pathways to postgraduate study supervision matters lucy johnston dean postgraduate research

Pathways to Postgraduate StudySupervision Matters

Lucy JohnstonDean Postgraduate Research

Student

Wider disciplinary community

Professional development

Research group

Students and post-docs

UniversityFriends and

family

Supervisor(s)

Learning centres

Department

Sources of influence

Supervision Matters

Student-supervisor relationship is a critical component of success in – and satisfaction with – the doctoral experience

(Barnes & Austin, 2009; Girves & Wemmerus, 1988; Grant & Graham, 1999; Ferrer & Valero, 2001; Golde, 2005; Martinsuo & Turkulainen, 2010; Neale, 2000; Park, 2005; Zhao & Golde, 2005)

Supervision MattersWhat is the role of a supervisor?To offer: information, support, guidance, direction, feedback, assisting with academic and professional socialization, career development

To supervise the progress of the thesis

(Johnson, Lee, & Green, 2000; Arnold, 2009; Barnes & Austin, 2009)

The goal:The product that the PhD student creates is not the thesis – vital though it is to their subject area through the creation of original knowledge; rather, the product of their study is the development of themselves

(Gareth Roberts)

What are we looking for?

How do we know what is good supervision?

How do we know what is poor supervision?

a doctorate of quality completed on time (T)

advancing the topic as a result of the research (T)

presenting at a conference (T & P)

networking: meeting other professionals (P)

publication (T)

career opportunities (P)

a stimulating experience for both the student and the supervisor

Outcomes of good supervision

high attrition rate (T)

long completion times (T)

no outputs apart from thesis (T & P)

no established network (P)

no career planning or opportunities (P)

low satisfaction with the experience (P)

Outcomes of poor supervision

Supervision Matters

How do we support supervisors? What do they need? Who do they need to know?

How do we measure success? Student completions Student satisfaction – progress report forms;

student experience survey; exit survey; supervisor survey

Supervision Matters

University of Canterbury Approach Extended New Thesis Supervisors Course Appointment of supervisory mentors Supervisory discussion sessions Involvement in annual UC Teaching Week Online resources for supervisors (Supervisors Toolbox)

Corresponding workshops for thesis students

Supervision Matters: New supervisors

Workshop 1 (1/2 day): Why supervision matters; differing styles and paradigms of supervision;

markers of good practice The PhD Life-cycle Initial supervisory meetings – setting up expectations Issue scenarios

Workshop 2 (1/2 day): What do students want from supervisors; how to manage expectations and

deliver quality supervision? Providing effective feedback and monitoring student progress Selecting students to supervise Issue Scenarios

Workshop 3 (1/2 day): Getting the thesis finished – barriers to completion; preparing for the viva Beyond the PhD - wider skill development and career planning for students Issue Scenarios

Supervision Matters: Ongoing development

Selecting thesis students Working with international students Being a thesis (and oral) examiner Publishing with students (and collaborators) What to do when things go awry

Getting StartedThe Thesis Journey

Career Objectives & Planning

The student-supervisor relationship: Setting up expectations and Getting the most from supervision

Networking Lunch

Responding to Feedback

Dealing with problems in supervision

Overcoming barriers to completion

Communicating ResearchGiving a (research) presentation

Conference attendance: Getting the most out of goingThesis in Three lunchTalking to the MediaPublishing research and co-authorship

The Broader ContextCultural AwarenessEthics & Professional Practice: Doing research rightPreparing for the Oral ExamJob Market Readiness

Expectations

What do students want/expect from supervisors?

What don’t students want/expect from supervisors?

What do supervisors want/expect from students?

What don’t supervisors want/expect from students?

Expectations?

Studentsexpect supervisors to:

be enthusiastic/helpful be available; have

regular meetings maintain

professionalism

Supervisorsexpect students to:

ask questions be prompt have path/plans be self-disciplined keep up-to-date

The ten most important qualities Support Availability Interest and enthusiasm Approachability and rapport

Knowledge in field Good communication Constructive feedback Provides direction and structure

Experience and interest in supervision Interest in student’s career

The ten most substantial problems Lack of time Lacks commitment and interest Lack of experience and interest in supervision

Supervisor not up to date Unrealistic expectations Poor feedback

Tensions/conflict within supervisory team Poor communication within team Personality clashes Selfishness/disrespectful

Supervision Matters

University of Canterbury Postgraduate Experience Questionnaire (UCPEQ)

Sampson, K., Johnston, L., Brogt, E., Comer, K. (in press). Developing evidence for action on the postgraduate experience: An effective local instrument to move beyond benchmarking

I can’t work out what my supervisor wants from me. I don’t know whether he thinks any of my ideas are any good. I have no idea whether I am making sufficient progress or not.

My supervisor is always cancelling meetings or if we meet hasn’t read material I have sent her. It takes months to get feedback on my written work. What do I do?

Establishing Expectations

Early and review Issues to consider:

Frequency of meetings; who is present; who organizes/sets the agenda

Nature and timing of feedback; from whom Data management Ethics Publications and authorship IP

Appropriate support

Hands on Hands off

Completely autonomous

Dependent

Possible conflict

Autonomy generation

Benign neglect

STUDENT

SUPERVISORS

Deuchar, 2008

What sort of supervisor are you?What sort of students are they?

In my view, my PhD student does not seem ready for PhD level research. She has proved to be a good course taker based on her grades and has been awarded a scholarship. However, I am finding the lack of initiative and ability to generate her own topic and plan very frustrating. She seems intent on me providing too much direction, which is not my style.

My student should have begun data collection months ago but she can’t seem to let the ‘research design phase’ go. There seems to be continual new ideas she thinks need further exploration – I fear her literature review will become too big. She presents quite compelling reasons for the inclusion of new theory and approaches, but I have time to completion to consider.

My student is doing well with his own research but I never see him around the department. He never comes to department seminars or journal club, despite receiving notifications, and doesn’t come to the common room.

I don’t feel part of the department, I don’t know anybody and don’t feel that I can just show up at things.

Student vs. Supervisor Perceptions

One student has come to me with a draft paper he has written from one of his findings chapter. He asked me to offer comments on the paper. It does deviate from his thesis and as a consequence I feel it needs considerable work to be ready for submission. If I am to do this, I believe that we should share the authorship. However, he is not so interested in sharing authorship.

I have been writing a paper and my supervisor has indicated that he expects to be an author on the manuscript. Is this fair if he hasn’t done “anything” to help?

I have taken on a student from a departing academic - I work in a very small department and as a consequence I was the only one suitable to work with this student. However, the further I look into work done this far, the more I am convinced that the direction of the research is not going the way I feel it should. This is a real issue because the student has committed to this plan well before I came along. She is hard working and I would really hate to destroy her efforts so far, but I also feel I just can’t agree with what she is proposing to do – and I think after the discussions of last week, we are now at an impasse.

I have a really good student who I enjoy working with but her research is heading in a direction that I am not too familiar with. How can I ensure that the quality of her research is at the appropriate level for a PhD (i.e. thesis is defensible research and/or of publishable quality)?

I have two students working on different aspects of one project. At the moment they have serious discrepancies about how the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the work should proceed. While their own projects are independent, some of the routine and shared aspects such as field work schedules, equipment usage, etc. need to be agreed on. They can’t seem to agree on anything and the project is looking like being in serious risk of falling over.

We received external funding from industry last year to fund what I would consider to be a very lucrative and competitive Masters scholarship. The research ideas were laid out at the start, and the requirements regarding outputs were clearly articulated by the ‘funder’. These were very transparent to the student at the time the scholarship was accepted. I now find I have serious issues with this student in terms of meeting the objectives of the contract. He appears unable to complete the work in sufficient time. He also lacks motivation for the project. As we have been attempting to develop strong links with this industry partner, I feel like I am in a total dilemma.

I am co-supervising an interdisciplinary PhD student with a colleague in another department. She and I have quite different expectations on what our student’s thesis should look like. In her discipline a five-chapter thesis – introduction, literature review, methods, results and discussion – is the norm, whereas in my discipline it is more common to have the thesis be a series of published articles accompanied by an introductory and discussion chapter.

One student has come to me with a draft paper he has written from one of his findings chapter. He asked me to offer comments on the paper. It does deviate from his thesis and as a consequence I feel it needs considerable work to be ready for submission. If I am to do this, I believe that we should share the authorship. However, he is not so interested in sharing authorship.

Impact? Student completions; student satisfaction

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UCPEQ EXIT

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140

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completed submitted awarded masters transferred to masters

withdrawn/apsed enrolled maximum completion

2007 2010 2012 201460

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Supervisors’ enthusiasm for my research

Communication between my su-pervisors and me

Feedback regarding research process

Feedback regarding academic writ-ing

Timeliness of feedback

Communication between my su-pervisors

Made aware of potential problems in completing work

Before getting started: 7 key points

1. Learn about supervision2. Expectations3. Role models4. Morale5. Agreements6. Career extension7. Non-traditional students

Supervision is an educational process and thought must be given to the most appropriate teaching approaches.

Look for ways of: * designing learning situations for the student* improving your ability to give effective feedback * developing a trusting relationship

Phillips & Pugh, 2005

7 key points


"I was not that sure what my supervisor’s expectations were, I didn’t know how many hours I would have to work each week. I didn’t know how fast I should work, [or what] my progress should be. Or how I should approach my course mates or my supervisors.”


7 key points


You inevitably act as a role model for research students. In this respect, the most important single contribution that you can make to their success is to demonstrate continually that you take research seriously in your own academic life.


Look for supervisory role models too

7 key points


Since students can easily become discouraged, a significant part of asupervisor’s task is keeping their morale high. It is important todemonstrate that you understand their problems, emotional as wellas intellectual.....but you don't need to solve all of their problems.


7 key points


Set up a helpful climate in which there are outline agreements on what the student and the supervisor have to do. Establish your roles and expectations.

If progress on the thesis is notbeing made, do not let the position slide. Review the agreements indiscussion and renegotiate them if necessary.

Be honest with student and in progress reports etc.

Respond early – problems don’t “just go away”


7 key points


Look for ways of supporting your research students in their academiccareers – e.g., by arranging for them to give departmental seminars, present conference papers, discuss their research with leading academics from other institutions, write joint papers for submission to journals, etc.


7 key points


Try to familiarize yourself with their situation and to anticipate possible predicaments that might occur. Do not expect to solve their problems but do give them support and understanding and point them in the direction of those who are able to help them.


pathways to postgraduate study supervision matters lucy johnston dean postgraduate research

Documents

thesis students

quality supervision

thesis t p

phd student

survey supervisor survey

research t

students issue scenarios

career development