артеріального тиску (АТ) у цій популяції після корекції терапії. Maтеріали і методи. У дослідження ТРІУМФ-3 (антигіперТензивна теРапІя в Україні – оптиМізація артеріального тис­­­ку у Фокусі) було залучено 4113 пацієнтів з АГ, які перебували під наглядом сімейних лікарів. Анамнестично всі учасники (середній вік – 64 роки; 36,1 % чоловіків) не менше 1 міс до початку дослідження приймали 2 або 3 антигіпертензивні препарати без достатнього ефекту. Середні значення офісного АТ становили 172/99 мм рт. ст., у понад 40 % пацієнтів вони перевищували 180/110 мм рт. ст. Препаратом вибору для подальшої терапії 4103 учасників стала фіксована комбінація периндоприлу аргініну, амлодипіну та індапаміду – «Трипліксам» («Серв’є», Франція). Термін спостереження для кожного хворого становив 3 місяці. Пацієнти відвідували лікарів через 1–2 тиж, 2 і 3 міс після початку дослідження і відповідної корекції терапії. До та через 2 міс оцінювали показник прихильності до лікування. Заключний аналіз передбачав порівняння результатів ТРІУМФ-3 та ТРІУМФ-2 стосовно пацієнтів, які перебували під амбулаторним наглядом у сімейних лікарів та кардіологів.Результати та обговорення. Призначення потрійної фіксованої комбінації периндоприлу аргініну, індапаміду та амлодипіну впродовж 3 місяців дозволило поступово знизити АТ до ~ 130/80 мм рт. ст.; систолічний АТ у середньому на ~ 42 мм рт. ст., діастолічний – на ~ 19 мм рт. ст. Цільових рівнів &lt; 140/90 мм рт. ст. досягли 73,4 % пацієнтів, а ≤ 130/80 мм рт. ст. – 59,1 %. У більшості (70 %) пацієнтів-учасників протягом дослідження зріс показник високої прихильності до лікування, у середньому з 9,5 до 46,4 %. Терапія фіксованою комбінацією периндоприлу аргініну, індапаміду та амлодипіну характеризувалася доброю переносимістю.Висновки. Використання сімейними лікарями фіксованої комбінації периндоприлу аргініну, індапаміду та амлодипіну супроводжувалося досягненням цільових рівнів АТ більше ніж у 2/3 хворих з АГ, у яких попередня дво- або трикомпонентна терапія була неефективною. Використання зазначеної оригінальної фіксованої комбінації було ефективним як у пацієнтів з АГ, що спостерігалися в сімейних лікарів (ТРІУМФ-3), так і у кардіологів (ТРІУМФ-2). Проте кардіологи майже вдвічі частіше використовували максимальні дози препарату, що привело до більш оптимального контролю АТ (≤ 130/80 мм рт. ст.) у чисельнішої групи пацієнтів: 69,7 проти 59,1 % у сімейних лікарів. Регулярний лікарський кон­­троль, антигіпертензивна ефективність та зручність прийому потрійної фіксованої комбінації периндоприлу аргініну, індапаміду та амлодипіну, ймовірно, були визначальними факторами щодо підвищення прихильності до лікування в більшості учасників в обох дослідженнях, 75 % – у ТРІУМФ-2, і 70 % – у ТРІУМФ-3. Причому показник високої прихильності протягом 2-місячного періоду спостереження зріс в обох дослідженнях майже у 5 разів.

In pursuit of sustainable co-authorship practices in doctoral supervision: Addressing the challenges of writing, authorial identity and integrity

ABSTRACT Developing an authorial voice along with co-authorship practices can be an important pathway towards building one’s professional identity and career. However, challenges may arise when contributors have different expectations about co-authorship conventions and are accountable to different stakeholders. This article aims to explore co-authorship practices between doctoral students and supervisors by drawing on four dimensions that highlight professional challenges across disciplinary and national contexts: 1) supervisors’ writing and co-authorship, 2) strategies and activities to support writing, 3) authorial voice and 4) integrity and (the risk of) plagiarism. The article summarises practices and suggestions for academics and policymakers on how to create and promote an ethical and sustainable approach to co-authorship in supervisory context.

Final-year medical students need to know their future supervisory role of clinical associates.

BackgroundA clinical associate (ClinA) is a mid-level health professional who may only practise under the supervision of a medical doctor. By extension, medical students need to be prepared for this responsibility. This study explored whether final-year medical students at one university were aware of this supervisory role, felt prepared and were knowledgeable about the ClinAs’ scope of practice.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted. The population included all final-year medical students who had completed their District Health and Community Obstetrics rotations (March to November 2017). After an end-of-rotation session, 151 students were given questionnaires to complete. A list of 20 treatments or procedures was extracted from the ClinAs’ gazetted scope of practice for a ‘knowledge test’. Data were analysed with Stata and Microsoft Excel. Ethical permission was granted.ResultsThe response rate was 77.4% (n/N = 117/151). The majority of participants (76.1%, n = 86) had worked with a qualified or student ClinA before and had a generally positive impression (81.4%; n = 70). Almost half (47.8%; n = 56) thought that the ClinAs’ scope of work was similar to registered nurses rather than a doctor’s (38.2%; n = 44). Most were unaware that they would be required to supervise ClinAs once qualified (65.8%; n = 77). On average, participants identified 12 out of 20 treatments or procedures that a ClinA could perform.ConclusionDespite having worked with ClinAs, participants appeared largely unaware of their future legal obligation of supervision. Adequate clinical supervision is based on the knowledge of the scope of practice, which was variable. Formal training on the scope of the work of ClinAs is needed to prepare future doctors for their supervisory role. Medical schools have an obligation to adequately prepare their students in this regard as part of their transformative education with elements of interprofessional education.

Doctoral Education: International Experience and Opportunities for Its Implementation in Russia

The article provides a comparative review of principles for the implementation of doctoral programs in education at leading world universities. The analysis is focused on the following aspects of doctoral education: organizational model (1), principles of doctoral candidates’ enrollment (2), educational program and workload (3), principles and mechanisms for tracking doctoral students’ progress (4), principles and procedures for completing educational programs and defending a thesis (5). The key differences of the Russian doctoral education are distinguished. The first difference is related to the rigidity of the recruitment rules and procedures: the universities in Russia pay no or little attention to the previous academic achievements of candidates. The second difference refers to the specifics of educational program, which, as a rule, is not aimed at the development of “soft skills”. Finally, Russian doctoral programs are based on the traditional model of doctoral supervision, when a supervisor is usually the only person who controls the doctoral student progress and helps him or her to work on thesis. Based on the experience of the world leading universities, the authors discuss some opportunities to develop doctoral programs in Russia.

Navigating uncharted waters of neurology

“He who studies medicine without books sails an uncharted sea, but he who studies medicine without patients does not go to sea at all.” So said Sir William Osler, a man who knew about the sea through his upbringing in a naval family and who learned medicine in many eminent institutions across the globe. In the same way that Osler drew together two spheres of experience to make the central metaphor in that quote, the authors of Case studies in neurological infections of adults and children seek to combine the academic and experiential learning so central to the competent practice of medicine. One of the key tensions between these two modes of learning is that no amount of research into a particular medical condition can prepare a physician for confidently managing a living, breathing human being who presents with that condition for the first time. This is why doctors remain in training for many years once they have completed their undergraduate degrees—to gain practical knowledge under the supervision of experienced senior doctors to complement their hard-won knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathology. This training system works very well for common conditions, seen regularly, so that seniors can teach confidently and deftly. It does not work as well with uncommon conditions because often senior doctors have seen only a handful of cases or have only theoretical knowledge. This book, edited by Tom Solomon and colleagues, beautifully and comprehensively overcomes this difficulty by presenting a huge range of cases of infections of the nervous system in such a way that it feels like we have seen the patient personally and can take the experience forward with us into our practice.

Storytelling as a resource for pursuing understanding and agreement in doctoral research supervision meetings

This paper examines the function of storytelling in securing agreement in doctoral supervision from the perspectives of conversation analysis (CA), which views storytelling as an interactional resource for achieving various social actions. The function of storytelling in managing disagreement has been explored in previous CA research (Georgakopoulou, 2001; Goodwin, 1982, 1990; Kjaerbeck, 2008). However, a question left unanswered is whether storytelling works to accomplish disagreement or to resolve disagreement. This paper addresses this question by examining storytelling data taken from a research project on doctoral supervision. The data corpus consists of approximately 25 h of video-recorded interactions in an Australian university between doctoral students and their supervisors. In the transcribed data, analysis shows that storytelling works to establish a shared knowledge domain that serves to secure agreement rather than construct disagreement. In addition, through their responses, the students display their orientation to storytelling as pursuing understanding rather than securing affiliation of affective stance. The findings point to the interactive relationship between knowledge and agreement.

Research-based doctoral supervision development programme: Learning through peer learning, reflection and case studies

ABSTRACT Supervisors play a crucial role in helping doctoral students to successfully complete their degree. Current practice in the development of doctoral supervisors is mostly focused on regulatory issues rather than on pedagogical topics. Existing research suggests a range of successful strategies for supervisor training including the development of professional and personal skills. This paper discusses the design and piloting of a blended research-based development programme for supervisors, which aimed to expand the institutional capacity and engage supervisors in developing their skills. The evaluation of the programme showed that although participants felt that the modules did not offer ‘new content’, the discussion of case studies, the sharing of experiences with peers and more experienced supervisors, and the reflection on practice were regarded as their most valuable components. Additionally, the modules influenced their practice and perspectives, offering developers an effective strategy on how to support supervisors.

Features of the physical condition of women of the first period of adulthood

The aim: to establish the features of the physical condition of women of the first period of adulthood.&#x0D; Material and methods. Participants. This study involved 60 women of the first period of adulthood. The women were divided into 2 groups. The average age of women in the control group was 29.87 years (n = 30), experimental - 30.57 years (n = 30). All of them were engaged in aqua fitness in Dnipro on the basis of the fitness center Sport life. All study participants gave written consent to participate in the study. Organization of the study. The research was conducted on the basis of the Sport life fitness center. Medical and biological testing was performed under the supervision of a fitness center doctor.&#x0D; Results. In each group, 56.67% of women with normal body weight and an average risk of comorbidities were identified. The number of women with grade I-II obesity was 26.7-33.3%. The number of women with normosthenic body type 66.68-83.33%. with asthenic - 10-20% and 6.67-13.32% - with hypertensive. 83.33-90% of women in terms of proportional breast size correspond to the level of participants in beauty contests; 40-43.33% require an individual increase in the total volume of the girth of the shoulder; 49.6-53.33% of women need a comprehensive increase in muscle tissue with a decrease in adipose tissue. The percentage of excess fat in women ranges from 2.06 ± 0.69% to 1.87 ± 0.64%. Correspondence of indicators of vital capacity of lungs to proper was found in 3,33% of women of experimental group and in 13,33% of control.&#x0D; Conclusions. The use of a differentiated approach to aqua fitness with women of the first period of adulthood will not only improve the above indicators, but also the level of somatic (physical) health of women, indicators of the functionality of the cardio-respiratory system and resistance to hypoxia.

Supervisory feedback across disciplines: does it meet students’ expectations?

Supervisory feedback on thesis drafts and presentations is arguably the most important source of information for graduate students, particularly those writing their theses in English-as-a-foreign-language contexts, to conduct, complete, report and improve graduate research and benefit from the process. Despite its critical role in scaffolding students’ research and thesis writing, supervisory feedback on master’s theses has been under-researched, compared with the attention given to doctoral supervision. This is particularly the case in non-Western, developing countries such as Nepal. The present study examined supervisory comments on thesis drafts (n = 97) in four disciplinary areas (education, English studies, physics and engineering). Supervisors’ beliefs underlying their practices and students’ expectations were explored through interviews with 16 supervisors and 16 students. Analyses revealed that supervisory feedback varied across the disciplinary areas and, in many cases, did not cater to students’ needs or expectations. Pedagogical implications of these findings are derived with a view to improving the effectiveness of supervisory feedback.

A Review of Effective Doctoral Supervision: What Is It and How Can We Achieve It?

The success of doctoral students greatly depends on effective supervision. Many factors however, are involved in ensuring effective supervision. This study identifies the different definitions of effective supervisions, types of doctoral outcomes and the associated factors that contribute to these outcomes, with a view of proposing a framework to achieve the goal of effective supervision. A systematic review was conducted on published articles from the year 2000 to the year 2018. The documents were selected based on the three major components of doctoral supervision namely, management system, students and supervisor, thus framing the systematic review. The review resulted in several key findings namely, definitions, domains of doctoral outcomes and factors that can potentially contribute to doctoral outcomes. Diverse definitions of effective supervision were observed; often associated with self-development, professional growth and career development of doctoral students. Four domains of doctoral outcomes were identified: knowledge-base, research skills, attitudes and professional skills. Factors that influence doctoral outcomes include environment, attitude and aptitude of doctoral students, and experience and training of supervisors. The findings of this review provide useful information for guiding the implementation of an effective supervision framework.

Experiences of distance doctoral supervision in cross-cultural teams

ABSTRACT In distance cross-cultural supervision scenarios PhD students are supported by supervisors located in different cultural contexts, which may, or may not be, the same as that of the student. Very little research has been conducted into experiences of cross-cultural supervision. This paper aims to explores opportunities and challenges for students and supervisors, drawing on qualitative research into their experiences of supervision. Participants were Saudi Arabian students, and UK and Saudi based supervisors. Investigation of three main areas – roles and expectations, communications and technology, and personal and professional development – revealed common issues, and some specific to either students or supervisors. These include language, feedback, technology and professional learning and align with ‘intensifiers’ identified as making supervision complex or difficult for international PhD students. However, other issues were also identified which need to be discussed openly to ensure that the potential benefits of cross-cultural supervision are realised.

Independent Predictors of Mortality for Aeromonas Necrotizing Fasciitis of Limbs: An 18-year Retrospective Study

Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) of the limbs caused by Aeromonas species is an extremely rare and life-threatening skin and soft tissue infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specific characteristics and the independent predictors of mortality in patients with Aeromonas NF. Sixty-eight patients were retrospectively reviewed over an 18-year period. Differences in mortality, demographics data, comorbidities, symptoms and signs, laboratory findings, microbiological analysis, empiric antibiotics treatment and clinical outcomes were compared between the non-survival and the survival groups. Twenty patients died with the mortality rate of 29.4%. The non-survival group revealed significant differences in bacteremia, monomicrobial infection, cephalosporins resistance, initial ineffective empiric antibiotics usage, chronic kidney disease, chronic hepatic dysfunction, tachypnea, shock, hemorrhagic bullae, skin necrosis, leukopenia, band polymorphonuclear neutrophils >10%, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The multivariate analysis identified four variables predicting mortality: bloodstream infection, shock, skin necrosis, and initial ineffective empirical antimicrobial usage against Aeromonas. NF caused by Aeromonas spp. revealed high mortality rates, even through aggressive surgical debridement and antibacterial therapies. Identifying those independent predictors, such as bacteremia, shock, progressive skin necrosis, monomicrobial infection, and application of the effective antimicrobial agents against Aeromonas under the supervision of infectious doctors, may improve clinical outcomes.

Managing the Critical Friendship: Using Self-Study in the Doctoral Supervision Process

ABSTRACT Self-study presents one approach to research that can be used to understand how current teacher educators and teacher education doctoral students (re)develop their practice and are socialized into academic norms. In some of these instances, faculty advisors may serve in a critical friendship capacity. This introduces an important power dynamic into the self-study process as advisors serve in a supervisory capacity over their students. The purpose of the current study was to understand the process through which a self-study-informed critical friendship influenced the development of our relationship as doctoral supervisor (Kevin) and doctoral student (Tori). Data came from each of our reflective journals as well as formal and informal critical friend discussions. Through qualitative data analysis, we sought to identify turning points through a collaborative process. Results indicated that engaging in a critical friendship through self-study provided us with the space and encouragement to critique traditional power structures and develop a more honest relationship. We specifically identified three turning points relative to the development of our mentoring relationship: (a) initial apprehensions and shared frustrations at the beginning of the process, (b) learning about and coming to trust one another through critical friendship, and (c) creating a more enjoyable and effective supervisory relationship. These results highlight both the benefits and challenges of faculty advisors serving as critical friends for their doctoral students and are discussed in relation to occupational socialization theory.