Pushing the Boundaries of Postgraduate Supervision

SUN PRESS eBooks, 2014

International journal of African higher education, 2022

Challenges Confronting Postgraduate suPervision at the national university of lesotho 23 spécifiques au contexte ou à l'institution. La Faculté d'éducation de l'Université Nationale du Lesotho a été confrontée à de nombreux défis pour proposer des diplômes de troisième cycle, avec peu de superviseurs qualifiés pour le grand nombre d'étudiants qui s'inscrivent dans ces programmes. Cette étude a exploré la nature des défis auxquels est confronté l'encadrement des étudiants de troisième cycle dans ce contexte. Elle s'est appuyée sur le paradigme interprétativiste et a utilisé une approche qualitative. Quinze superviseurs ont participé, dont neuf (trois professeurs associés et six maîtres de conférences) ont été interviewés. Six maîtres de conférences ont pris part à un groupe de discussion. Les directives relatives à l'encadrement des étudiants de troisième cycle ont également fait l'objet d'une analyse documentaire. Les résultats ont révélé que si certains superviseurs ont eu des expériences positives, d'autres sont frustrés. Cela est dû à un manque de formation et à un manque de clarté des procédures de supervision, ainsi qu'au faible niveau de connaissances universitaires et au manque d'engagement de certains étudiants. Il est recommandé de former les superviseurs. En outre, les directives de supervision devraient être revues et comparées aux meilleures pratiques dans le domaine. Mots clés : Supervision des étudiants de troisième cycle, constructivisme, pratique réflexive, directives de supervision, défis de la pratique de supervision 1. Introduction and Research Problem Postgraduate supervision is challenging in any context (Stephens, 2014; Boughey, van den Heuvel and Wels, 2017). Research and knowledge production continue to be the hallmark of higher education; however, in some contexts, systems are lacking to uphold this hallmark. Maistry (2017, p. 1) observes that the "neoliberal performativity imperatives that drive the strategic vision and mission of many higher institutions…have begun to shape the higher education project in particular ways". Wood and Louw (2018) concur and assert that the focus of postgraduate supervision is often graduating students in the shortest possible time rather than embracing the task as an opportunity to develop them as emerging professionals. Due to the rising number of students enrolling in postgraduate studies, most university teaching staff have heavy workloads (Bitzer

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), 2022

The primary goal of the research outlined in this paper was to pilot a measure of factors that contribute to successful postgraduate student supervision in South Africa. The sample consisted out of 15 supervisors of seven Universities from various higher education institutions in South Africa supervising at masters, doctoral, and postdoctoral levels. The piloted data analysis instrument was based on multiple linear regression analysis, which measures factors that contribute to successful supervision as well as graduate students' understandings of supervision quality. Statistical analysis indicated that the p-value for a postgraduate student presentation to the research team are 0.92. The critical value approach was used to establish the significance relationship between supervisory approaches and student performance, and it revealed a strong correlation between supervisor meeting with student on a regular basis and student graduation at a record time. It is suggested that the study be used as a springboard for further investigation.

Africa Education Review Vol 15 (2), 2008

there is a constant interplay between the "people" (agency) and the "parts" (structure and culture), not only in teaching and learning, but also in postgraduate supervision practices globally. however, in South Africa, the tendency to use structure (higher education architecture, institutional history, institutional rules, policies and procedures) to address all challenges related to postgraduate (especially doctoral) studies has resulted in university managers ignoring the role that institutional research culture (social norms, expectations and practice) plays, not only in perpetuating some of these challenges, but also in understanding and resolving them. At the University of Zululand (UniZulu), these factors combine to affect not only the postgraduate supervision practices of supervisors, but also the quality of doctoral throughput (doctorateness) with overall implications for society in general. this article is a critical self-reflection on the author's postgraduate supervision practice at UniZulu between 2011 and 2016 with a view to highlight how structure and culture combine to impact on his supervision work at the institution. the discussion shows how these factors impact on the quality of doctoral output with implications for the author's practice and society in general. to deal with the challenges arising from the discussion, the article recommends: establishing a dedicated postgraduate studies unit headed by a director or dean as supervisors and supervisees need a support system that functions optimally; improving staff qualifications and training of supervisors to keep up with best practice in postgraduate supervision; and the department of higher education and training factoring differentiation realities into its funding modules for universities.

International journal of Asian social science, 2012

Distance Education supervisors. Supervisors have diverse research backgrounds, expertise and experience . Some supervisors appear to be more comfortable with the supervision of qualitative research, while others prefer supervising quantitative research instead. Apart from the methodological inclinations of supervisors, ODL research supervision faces challenges that are slightly different from those experienced by supervisors in conventional universities. Most of the challenges in ODL revolve around the distance between the student and the supervisor and problems related to ICT accessibility and affordability, low adoption rate of technology, unreliable postal services, inter alia. It is hoped that the conduct of this study will generate worthwhile knowledge regarding moving towards relevant meanings in the provision of education through ODL. The study adopted a case study design complemented by document analysis. Twenty five ZOU lecturers (from the Faculty of Arts and Education) with experience in the supervision of postgraduate research were conveniently sampled and interviewed. Document analysis was limited to the report of Higher Degrees Supervisors' Convocation of 2011, Reports on Higher Degrees Proposal Defense Sessions of 2010 and 2011 and Examiners' Reports on PGDE and MEd research projects. Data were analysed using grounded theory. Supervisors were excited about seeing their students mature into independent and competent researchers, whose findings could extend the frontiers of knowledge. Time could be a limiting factor especially when dealing with struggling students. Supervisors' experiences revealed that students were experiencing challenges in conducting researchmost aspects of research were problematic, while other challenges were

HOW CAN DOCTORAL SUPERVISION BE IMPROVED? VIEWS FROM DOCTORAL STUDENTS IN TWO FACULTIES OF EDUCATION AT SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

In this study, we aim to address the gaps in previous research by establishing full-time doctoral students' perceptions and views about how doctoral supervision can be improved. Using the concepts of habitus, field, social and cultural capital, and agency as the conceptual framework, a qualitative study with open-ended questions was designed and executed among purposively sampled doctoral candidates at two universities in South Africa. This approach was centred on the premise that PhD candidates' experiences are vital when thinking of improving PhD supervision. PhD candidates point to some of their experiences as points of departure for possible supervision improvement. The study findings reveal that if deans and heads of departments are more actively involved in this process at the policy formulation level, the experiences of students can change for the better. This can be done through the introduction and establishment of seminars, small and large group engagements, and the widening of social capital. Widening of social capital will ensure that both PhD supervisors and PhD students share productive supervision experiences while buttressing multidirectional relationships between supervisors, students and their peers aimed at improving completion rates and the doctoral journey.

Journal of Student Affairs in Africa, 2014

South African journal of higher education, 2022

This study aims to address the void left by earlier researchers by establishing how full-time doctoral students' views can be employed to improve doctoral studies. By employing habitus, field, social and cultural capital, and agency as a theoretical framework for this article, open-ended questions in a qualitative study were designed and executed purposively among sampled doctoral candidates at two faculties of education in South African universities. This approach was hinged on the thought that what PhD candidates were going through was vital when thinking of improving PhD supervision. Out of this study, PhD students point to some of their experiences as the starting point for possible supervision improvement. The study findings reveal that if academic leadership at the faculty level is actively involved in this process at the strategy formulation level, the experiences of students can change for the better. This can be done through the introduction and establishment of seminars, small and large group engagements, and the widening of social capital. Widening of social capital will ensure that both PhD supervisors and PhD students share productive supervision experiences while buttressing multidirectional relationships between supervisors, students and their peers aimed at improving completion rates and the doctoral journey.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Inevitably, life in the twenty-first century globalised world brings people into contact with "others". Through these contacts, the need for interactions demands that these people find different ways of understanding one another to generate knowledge. In order for them to achieve this objective, they need a strong and coherent medium. First additional language education has been developed in South Africa to unravel as well as address challenges posed to competence in intercultural communication, with the emphasis placed on how to communicate with a different "other" since the world now has become a small village. The study made use of a qualitative research methodology, revolving around an ethnographic design. The research population constituted lecturers, tutors and students from the University of Western Cape. The four principal tools used for data collection included: Interviews, Questionnaires, Naturally Occurring data and Participant Observation.

Journal of Student Affairs in Africa