Pedagogical concerns in doctoral supervision: a challenge for pedagogy

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus on pedagogy as a crucial element in postgraduate research undertakings, implying active involvement of both student and supervisor in process of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach -Drawing on Australian higher degree research supervision practice to illustrate their argument, the authors take issue with reliance on traditional Oxbridge conventions as informing dominant practices of supervision of postgraduate research studies and suggest pedagogy as intentional and systematic intervention that acknowledges the problematic natures of relationships between teaching, learning, and knowledge production as integral to supervision and research studies. Findings -The authors examine issues of discursive practice and the problematic nature of power differentials in supervisor-supervisee relationships, and the taken-for-grantedness of discursive practice of such relationships. The authors do this from the perspective of the student involved in higher degree research programs, a departure from the bulk of the literature that has as its focus the perspective of the supervisor and/or the institution. Originality/value -The paper examines the perspective of the student involved in higher degree research programs, a departure from the bulk of the literature that has as its focus the perspective of the supervisor and/or the institution. IntroductionDrawing on what is written about higher degree research supervision, in this paper we take issue with one particular manifestation of supervision within postgraduate research undertakings; the so-called Oxbridge approach of a novice student researcher learning from an academic who is assigned as the principal or coordinating supervisor -a role based on discipline rather than teaching knowledge. As experienced higher degree research supervisors and student advocates in postgraduate student associations ourselves, we have focused our discussion on the implications of current practice for student research success or otherwise. We use as a starting point current literature () that focuses on supervision as a blend of pedagogical and personal relationships and the ensuing theorisation of these relationships in relation to language, knowledge and power. A number of scholars in

Formação do orientador de pesquisas acadêmicas: um estudo bibliográfico nacional e internacional

“…Na década de 1990, surge a preocupação em desenvolver as competências do orientador em relação a metodologias de pesquisa. Apenas a partir de 2010, observamos na literatura um entendimento mais amplo da orientação como uma atividade de ensino particular (HALSE, 2011;MCCALLIN;NAYAR, 2012;ZEEGERS;BARRON, 2012). Acreditamos que essa ampliação se justifica, principalmente, pela imposição de um novo modelo de produção do conhecimento que exige mais produtividade de pesquisa e trabalho dos orientadores (BIANCHETTI; QUARTIERO, 2010;MCCALLIN;NAYAR, 2012).…”

Research mentoring: Suggestions and encouragement from a reflection exercise

“…Research supervision has an inherent power differential that should be borne in mind. 33,34 Supervisors should be clear with candidates about their own research agendas, and they should beware of subtly manipulating candidates toward their own, rather than their candidate's, goals.…”

Pedagogical practices in PhD supervision meetings from a conversation analytic perspective

“…One ongoing debate about supervision has been the role of supervision as teaching (Hill, 2002) which was initially raised by Connell (1985) and has attracted more attention (Bruce & Stoodley, 2011;Johnson et al, 2000;Zeegers & Barron, 2012). The next section discusses issues concerning supervision as pedagogy, noting what has been examined and what needs investigating.…”

“…These statements aim at making transparent the nature of supervision and the expected supervisory relationship (Zeegers & Barron, 2012). They provide a list of roles and responsibilities on which supervisors conduct their supervision.…”

“…Equally valuable, each is transformed through the processes of pedagogy. Following Lusted's concept of pedagogy, other researchers apply it to the context of supervision (Lee & Danby, 2012;Zeegers & Barron, 2012).…”