Doctoral Supervision Presentation and Workshop for the Leeds Metropolitan University

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Doctoral Supervision Presentation and Workshop
for the Leeds Metropolitan University



Postgraduate Research Conference 2008

• Professor Jim Stewart, LM
• Doctor Clair Roberts, BU

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Welcome!

• 1. Introduce the main points from the paper
• 2. Through group activities students
  supervisors will have an opportunity to reflect
  upon the implications of this paper for their
  supervision
• 3. Develop a small action plan

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1.Introducing the Paper

• Doctoral Supervision student/supervisor
  relationship
• How close a relationship?
• Providing feedback
• Too friendly?
• Based upon a critical incident
• context the 2004 UFHRD conference in Limerick
• Methodological approach autoethnography
• 3 key themes
• Transition
• Feedback
• Typology of relationships (emerging)

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THE Critical Incident

• UFHRD Conference in Limerick, 2004
• Clairs 1st presentation PhD student
• Turned to Sally for feedback
• Giving/ receiving feedback turned out to be very
  painful for both
• Sally turned to her PhD supervisor, Jim, for
  support

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Methodology

• Autoethnography
• Incorporates AutoEthnoGraphy
• 3 researchers at different stages of their
  academic careers
• Through personal narratives reflexivity
• Using themselves to understand the culture of
  student/supervisor support

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Findings Discussion
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A typology of supervisory relationships

• Type Emotions Roles/exchange
• Distanced prof/ Little demonstration Clearly
  defined roles
• academic Limited need for EI Economic exchange
• Detached Both confident
• Limited social relation
• Familiar prof/ Some demonstration Clear stable
  roles
• academic Some EI Some social aspects
• Balanced involvement Professional friends
• Familiar social/ Much demonstration Clear in
  academic
• academic Much EI required Blurred in mixed,
  social
• Intense involved Friends gt professional?

JIM
Clair Sally
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Managing your supervisor(s) essential!

• Students will have different levels of
  confidence, loci of control
• Supervisors provide vital technical social
  support for students
• Student/ supervisor pairs will have different
  distance v familiar/ social v professional
  relationships
• Students supervisors need to see critical
  feedback as being ve for self-development

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Activity 1

• Using the chart (P82) identify what relationship
  you feel best describes your supervisor-student
  style.
• In your groups discuss any similarities or
  differences between your experiences and those
  themes described.
• Do you feel this relationship works well for you?

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Activity 2

• In your new groups discuss your confidence having
  made the transition from UG to Doctoral student
• Are there specific tasks/events where your
  confidence changes?
• Are there similarities differences shared
  between your group members?

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Activity 3

• In your groups discuss your experiences of giving
  and receiving feedback.
• As a group, come up with an occasion that
  describes a positive experience and negative
  experience which you can share in this session.
• How does all feedback is ve change things?

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Activity 4 Action Plan

• Discuss in your groups how/ what you have learned
  from today
• What can you do to get the most out of your
  supervision?