Lynne Roberts
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Transcript of Lynne Roberts
What Constitutes ‘Good’ Supervision for Course Work Dissertations?
Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Lynne Roberts
Course Work Dissertations
• Essential component of some undergraduate, honours and master’s coursework degrees
• Most universities provide policy and procedural documents
• Limited research into practice of dissertation supervision in coursework degrees
• Existing research focuses on dissertation practice in PhDs, and may be applied to coursework degrees
BUT ….
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
….Coursework Students Differ from PhD Students
• No/limited previous independent research experience (Cook, 1980)
• May have lower interest in conducting research (Cook, 1980)
• Need to complete research in a shorter timeframe (Rowley & Slack, 2004).
• Degree may be viewed as route to a professional, rather than research career
AND….
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
….There are Many More of Them!
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PhDMaster's by ResearchMaster's by CourseworkBachelor's Honours
Research Question
How do students and supervisors conceptualise ‘good’ supervision in course work dissertations?
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Research Participants
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Semi-Structured Interviews
Can you tell me about a time when, from your perspective, supervision has gone well?
Prompts: What was it you/your supervisor/your student did that contributed to this? Other contributing factors?
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Student Supervisor Relationship
Shared passion for topicClear expectations
Open communication
‘Good’ Supervision Meetings
Relaxed spaceConcerns listed to
Guidance and supportSynergy
Meeting Outcomes
Remotivated studentsFocus and clarity
Agreed course of actionReduced stressPreparation
OwnershipManagement
AvailableApproachableSupportive
Good Supervision: Student Perspectives
Student Perspectives
Supervisor Contribution• Approachable• Available• Supportive• Interest in student as person• Sensitive to student’s emotions
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
she’s just really helpful and I always feel like I can go
to her for help and I never feel like I’m a burden …
and she’s always so welcoming and helpful and
there and available
there is an element of knowing that you can
access a bit of emotional support as well, not
therapy, but just having that understanding and someone who’s sort of
compassionate and flexible and understanding
She takes interest in my life outside of uni, so she’s like, “How are you going?” And whatever, and she’s always like, “If you have
any other problems?” … I know that if anything comes up, that door is
open, that I can communicate with her
about that stuff
Student Perspectives
Student Contribution• Coming prepared• Taking ownership of project • ‘Managing’ supervision process
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
I had everything planned, had questions and they all
got answered and addressed in the session, so that was good because
I could progress as I wanted to and most of those questions were
addressed where needed
I can truly say that my research, this current project, is my own. [Supervisor] offers
guidance but it’s done so cleverly that it’s all coming
from me
I have like set questions that I need answered and I go in there and I go, “This is what I wanna know and I wanna know it now,” and that’s when I probably get the best information when
I take charge of the structure
Student Perspectives
Student Supervisor Relationship• Shared passion for topic• Clear expectations• Open communication– Asking questions– Discussing problems
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
She’s so passionate about this area and so that
makes it interesting and sort of fun to work alongside her in everything was very
organised and they knew exactly what we should be
doing and we were told what we should be doing
I was confused about a few things and that was
sorted out, talked through. And we discussed what
approach I might be able to take
Student Perspectives
‘Good’ Supervision Meetings• Relaxed space• Concerns listened to • Support– Guidance– Reassurance
• Synergy
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
I’m like this new fresh lamb and these are my shepherds. <laughs>
They’re helping me along like, “Here’s the best grass
over here.” Without telling me what to do
…she says, “Hang on. You need to stop for a second. Think about what you’re doing. Think about this,
this and this; you’re on the right track,” you know, “Just stay on the path
you’re on,” and it sort of allowed me to come back
and continue
it was all of us thinking together and working as a
team. It wasn’t just coming and saying, ‘Oh here’s my
idea.’ ‘Oh yeah that’s good okay’
It’s like a very relaxed space and I think when
you feel relaxed, I can be myself within the
boundaries of the teacher-student – and I think that really helps ‘cause I know if I get stressed, my brain,
cognitively, just shuts down
Student Perspectives
Meeting Outcomes• Remotivated student• Focus and clarity• Agreed course of action• Reduced stress
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
I was just lacking in motivation and I didn't have anything to say
about the dissertation but then when I left, I was like, “Oh, I actually do have my
head around this,” because she brought it out of me with our discussion and she was just asking questions and I’d found myself saying all these
things
we’d resolve that particular issue or it was in
the process of being resolved, and I came out feeling a lot more relaxed
and less stressed about the project
when we had meetings together, we would come out and say, “Oh, gee, I
feel great. I feel so relieved we’ve had this
meeting.”
Student Supervisor Relationship
Shared passion for topicClear expectations
Positive relationship/group dynamic
‘Good’ Supervision Meetings
GuidanceClarification
Positive feedback
Meeting Outcomes
Personal growthSkill development
Student satisfactionInterestOwnership
SupportiveProvide structureResearch knowledge
Good Supervision: Supervisor Perspectives
Supervisor Contribution• Providing structure• Supportive• Ability to explain• Research knowledge
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Supervisor Perspectives
being able to connect with the person on a personal
level as well as a professional level
making it seem relatively straight forward … They were sort of seeing it as
this big year long haul, and trying to break it down to show that it was doable, and this is how we were
going to do it
talking about their variables in real terms,
instead of scientific terms, so this is what it is all about, this is what we
know about it, this is what we can do
it’s really your experience in terms of what can be done in the time that you’ve got
Supervisor Perspectives
Student Contribution• Interest in topic• Student ownership of project
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
it was their first choice topic and I think that that is always an advantage. So I
think they were just naturally interested in the
area
the supervision I like is when the students are able to
steer it
Student Supervisor Relationship• Shared passion for topic• Clear expectations• Positive relationship/ group dynamic
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Supervisor PerspectivesI think that that
interpersonal process facilitates the teaching process, but unless you
have that supportive interpersonal relationship between the student and
the supervisor, if that’s not there, then I don’t
think that the end result is as good
it’s all a matter of getting those [expectations] sorted between the two people at the beginning and sitting
down
[cosupervisor] and I were a bit of more upbeat
because it’s like, “Hey, look. It’s [type of project]; this is our thing.” And the
group feeds off of that, and it’s also because they
are upbeat so this is a really nice atmosphere
‘Good’ Supervision Meetings• Discussion• Guidance• Clarification• Positive feedback
Supervisor Perspectives
look to facilitate what the students are and
accommodate their interests and try and guide
them without sort of taking over or dictating
what it is that they should do
We give them like, “Hey. You guys are doing really
well. You should be proud of yourself. You’re getting this blah blah blah.” And
they were like, “Oh, yeah.”
clarification in terms of goals and stuff like that ...[to] “yank them [students]
out of that swamp or quagmire of uncertainty
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
Meeting Outcomes• Personal growth• Skill development• Student satisfaction
Supervisor Perspectives
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
when I see the research group and they’re all, “Oh yes. This is so much fun! I
totally get it.” And see them change
They’re saying that all they want to do is they just want
to do their project, and they’ve got all this
coursework but they just want to do their project
I’m just satisfied when the student seems satisfied or I feel
like I’ve been helpful or been able to guide students and they seem
to have moved forward … it’s when I feel like I’ve been
competent in the sense of not necessarily giving answers but in providing instruction that helps the students move along and
acquire skills themselves
Student Supervisor Relationship
Open communicationShared passion for topic
Clear expectationsPositive relationship/group
dynamic
‘Good’ Supervision Meetings
Relaxed spaceConcerns listed to
Guidance and supportSynergy
ClarificationPositive feedback
Meeting Outcomes
Remotivated studentFocus and clarity
Agreed course of actionReduced stress
Personal growthSkill development
Student satisfactionPreparationManagementOwnershipInterest
AvailableApproachableSupportiveProvide structureResearch knowledge
Good Supervision: Supervisor and Student Perspectives
Negotiated Practice
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
University/Faculty/School Guidelines
Negotiated Practice
Website: http://www.dissertationsupervision.org/
Invitation to Participate
• Forthcoming workshops for supervisors to identify and develop best practice
• Continuing interviews with new supervisors and dissertation coordinators
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives
How do these models of good supervision fit with your own
experiences, as supervisor or as student?
TLF 2014: Good Supervision: Student and Supervisor Perspectives