CONCEPTS OF RESEARCH SUPERVISION

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CONCEPTS OF RESEARCH SUPERVISION

• Dr Anne Lee
• University of Surrey, UK
• October 2007

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Literature search

• Functional approach (Wisker 2005, Eley and
  Jennings 2005 Taylor and Beasley 2005)
• Qualities approach (Wisker 2003a, Zuber Skerrit
  Roche 2004)
• Critical thinking (Barnett 1997, Wisker 2005)
• Enculturalisation (Leonard 2001, Pearson Brew
  2002, Lave Wenger 1991)
• Mentoring (Pearson Kayrooz 2004, Brew 2001)
• Feminist approach (Leonard 2001)

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Initial questions

• What conceptions of supervision do supervisors
  hold?
• Is there any relationship between the conceptions
  of supervision and the jobs that PhD graduates
  subsequently undertake?
• What are the common problems faced?
• What training for supervisors, if any, is
  undertaken or might be helpful

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To supervisors

• What has been your experience of supervising PhD
  students? How many, how many different types of
  doctoral students?
• What have your students gone on to do?
• How would you define an excellent PhD student or
  thesis?
• What effective ways are there of working with
  your students? Where do you begin? Where do you
  go then? How often do you see them? What do you
  do? What do they do?
• What problems have arisen and how have you coped
  with them?
• How were you supervised when you did your PhD?
• What do you think of the conceptual models?

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To students

• Tell me about your PhD/research
• What do you want from your supervisor?
• What do you most value getting from your
  supervisor?
• What has happened when you have felt most
  energised?
• Examples of problems and how you have coped?

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A framework for concepts of research supervision
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A framework for concepts of research supervision
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A framework for concepts of research supervision
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A framework for concepts of research supervision
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A framework for concepts of research supervision
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Functional approach

• I have a weekly timetabled formal slot for them
  and follow-up if they do not turn up
• 3 months literature search
• 6 months focus fixed,
• 12 months transfer report completed
• In the 2nd year we see them monthly and they
  produce 5000 words before each meeting
• Regular pair or small group meetings with
  supervisor to present findings

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Enculturalisation

• I would feel I had failed if they did not stay in
  the field
• My students all know their academic grandfather
• I give my book to all my students
• Students need to know what good enough looks
  like
• You need frequent meetings for international
  students
• The international student especially can
  implement all your corrections and think that is
  good enough.
• Some cultures expect you to tell them what to do

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Critical thinking

• I avoid dependency by getting them to think
  about some problems and giving them resources
• I want them to stand on their own feet and
  challenge the thinking
• My tutor was not confrontational, she encouraged
  me to be critical of my own ideas
• They need to explain to me why, what and how
• I ask them to email me a question about their
  project every week
• I use magic words to help them identify the
  thread in their argument eg arguably, conversely,
  unanimously, essentially, early on, inevitably
  etc

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Emancipation

• Your job as a supervisor is to get them knowing
  more than you
• I try to get the students to take the
  initiative
• My supervisor encouraged me to read widely,
  thinking critically, find examples in newspapers
• I try to get them to admit and confront their
  problems
• You get a lot of satisfaction, you have
  facilitated that growth in them

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Developing a relationship

• Enthuse You need to fire the imagination, it is
  different for different students
• Altruism My supervisor helped me with my writing
  but never pressed me to publish.
• Encourage Need to inspire and encourage them to
  be brave in what they are thinking
• Recognise achievement I wanted to call my
  supervisor the moment I solved the tough maths
• Pastoral support this was as important as
  intellectual support to get me through

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Key
Table 4 Distribution of statements relating to
concepts
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Problems students face the supervisors view

• Dependency
• Not admitting to problems
• Poor progress. Not understanding required
  standard of work. Insufficient initiative
• Supervisor not interested in topic
• Conceptual difficulties
• Differences between supervisors

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Problems student view

• Loneliness
• Not enjoying the topic
• Not knowing what is expected
• Practical issues money, lifestyle, getting hold
  of the supervisor
• Ethical issues are we being used?
• Stress (especially at transfer and viva)
• Supervisor being too prescriptive my way is the
  only way.

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Observations on training supervisors

• Supervisors have learned most from how they were
  supervised themselves
• Understanding a range of approaches is important
• Co-supervision can be helpful if the roles are
  clearly allocated
• Those who need training can be the most affronted
  when the suggestion is made that they need it

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Occupational influences

• STUDENT
• previous experience,
• contacts, knowledge
• aptitude, skills,
• financial aims

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SOME QUESTIONS DEVELOPING TRAINING PROGRAMMES

• What stage of policy development are we at?
• What does the Supervisors Handbook say?
• What is the history of supervisor training here?
• Is there any assessment of supervisory
  competence, if so what are the criteria?
• Are doctoral students experience and completion
  rates measured?
• How should we assure competence in the model?
• Is accreditation important?
• How does this fit with the Universitys strategic
  plan?
• How should any programme be evaluated?

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STRUCTURALLY HOW DO WE DEVELOP THIS?

• In one faculty/institution or across a group?
• Disciplinary-based or multi-disciplinary groups .
  
• Experienced supervisor mentoring less experienced
  supervisor?
• Supervisor and student learning together?
• Part of PhD student development in year one?
• As a one-off or as a mechanism for reviewing
  progress?
• What would fit best individual learning
  programmes, blended learning or face to face
  groups?

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References

• Barnett R (1997) Higher Education A Critical
  Business. Buckingham. SHRE/OU
• Brew A (2001) Conceptions of Research a
  phenomenographic study. Studies in Higher
  Education. Taylor and Francis Oct 2001, 26 (3),
  271-285,
• Cryer P (2006) 3rd Ed The Research Students
  Guide to Success Maidenhead. McGraw Hill
• Delamont S, Atkinson P Parry O (2000) The
  Doctoral Experience. Success and Failure in
  Graduate School. London. Falmer Press
• Eley A, Jennings R (2005) Effective Postgraduate
  Supervision. Maidenhead. OU Press McGraw-Hill
  Education
• Lave Wenger E (1991) Situated Learning
  legitimate peripheral participation (Cambridge,
  Cambridge University Press.
• Lee, A. (2007). Developing Effective Supervisors
  Concepts of Research Supervision. South African
  Journal of Higher Education, (in press) 21(4)
• Lee, A (2008) How are doctoral students
  supervised? Concepts of research supervision.
  Studies in Higher Education (accepted for
  publication) 33(4)
• Leonard D (2001) A Womans Guide to Doctoral
  Studies. Buckingham. OU Press
• Pearson M and Brew A (2002) Research Training and
  Supervision Development. Studies in Higher
  Education Vol 27 No 2 2002
• Pearson M and Kayrooz C. (2004) Enabling
  Critical Reflection on Research Supervisory
  Practice. International Journal for Academic
  Development 9.(1) pp 99-116 Routledge
• Taylor S and Beasley N (2005) A handbook for
  Doctoral Supervisors. Abingdon. Routledge
• Wisker G (2005) The Good Supervisor.
  Basingstoke. Macmillan

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SOME WORKSHOP QUESTIONS

• Will this model resonate with your supervisors?
• Are there exceptions to the model? Is it an
  holistic approach?
• How might it be used and developed further?

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SOME AREAS FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION

• Co-supervision
• Power Dependence/Independence
• Developing academic writing skills using each
  approach.
• Identifying and developing supervisors skill
  sets in each approach.
• Is there a link between approach and student
  outcome?
• Disciplinary differences/similarities?
• Cultural differences/similarities

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• Describe a problem you have encountered as a
  supervisor
• Where was the supervisor in the model?
• Where might the student have been in the model?

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• Describe how you see supervision
• Can you give examples of how you have supervised
  which relate to this model?
• Are there exceptions to the model?

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Gender processes

• Women tend to listen more and look at body
  language. Women will go through the data and
  then ask what is the real problem.
• Some of the students do not recognise my status
  because I am female
• My student had terrible problems with the
  menopause, but did not tell me because I am male
• It is a father/child relationship? You have
  international students sometimes here with their
  family and children, you feel responsible

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• Functional may seem dull, but maybe this is the
  most suitable nowadays?
• Can be used for discussion between supervisor and
  student what kind of supervision do you want?
  It can be very dynamic.
• Can it be used to discuss different cultures?
• What about the pösitive and negative effects of
  enculturation?

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• Can we meet the supervisors in their every day
  life and use the model to get them to reflect on
  the models and what effect that has on their
  students?
• Do the supervisors ever think about what their
  goals are in supervision?
• Presenting it early might be dangerous in
  categorising them?
• Similarity with Kolb and Perry?
• Functional approach is necessary first
  background/backbone

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• How does this relate to employabality?
• Do they represent personality types, identities,
  or does it illustrate a progression?
• Where do we put the totally negative or reluctant
  supervisor?
• Good tool for sharing personal values about
  supervision because it is neutral.
• Need to be able to say there have been a lot of
  studies around the world
• Could you make a supervisor inventory?
• Present it with metaphors and other models,

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• Could we do observations to evaluate the model
• Needs to be used with a purpose. Not a therapy
  group. Need to make it obvious it is useful to
  the supervisor.

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