Supervisory Best Practices for Undergraduate, Honours and Masters

by Coursework Psychology Dissertations

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 ….

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

…. 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

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

Research Question

How do students, supervisors and dissertation coordinators conceptualise ‘good’ supervision in course work dissertations?

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

Research Participants

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?

Thematic analysis

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

Good Supervision: Student Perspectives

Student Supervisor Relationship

Shared passion for topicClear expectations

Open communication

‘Good’ Supervision Meetings

Relaxed spaceConcerns listed to

Guidance and supportSynergy

Meeting Outcomes

Re-motivated studentsFocus and clarity

Agreed course of actionReduced stressPreparation

OwnershipManagement

AvailableApproachableSupportive

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

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

University/Faculty/School Guidelines

Negotiated Practice

Identification of Issues

Systemic Issues• Insufficient workload

allocation• Lack of training/mentoring• Unrealistic supervisory

loads• Power Imbalance

Practice Issues• Differing expectations• Co-supervision• Managing groups• Feedback• Supervisor disinterest• Supervisor availability• Inequities• Cross-cultural issues• Differing advice• Needy students

Vignettes Developed

Student Perspective…I think we had made a few

assumptions about what each other was thinking or how the honours year plays out and I didn’t necessarily know much

about honours at all.

Coordinator Perspective

….The main area of conflict the students are having seem to be their expectations clash so differently with

their supervisors that they can't really see a way around it.

New Supervisor Perspective

…It’s perhaps a function of me not explaining my expectations clearly

enough. I’m now taking a firmer line. I’ve now realised it’s all a matter of getting those expectations sorted…

Identifying Best Practice

• Literature search• Internet search• Previous OLT/HEAC projects• Invitations to honours coordinators • Requests via social media

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

Workshops with Supervisors

• Shared supervisory experience

• Workshopped ways of responding to supervisory issues

• Evaluated best practice materials

ICOPE 6: Supervisory Best Practices

Best Practice Materials

• Guide for new supervisors• Best practice tools • Website– Project Materials– Blog– Annotated Bibliography– Related projects

Website: http://www.dissertationsupervision.org/

Adoption?