Supervisor-student Relationship Research Articles

Effective communication in postgraduate supervision: Shaping experiences and overcoming challenges

Although postgraduate supervision relies on effective communication, it has become increasingly challenging due to various factors, including the cultural, ethnic, and educational backgrounds of both the supervisors and supervisees. As a result, institutions of higher learning are struggling to attract and retain these students. In addition, students often feel frustrated by the pressure to balance their academic and social lives during their studies. Therefore, this study explores the impact of effective communication on postgraduate supervision in higher learning institutions in Lesotho and South Africa. The study adopts an interpretive paradigm and uses a qualitative approach rooted in a case study design. Face-to-face interviews were employed as the data collection tool, and latent thematic analysis was used to analyse emergent themes. The findings reveal several factors that hinder effective communication in postgraduate supervision, including cultural dominance, lack of mutual respect, insufficient training, and a lack of professionalism, among others. Based on these findings, the study recommends that experienced supervisors be assigned to students and that there be a focus on two-way communication and training to develop the necessary skills for a respectful supervisor-student relationship.

The problem of authority in the supervision process

In this essay I reflect on the problem of authority in the doctoral supervision process. I define the supervisor-student relationship in terms of virtue, rather than power. I further argue for a hierarchical teacher-student relationship as it leads to unambiguous role expectations. It is the role of the supervisor to prepare, guide and teach the doctoral student how to take on the academic world and become a good scientist. This is best done by a hierarchical teacher-student relationship, with clear roles and responsibilities, where the student accepts the authority of the supervisor.

ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY THROUGH EDUCATION AND RESEARCH SKILLS

The knowledge economy is a system of consumption and production that is based on intellectual capital. Specifically, this refers to the ability to capitalize on scientific discoveries and applied research including research studies at the university. To develop a successful post-graduate program in research needs a robust and sustainable research environment. A guideline named "Best Practices for PhD Training" was produced by the Organization for PhD Education in Health Sciences in the European System, a European platform to promote best practices in PhD education in health sciences. The extensive advice and suggestions made in the guidelines apply to all aspects of PhD and research programs, of which supervision is a crucial part. The success of a thesis depends on a productive supervisor-student relationship built on respect, accountability, and engagement. Active researchers who obtain training to hone their overseeing abilities should serve as supervisors. They act as both scientific and moral role models in academic life. The employment of a second supervisor in addition to the primary one is strongly advised to boost monitoring student development more effectively and to prevent interpersonal disputes. The obligations of the supervisor should be outlined in institutional regulations. The task could be more clearly defined and may serve as a beginning point in a contract created by the institution and signed by the supervisor and the student. Grievance methods must be plain and obvious in the event of a conflict. Students' professional development should be supported by their supervisors, who should also help them become autonomous researchers. Quite a number of surveys revealed considerable dissatisfaction among students with their supervisors. There is a great deal of strain due to performance pressure on both students and supervisors. Students worry about their future employment opportunities. These stress spots should be taken into account by institutional regulations to improve the welfare of both professors and students. Small-group instruction and learning have become increasingly popular in medical school as a tool to assist research students with their studies and promote deep learning. Postgraduate learners can exercise their higher-order thinking and cognitive abilities by researching the problems with undergraduate medical student supervision. Thus, encourages self-motivation while as a postgraduate researcher and fosters adult learning, accepting responsibility for one's own development, and adult learning.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu/0758/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Being a Competent Doctoral Student: A Reflection

Building a successful PhD program requires a sustained research environment. The successful completion of a PhD thesis depends on a working supervisor-student relationship built on respect, responsibility, and involvement. Supervisors who are also working researchers should get the training they need to improve their supervising abilities. They act as role models in academic life both scientifically and morally. The employment of a second supervisor in addition to the primary one is strongly advised in order to improve the effectiveness of tracking student development and resolve interpersonal problems. Regulations from the university should outline the obligations of the research supervisor. In medical education, small-group instruction and learning have achieved an admirable position and gained popularity as a way to support research students in their studies and foster deep learning. The primary qualities include active student participation throughout the whole learning cycle and a clearly defined task orientation with attainable specific goals and objectives within a set time frame. Preliminary considerations at the departmental and institutional levels, including educational strategies, group composition, physical environment, existing resources, diagnosis of the research needs, formulation of the objectives, and appropriate teaching learning outline, are crucial to the development of an ideal small group teaching and learning session. Small group instruction at medical schools boosts student motivation, collaborative abilities, knowledge and skill retention, idea transfer to novel problems, and self-directed learning. Investigating the problems enables the learner to put their higher-order thinking and skills to the test. It supports adult learning, taking ownership of one's own development, and fostering self-motivation. This research paper aims to study the scholar’s perception of effectiveness of teaching and learning process during the first and second years of doctoral study.

Does the ‘Educational Alliance’ conceptualize the student - supervisor relationship when conducting a master thesis in medicine? An interview study

BackgroundCompleting a master thesis (MT) is mandatory in many undergraduate curricula in medicine but a specific educational framework to guide the supervisor-student relationship during the MT has not been published. This could be helpful to facilitate the MT process and to more effectively reach the learning objectives related to science education in medicine. An attractive model for this purpose is the ‘Educational Alliance’ (EA), which focusses on the three components ‘clarity and agreement on (a) goals, (b) tasks and (c) relationship & roles’. This study investigated factors that can either facilitate or hinder the process of MTs, and related these to the components of the EA.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 20 students and – separately – with their 20 corresponding supervisors, after the MT had been accepted. The interviews included open questions on factors facilitating or hindering the success of the MT. Audio recordings of the interviews were anonymized and transcribed, and then analysed by qualitative content analysis. Also, quantitative data were gathered on satisfaction with the MT process and the supervisory quality (using Likert-type questions).ResultsWe were able to analyse all 40 interviews, related to 20 MTs. From the transcripts, we extracted 469 comments related to the research question and categorized these into the four main categories (a) ‘Preparation’, (b) ‘Process’, (c) ‘Atmosphere’, (d) ‘Value of the MT’. Interviewees highlighted the importance of a careful preparation phase, clear expectations, a clear research plan, thorough and timely feedback, mutual agreement on timelines, and a positive working atmosphere. Each of these factors could be brought in line with the three components of the EA framework: agreement and clarity of goals, tasks, relationships & roles. Satisfaction with the MT process was rated 8.75 ± 1.22 SD (of 10) points by supervisors, and 7.80 ± 1.61 SD points by students, while supervision quality was rated + 1.51 ± 0.63 SD (scale from − 2 to + 2) by supervisors, and + 1.26 ± 0.93 SD by students.ConclusionWe propose the EA framework as a useful guidance for students, supervisors, and the university towards conducting successful MTs in medicine. Based on the findings, we provide specific recommendations for students, supervisors, and university.

Understanding the Master’s Degree Research Supervision at Community Campuses of Nepal

Research supervision has become increasingly demanding for graduate students towards the successful completion of their research. However, there are limited studies on how supervisors supervise the research students and what their experiences are in the context of Nepalese higher education. This phenomenological qualitative study explores the Master’s degree research supervisors’ perceptions and their lived experiences on supervision of Master’s thesis. Thematically analysing the data collected from six purposively sampled supervisors of three public campuses of Nepal, this paper reports the findings that research supervision practices in community campuses of Nepal lack sociocultural pedagogic practice for developing research skills in the students. Furthermore, it examines the supervisors’ roles, supervisor-student relationship, and the challenges the supervisors faced during research supervision. In this paper, I argue that the research supervisory process in Nepal needs to be socioculturally situated for producing independent researchers.

Entrustment decision-making in genetic counseling supervision: Exploring supervisor and student perspectives to enhance training practices.

Entrustment decisions are an essential part of genetic counseling supervision and have the potential to influence a student's progression toward autonomy. However, there is often uncertainty among supervisors regarding how and when to make these decisions and very few studies have examined the impact of these decisions on students. This study utilized a mixed methods approach including surveys of genetic counseling supervisors (n = 76) and students (n = 86) as well as qualitative interviews with genetic counseling supervisors (n = 20) and students (n = 20) that explored factors that influence the entrustment decisions of genetic counseling supervisors and their effect on genetic counseling students. Genetic counseling supervisors and students were recruited from various organizations across the United States and Canada and represented a range of geographic regions, hospital systems, and genetic counseling programs. A hybrid process of deductive and inductive coding and thematic analysis was used to evaluate and interpret transcripts from the supervisor and student interviews. All participants identified advantages of increased autonomy during training. However, many supervisors reported low entrustment, seldom allowing students to complete unsupervised sessions or supervised cases without interruption. Entrustment decisions were heavily influenced by student ability and confidence, as well as patient feedback. Students emphasized the negative impact of decreased entrustment on their confidence and described clear benefits to increased autonomy before, during, and after the genetic counseling appointment. Supervisors identified various barriers to entrustment pertaining to the student, clinical setting, and the patient, whereas students more often emphasized barriers pertaining to themselves. Our results highlight a tension between the clear advantages of increased entrustment and autonomy and various barriers to the provision of these opportunities. Additionally, our data suggest several ways to enhance the supervisor-student relationship and promote additional learning opportunities to support student-centered supervision.

Towards solution-focused graduate supervision: Developing a research-based live simulation for graduate supervisors

ABSTRACT Effective supervision is vital for graduate students growing into their respected professions. Although a Solution-Focused (SF) approach can help research supervisors develop optimal capacities to support students, few training opportunities exist to date. This article describes the collaborative process of developing a live actor simulation (LAS) for supervisors to practice the SF approach at a university in Ontario, Canada. Themes generated from needs assessment surveys and interviews with 81 graduate students/alumni and 33 supervisors informed the development of three graduate student characters. Seven graduate supervisors then participated in six collaborative learning sessions to learn SF techniques and practice with simulation actors playing the student characters. Participant feedback indicated that the LAS appeared authentically emulating real-life situations they experience in graduate supervision. SF techniques were considered valuable in navigating common challenges pertinent to the supervisor-student relationship. Participants also highly valued the reflective opportunity to share concerns around their experiences with peers.

Perceived abusive supervision and graduate students’ suicidal ideation: from the perspective of interpersonal psychological theory of suicide

BackgroundIn recent years, the issue of suicide caused by the stress of a contradictory relationship between graduate students and academic supervisors has aroused heated discussion in society. Based on the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide, this study aims to examine the influence of the perceived abusive supervision on graduate students’ suicidal ideation and the parallel mediating roles of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional online survey measuring perceived abusive supervision, interpersonal psychological needs and suicidal ideation among 232 Chinese graduate students. A structural equation model was constructed to test the hypothesis.ResultsThe results showed that abusive supervision directly exacerbated suicidal ideation (β = 0.160, 95% CI = [0.038, 0.281], p = 0.009) and indirectly influenced suicidal ideation through thwarted belongingness (β = 0.059, 95% CI = [0.008, 0.110], p = 0.019) and perceived burdensomeness (β = 0.102, 95% CI = [0.013, 0.191], p = 0.018). The indirect effect accounted for 50.15% of the overall effect.ConclusionsThese findings enrich our understanding of the influence of supervisor–student relationship by integrating the literatures on educational and organizational behaviour, and provide practical insights for psychosocial interventions from the perspective of the interpersonal psychological theory of suicide.

Emotional Mechanisms in Supervisor-Student Relationship: Evidence from Machine Learning and Investigation

Emotional Mechanisms in Supervisor-Student Relationship: Evidence from Machine Learning and Investigation

Medical research: what to expect in a student–supervisor relationship

BackgroundA medical research supervisor is of crucial importance to the undergraduate student enrolled in a research methodology course. A solid relationship between the two is vital to the success of the research project and the overall well-being of the student. The structure of the relationship between a student and a research supervisor is seldom discussed in the context of undergraduate medical research. This study evaluates students’ expectations of their research contributions and their supervisors’ roles.MethodsThis was an observational study in a large health university in Saudi Arabia. A total of 320 medical students enrolled in a two-year medical research program completed an online survey, of a previously validated instrument, that is, Role Perceptions Rating Scale. Demographic questions such as the current level in the research program (junior or senior) were added.ResultsThe results showed that most students expected the responsibility to be equally shared between the supervisor and student during the development and execution of the research project. Additionally, students expected the research supervisor to be responsible for the research themes and contents, ensuring access to facilities, and assisting in the actual writing of the final research manuscript. Furthermore, the results indicated differences in expectations between junior and senior students.ConclusionThis study demonstrates that medical students expect their research supervisors to support them to a significant extent. Understanding medical students’ expectations in a supervisor–student relationship is essential to successful research and collaboration. The evidence gathered in this study has practical implications for educational institutes to base their research training program on these insights. Providing clarity on the expectations and responsibilities of those participating in the research program is crucial, as this would, in turn likely advance the output of the research program and encourage clinicians to join the program as research supervisors.

Touching male patients – The challenge of orthodox Jewish female nursing students: A phenomenological study

BackgroundIndividuals from minority populations represent a growing percentage of the nursing workforce. Orthodox Jewish nurses are part of the Israeli nursing workforce, but scarce data and little research is available regarding the influence of nurses'; religious and cultural backgrounds on their interactions with patients. Research regarding touch between the sexes in a professional context refers mainly to male nurses touching female patients. The cultural context of touching patients has also been poorly investigated. ObjectivesUnderstanding orthodox Jewish female nursing student's experience of touching male patients. DesignQualitative study. SettingsFour academic nursing programs in Israel. ParticipantsForty orthodox Jewish female nursing students, academic year 3–4. MethodDescriptive phenomenological approach. Forty in depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken and analyzed according to themes. ResultsEight categories were identified. From these, three main themes emerged: Supervisor-student relationship (bullying/abuse), negative personal feelings (loneliness/helplines, lack of support, fears, cognitive dissonance) and coping strategies (being tested by God, improving one's self character, positive personal reflection). ConclusionThese students presented with unique challenges facing male patients – which clinical instructors were unaware of. They used their cultural background as a source of power. Findings may be of global relevance for other nursing schools and health services where nurses come from religious backgrounds.

The Effect of the Supervisor-Student Relationship on Academic Procrastination: The Chain-Mediating Role of Academic Self-Efficacy and Learning Adaptation.

This study used a sample of 818 postgraduate students across several universities in China, to explore the effect of the supervisor–student relationship on procrastination in postgraduates, and the mediating roles played by the postgraduates’ academic self-efficacy and learning adaptation. The study employs multiple scales and finds that: (1) the relationship between postgraduates and their supervisors is significantly and negatively correlated with academic procrastination; (2) the academic self-efficacy of postgraduates plays an independent intermediary role in the connection between the supervisor–student relationship and academic procrastination; (3) the learning adaptation of postgraduates also plays an independent intermediary role in the connection between the supervisor–student relationship and academic procrastination; (4) the academic self-efficacy and learning adaptation of postgraduates shows a chain-mediating effect in the connection between the supervisor–student relationship and academic procrastination. Ultimately, the supervisor–student relationship is an important factor that can directly affect academic procrastination, even if postgraduate students display academic self-efficacy and learning adaptation.

Nursing students’ evaluation of clinical learning environment and supervision in a Norwegian hospital placement – A questionnaire survey using CLES+T scale

AimThe clinical learning environment and supervisor-student relationship play vital roles in the learning outcomes of nursing students. The aim of this study is to evaluate nursing students’ experiences with the clinical learning environment and supervision in a hospital placement organised with a dual preceptor team – preceptors holding dual positions both in the clinic and the nursing faculty in addition to the standard one-to-one supervision by a clinical preceptor. DesignThe study is a paper-based survey based on a validated questionnaire developed and tested in hospital settings in various European countries, including Norway. MethodThe Norwegian version of the CLES+T Evaluation Scale, was distributed to all second-year students in three different years (2015–2017) at a nursing faculty. ResultsA total of 61% students (n = 261) returned the questionnaire. Overall, the students considered that their hospital placement provided a good clinical learning environment. The results suggest that the dual preceptor team on top of one-to-one supervision did not interfere negatively with the clinical learning environment Nevertheless, the dual preceptor model did not compensate for a poor relationship with the clinical preceptor. Thus, the association between a reported ‘strained relationship’ with the clinical preceptor and low scores on the CLES+T, reported on by other studies, remained in our data. ConclusionsTo better grasp the complexity in this area, various methods are needed, such as in-depth interviews with students, nurse teachers and clinical preceptors. Further studies need to elaborate on students’ experiences of clinical learning environment according to how supervision is organised.

PhD supervision in Public Health

Roles of PhD supervisors are diverse, ranging from providing in-depth discipline-specific Public Health knowledge and technical (e.g., methodological) support to the students, encouraging them towards publications or conference presentations, offering pastoral support for student wellbeing, and finally preparing them to defend their thesis by conducting a mock viva. Effective supervision plays a vital role in a PhD journey reflecting on the quality of the PhD work, positive PhD experience, and supervisor-student relationship. While some student-supervisors team may encounter conflicting and challenging relationships, many relationships between PhD supervisor(s) and students progress into mentorship through joint publications and grant applications, career advice, and support establishing wider collaborative networks. Drawing from the wider experiences of the authors, this article highlights the responsibilities, opportunities, and sometimes the challenging nature of being a PhD supervisor. This reflection will inform good practices for PhD supervisors in countries including Nepal, where the numbers of PhD students in the field of Public Health is steadily increasing.

IUBMB/PSBMB 2019 Conference/Plenary: Mentoring in postgraduate training and the role of Organization for PhD Education in Health Sciences in European System.

A vibrant and sustainable research environment is essential to establish a thriving PhD program. Organization for PhD Education in Health Sciences in European System, a European platform to promote best practices in PhD education in health sciences, published a guideline entitled "Best Practices for PhD Training." The guideline includes comprehensive recommendations and suggestions on different components of the PhD program, of which supervision is an essential one. A working supervisor-student relationship based on mutual respect, responsibility, and participation is essential for the success of a PhD thesis. Supervisors should be active researchers and receive training to develop their supervising skills. They serve as role models in academic life, both scientifically and ethically. The appointment of a co-supervisor, besides the principal one, is strongly encouraged not only to increase the efficiency in monitoring the student progression but also to defuse interpersonal conflicts. Institutional regulations should include the duties and responsibilities of the supervisor. A contract prepared by the institution and signed by the supervisor and the student could help specify the task and may serve as a starting point. In case of a conflict, grievance mechanisms also need to be clear and explicit. Supervisors ought to assist the career development of the students and guide them to become independent researchers. Unfortunately, different surveys showed that there is widespread discontent among the students about their supervisors. Performance pressure on both students and supervisors create enormous tension. Students feel stressed about their career prospects. Institutional policies should consider these stress points to enhance the wellbeing of students as well as the faculty.

Genetic counseling supervisor strategies: An elaboration of the Reciprocal-Engagement Model of Supervision.

Clinical supervision plays a key role in the training of genetic counselor practitioners. The Reciprocal-Engagement Model of Supervision (REM-S) is a recently published model of genetic counseling supervision centered on the supervisor-student relationship. The REM-S comprises five tenets and 16 goals that reciprocally interact to achieve three broad supervision outcomes. Lacking, however, is a comprehensive set of supervisor strategies that correspond to the tenets and goals. This study aimed to elaborate the REM-S by identifying strategies genetic counselor supervisors use to accomplish each REM-S goal when they supervise students in clinical rotations. Nineteen prenatal, pediatric, and cancer genetic counselor supervisors from clinics in a major Midwestern city participated in one of three focus groups. Eleven semistructured questions were asked about strategies they use when attempting to accomplish each REM-S goal. Directed content analysis yielded a total of 14 different strategy domains that vary in their frequency for accomplishing each REM-S goal. Participants identified between nine and 13 strategy domains for each goal. Across all REM-S goals, the most frequent strategy domains are: Assess student; Practice self-reflection to increase supervisor self-awareness; and Establish student goals and expectations. The present findings elaborate the REM-S by identifying supervisor strategies corresponding to the REM-S goals. These strategies can inform training in clinical supervision, and they can be the focus of observational studies designed to identify supervisor behaviors that characterize each strategy.

Documenting Diversity: The Experiences of LGBTQ+ Doctoral Researchers in the UK

Aim/Purpose: This article provides a much needed insight into the experiences of doctoral researchers in the UK that identify as Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Trans-, Queer, or outside of heteronormative or cis-normative identities (LGBTQ+) to address the question of what support, culture, and pedagogy might better support doctoral researchers who identify as LGBTQ+. Background: While experiences of LGBTQ+ students in UK Higher Education have been explored in recent studies, the experiences of doctoral students have not been differentiated, documented, or analyzed. Methodology: Through an online questionnaire sent to UK institutions, this study captures and reflects on the diverse experiences of doctoral education. The study took a predominantly phenomenological approach, placing the focus on understanding how individual researchers experienced their working environment. Contribution: This questionnaire offers a ‘campus climate’ study, providing a much-needed insight into the experiences of doctoral researchers in the UK in 2017. The study also highlights the importance of acknowledging the diversity of doctoral researchers and adapting supervisory and institutional support to meet the differing needs of doctoral researchers. It considers themes such as the impact of the working environment, experiences of macroaggressions and harassment, the need for researchers to work internationally, and the visibility of role models. The complex nature of the supervisor-student relationship is also considered throughout. Findings: Although many LGBTQ+ doctoral students felt they were studying in a supportive institution, the questionnaire highlights a diverse range of inclusivity issues as well as direct instances of homophobic and/or transphobic behavior. Recommendations for Practitioners: From this questionnaire, it is concluded that there is a need for a critical examination of systems and spaces in which doctoral education takes place and the implementation of systems and spaces that are inclusive. There is a need for all those involved in doctoral education to understand how identifying as a LGBTQ+ researcher can impact on your experience of doctoral education. And, finally, there is a need for better LGBTQ+ visibility, better representation, and better mentoring. Recommendation for Researchers: If doctoral education is to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse workforce, research needs to take into account the views and experiences of minority and marginalized groups that may challenge or be in tension with the views of the larger research population. Impact on Society: As the demographic of the doctoral researcher population diversifies, it is increasingly important that our approach to doctoral education and the systems and processes that underpin doctoral education are adapted to meet the needs of that diverse population. Future Research: There is potential scope for future studies to focus specifically on issues of intersectionality, disciplinary differences, health and wellbeing, representation, voice, and agency, as well as productivity, attainment, and career development of LGBTQ+ doctoral researchers.

A Survey and a Positive Psychology Intervention on French PhD Student Well-being

Aim/Purpose: The present work focuses on French PhD students’ well-being: an understudied working population thus far, which impedes the development of evidence-based policies on this issue in France.The focus of this work is the well-being of French PhD students, on which almost nothing has been published thus far, impeding any evidence-based policy on this issue to be carried out in France. Background: Research studies from several countries have shown that carrying out a PhD can be a difficult experience resulting in high attrition rates with significant financial and human costs. Methodology: The two studies presented in this article focus on biology PhD students from University Lyon 1, a very large French university (~40,000 students). A first study aimed at measuring the mental health and well-being of PhD students using generalist and PhD-specific tools. In a second study, we carried out and assessed a positive psychology intervention (PPI) aimed at improving PhD students’ well-being. Contribution: Our work is one of the first characterizations of French PhD students’ mental health and well-being. As with other recent studies conducted in Western coun-tries, we found a high level of mental distress among PhD students. Our work also underlines the importance of taking many dimensions of the PhD (not only supervisor behaviour) in order to understand PhD student well-being. Cultural specificities are highlighted and can help inform the design of interventions adapted to each situation. The PPI showed pre-to-post positive changes on PhD students’ well-being. Further research is needed on a larger sample size in order to detect more subtle effects. However, these results are promising in terms of interventions that help reduce PhD student distress. Findings: Study 1 involved 136 participants and showed that a large fraction of the PhD students experiences abnormal levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. We found that career training and prospects, research experience, and the impact of carrying out a thesis on health and private life have more impact on PhD students’ mental health than the supervisors’ behaviour. French PhD students’ well-being is specifically affected by career uncertainty, perceived lack of progress in the PhD, and perceived lack of competence compared to UK PhD students well-being, which suggests cultural differences about the PhD experi-ence in France compared to other countries. In study 2, the scores of the test and control groups (N = 10 and N = 13, respectively) showed a clear effect of the intervention on reducing anxiety. Impact on Society: The high levels of mental health issues and reduced well-being in French PhD students reported in this study underline the importance of developing interventions in this field. Improving the supervisor-student relationship is one possibility but is not the only one. Interventions aimed at learning how to cope with the research experience and with the uncertainty with career pathways, and a good balance between PhD work and personal life present other promising possibilities

Challenging the Status Quo: The Evolution of the Supervisor-Student Relationship in the Process of Potentially Stigmatizing and Emotionally Complex Autoethnographic Research

Writing and reliving autoethnographic research is a complex process, both emotionally and intellectually. This is especially true when the focus of the autoethnographer’s research involves experiences with stigma, discrimination, and marginalization in the presence of mental illness. Supervising this process, where students may find themselves feeling vulnerable and confused, presents a unique academic and ethical challenge. How far can a supervisor “push” the student to unearth personal experiences that draw meaning to the larger socio-cultural context to which those experiences took place? How do students confront emotionally painful issues to describe and systematically analyze as part of the academic process? By engaging in a duoethnographic process that pushed beyond surface learning to exploring depths of unconscious biases and hidden assumptions, this paper unveils how the academic relationship between a supervisor and student evolved in terms of understanding, influence, and inspiration, as part of the student’s autoethnographic research. It serves to guide others in the academic supervisor-student relationship when students find themselves confronting emotionally painful issues in their learning. Specifically, the dialogic process of duoethnographic research, where sensitive lived experiences are brought to light and examined, has the potential for students and supervisors to reconceptualize their ways of knowing and being in relation to one another. If successful, this pedagogical framework may be used to support students in their scholarly growth.