working with your supervisorblogs.brad.ac.uk/.../files/2017/02/working-with-your-superviso… ·...

Working With Your Supervisor

Dr Russell Delderfield

Postgraduate Research Skills Adviser

03 February 2017 Resources for doctoral students: blogs.brad.ac.uk/scholarship-skills 1

The relationship with your supervisor is an important one, a good relationship cannot be taken for granted - it needs to be worked at. This session will: • define the limits and boundaries of the supervisory relationship so that you know what to

expect • introduce you to effective ways of maintaining a positive working relationship • suggest strategies you can use to enhance communication.

Maps to Vitae RDF Domains: A2, B1, B2, B3, C1, D1 & D2.

https://rdfplanner.vitae.ac.uk/user/signin

Today:

1. The nature of the research supervisory relationship.

2. Whose responsibilities?

3. Thinking about boundaries.

4. Developing ‘agency’ in supervisory relationships.


The supervisory relationship is…?


Justify your decision.

MANAGED NEGOTIATED

(Acker et al. 1994)



• Supervision “as a contested space” (Wisker 2012: 54).

• There are 2 qualities that both student and supervisor need to have in common:

– Cogency

– Perseverance (Might 2017)

• The relationship has a socio-cultural context (Hopwood 2010).



(Gatfield 2005: 317)


This is (probably) the only opportunity in your career. Your ideal supervisor awaits: 1. Complete her or him with as many

attributes and behaviours as you can. Do this alone.

2. Compare your ideal supervisor with the person(s) sitting next to you.

a) What do you have in common? b) What elements are unique to your

ideal supervisor?


The Ideal Research Supervisor…


2.Whose responsibilities?

To

you

To the research

To the institution

To the discipline



you

the research

the institution

the discipline



you the research

the institution

the discipline



1. Read Top 10 ways to annoy your PhD supervisors (Hopwood 2013).

2. Working in pairs/groups - using Top 10 ways… as stimulus, generate a list of things a supervisor should do to ensure their part of the relationship is successful.

3. Be ready to share your ideas with others. We will ‘reality check’ each item from these lists to assess their fairness and likelihood.

• There are 3 core reasons why supervisory relationships can become less effective:

• Mismatched expectations

• Miscommunication

• Mismanaged boundaries





• What are the differences between ad hoc chats and actual supervision?

• What are the institutional requirements for supervisor contact? What does your supervisor prefer? What do you prefer? What might work for all 3?

• What personal or professional issues might impact on your research? What tensions might your supervisor be dealing with?

• What are the other sources of support at the Uni in addition to your supervisor?

• What can you try before taking a problem to supervision?

• What are the institution’s ‘milestones’? How do these compare to your supervisor’s expectations?

• Are there any additional activities you will be expected to undertake, such as publishing work? When might these happen?

• What do other doctoral students do in supervision?

Gatfield’s (2005) ‘Contractual’ way of working using Wisker’s (2012: 112) formulation.

You agree to… Your supervisor agrees to…

Arrange meeting dates & attend meetings well-prepared (inc. preparing agenda).

Agree meeting dates & prepare to consider key issues, overall work & future developments.

Maintain a steady working pattern. Suggest appropriate readings, theories, methodologies or contacts.

Send drafts of work as agreed X weeks/days in advance of pre-agreed deadlines/meetings.

Read and comment on drafted work as agreed in advance of supervision or in response to agreed deadlines.

Suggest issues, questions, & concerns for discussion arising from work in progress or writing.

Suggest issues, questions, & concerns for discussion arising from work in progress or writing.

Seek, consider & take advice on aspects of conceptual issues, reading, methodology, progress, writing-up, presentations or publications.

Offer advice on aspects of conceptual issues, reading, methodology, progress, writing-up, presentations or publications.

Inform the supervisor(s) immediately of any major problems in the project, workload or personal issues that may affect ability to deliver.

Inform the student immediately of any major problems in the project, workload or personal/professional issues that may affect ability to supervise (e.g. sabbatical leave).

Engage in progress monitoring systems to aid scheduling, planning and completion.

Facilitate engagement in progress monitoring systems to aid scheduling, planning and completion.





Key concepts in agency:

• Be pro-active

• Be autonomous

• Be assertive

– Not passive

– Not aggressive

State the facts

Own your thoughts & feelings

Share goals & resolutions

(Farkas 2017)

Use ‘reflecting back’:

“So, you’re suggesting that I/we…”

Asserting yourself with a supervisor… 1. Scan through each of the cards (Chamberlain

2016) in a pair or group.

2. Decide on 2 types of supervisor to explore (remember these are not meant to be representative, they are stereotypes).

3. Generate as many ways of responding to/communicating with them as you can.

4. Listen to others: are there any ideas you had not thought of?





1. Remain professional

2. Remind yourself not to personalise things unnecessarily

3. Be solution-focused, not problem-focused.

4. Consult any informal or formal procedures before making any decisions

5. Inform your supervisor first of any concerns or formal actions

6. Get help:

a) The supervisory team

b) Director of Postgraduate Research

c) Research Support Team

d) Me

e) UBU Advice Centre

Should all else fail…

Contact me

Dr Russell Delderfield

• 01274 236849

• [email protected]

• http://www.bradford.ac.uk/academic-skills/scholarship/

• @MaleEDResearch


http://www.brad.ac.uk/eating-disorders-in-men/

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.bradford.ac.uk/academic-skills/scholarship/




https://twitter.com/MaleEDResearch

References

Acker, S., Hill, T. and Black, E. (1994) Thesis supervision in the social sciences: managed or negotiated? Higher Education, 28 (4), pp.483-498. Chamberlain, S. (2016) Ten types of PhD supervisor relationships – which is yours? [online]. The Conversation, 11th January 2016. Available from: http://theconversation.com/ten-types-of-phd-supervisor-relationships-which-is-yours-52967 [accessed 25th January 2017]. Farkas, D. (2017) 3 Step Method Of Communicating Effectively With Your PhD Supervisor [online]. Next Scientist. Available from: http://www.nextscientist.com/communicating-effectively-phd-supervisor/ [accessed 25th January 2017]. Gatfield, T. (2005) An investigation into PhD supervisory management styles: Development of a dynamic conceptual model and its managerial implications. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 27 (3), pp.311-325. Hopwood, N. (2010) A sociocultural view of doctoral students' relationships and agency. Studies in Continuing Education, 32 (2), pp. 103-117 Hopwood, N. (2013) Top 10 ways to annoy your PhD supervisors [online]. Nick Hopwood: Academic work & life, social science, doctoral study, educational research. Available from: https://nickhop.wordpress.com/ [accessed 25th January 2017]. Might, M. (2017) 3 qualities of successful Ph.D. students: Perseverance, tenacity and cogency [online]. Matt.might.net. Available from: http://matt.might.net/articles/successful-phd-students/ [accessed 25th January 2017]. Wisker, G. (2012) The Postgraduate Research Handbook. 2nd edition. London: Palgrave Macmillan.


http://theconversation.com/ten-types-of-phd-supervisor-relationships-which-is-yours-52967




















http://www.nextscientist.com/communicating-effectively-phd-supervisor/








https://nickhop.wordpress.com/

https://nickhop.wordpress.com/

http://matt.might.net/articles/successful-phd-students/






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