The Pursuit of 'Balance' by a Greenhorn Supervisor
Keywords:
Research Supervision; Higher Education; Reflective Practice; Research ExperiencesAbstract
This article explores the transition process from being a
research supervisee to being a first time doctoral research supervisor.
This is a difficult and trying endeavour. The lack of previous
supervision experience at this level results in many supervisors referring
to their own time as doctoral students and supervising in the same
manner as they experienced. It is important to break this cycle and
realise that just like teaching, there are many different models of
supervision. Much of the research conducted in the area draws
conclusions about the type of characteristics or traits that make a good
supervisor. This article takes a different point of departure and gives a
personal account of the author's thoughts and experiences in attempting
to make the transition from supervisee to supervisor. These experiences
are explored with reference to existing literature with the intention of
unearthing and documenting key issues for first-time supervisors to
consider and develop their own understanding of effective supervision
practice. The author hopes that documenting these issues through a
personal, reflective account will help others who decide to continue the
journey and make the transition from supervisee to supervisor.
References
Anderson, J. (1988). The supervisory process in speech language pathology and audiology. Boston: College Hill Press and Little Brown.
Armstrong, S.J. (2004). The impact of supervisors’ cognitive styles on the quality of research supervision in management education. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74(4), 599-617.
Becher, T. (1996). The learning professions, Studies in Higher Education, 21, 43-45.
Beddoe, E. & Egan, R. (2009). Field education content and practice. In M. Connolly and L. Harms (Eds.), Social Work Supervision in Social Work: Contexts and Practice. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Dash, D.P. (2015). Enacting a developmental niche for researchers: Lessons from research education initiatives in India and Malaysia. International Journal for Researcher Development, 6(2), 144-164.
Dash, D. P., & Ponce, H. R. (2005). Journey of research practice. Journal of Research Practice, 1(1).
Doloriert,C., Sambrook, S. and Stewart, J. (2012). Power and emotion in doctoral supervision: implications for HRD. European Journal of Training and Development, 36(7), 732-750.
Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Lowe, A. (2002). Management research: An introduction. Sage Publications .Ltd.
Gordan, P.J. (2003). Advising to avoid or to cope with dissertation hang-ups. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 2(2): 181:187.
Gurr, G.M. (2001). Negotiating the “Rackety Bridge†– a Dynamic Model for Aligning Supervisory Style with Research Student Development. Higher Education Research and Development, 20(1), 81-92.
Guthrie, C. (2007). On Learning the Research Craft: Memoirs of a Journeyman Researcher, Journal of Research Practice, 3(1).
Halse, C. 2011. ‘Becoming a supervisor’: the impact of doctoral supervision on supervisors learning. Studies in Higher Education, 36(5), 557-570.
Hockey, J. (1997). A Complex Craft: United Kingdom PhD supervision in the social science. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 2(1).
Ives, G. & Rowley, G. (2005). Supervisor selection or allocation and continuity of supervision: PhD students’ progress and outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 30(5), 535-555.
Lee, A. (2008). How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 33(3), 267-281.
Lortie D. (1975). Schoolteacher: a sociological study. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Muijs, D. & Reynolds, D. (2001). Effective Teaching – Evidence and Practice. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
Park, C. (2007). Refining the doctorate. York: Higher Education Authority.
Pearson, M. (1996) Professionalising Ph.D. education to enhance the quality of the student experience. Higher Education, 32(3), 303–320.
Pearson, M., & Kayrooz, C. (2004). Enabling critical reflection on research supervisory practice. International Journal for Academic Development, 9(1), 99–116.
Philips, E. (1992). Interview in video recording of the Postgraduate supervision for women residential workshop held at Twin Waters Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland. Produced by O. Zuber Skerritt.
Phillips, E., & Pugh, D.S. (1994). How to get a PhD: A handbook for students and their supervisors. Buckingham: Open University Press.
Rapisarda, C. A., Desmond, K. J., & Nelson, J. R. (2011). Student reflections on the journey to being a supervisor. The Clinical Supervisor, 30, 109–113.
Sambrook, S., Stewart, J. and Roberts, C. (2008). Doctoral supervision…. a view from above, below and the middle! Journal of Further and Higher Education, 32(1), 71-84.
Stephens, S. (2013). The supervised as the supervisor. Education + Training, 56(6), 537-550.
Wisker, G. (2001). The postgraduate research handbook. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Wright, A., Murray, J.P., & Geale, P. (2007). A Phenomenographic Study of what it means to Supervise Doctoral students. Academy of Management Learning and Education, 6(4): 458:474.
Zhao, C.-M., Golde, C.M. & McCormick, A.C. (2007). More than a signature: How advisor choice and advisor behaviour affect doctoral student satisfaction. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 31(3), 263–81.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2016 Mark Prendergast
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
