Managing Supervisee-Supervisor Relationship

Abd Karim Alias@2010

Overview on graduate supervision
Students’ & Supervisors’ perspective
Elements of successful collaboration
Issues and consideration
Discussion and conclusion

AbdKarim Alias@2008

“Watching a fresh graduate become an independent scholar, plan the project, execute the plan with care and thoughtfulness, write up the results and present their first published paper at a conference is a wonderful experience…”

Prepare for the onslaught of failure
Perseverance
Persistent determination
Tenacity
Ability to clearly articulate ideas
Cogency
Abd Karim Alias@2010 [akarim@usm.my]

“The relationship between student and supervisor is about as close as many marriages, and lasts as long as many marriages. It’s a fairly good analogy in several ways. One important issue is compatibility”

“It’s not your supervisor’s job to put up with every unpleasant idiosyncrasy of every idiot who wants to do a PhD with them. As a student, you are an apprentice, not a customer who is always right”

“The role of a supervisor is critical to the successful outcome of the candidate” (Delamont et al., 1997)
Student & supervisor take a fair share of responsibility

Point B: Learning goal
The distance can be huge & the path may not be obvious
Point A: What student currently know
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AbdKarim Alias@2010
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To guide and mentor students in such a way that they can LEARN about the systematic processes of discovery...
AbdKarim Alias@2008

“The role of the supervisor is NOT to transmit knowledge but rather to ‘scaffold’ learning experiences of an increasingly complex nature…..”
(Vygotsky, 1978).
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Vast knowledge to be explored…
A supervisor can only guide;
learning & exploring is done entirely by the student
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It’s YOUR Masters/PhD, not the supervisor’s!
If you can’t be bothered to work on making it happen, why should they?
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Define research problem
Review the literature
Formulate hypothesis
Design research
Collect data
Analyse data
Interpret & report

What kind of guidance?
Need proper guidance in…
Planning & executing research (research proposal)
Conducting literature review
Defining research problem & clear objectives
Developing methodology (experimental design, experiments, sampling procedure, sample size, analytical procedures, etc.)
IMPORTANT: Don’t take things for granted OR don’t assume too much!!

What kind of guidance?
Need proper guidance in…
Carrying research work systematically
Dealing with research problems (troubleshooting)
Dealing with ups & downs
Academic/scientific writings (publication)
Presenting in conferences

AbdKarim Alias@2008

He never listens to me…
AbdKarim Alias@2008

He made me confused…
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Let’s hope you are not one of this…

Regular & competent supervision;
Available for consultation
Approachable
Responsive
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cryner/402838100
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Innovative
Creative problem solver
Resource-oriented
Work-focused
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Technically expert
Decisive
Dependable
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Able to deal with various personalities & issues
Always show caring & patience
Always monitor the progress
Act like business manager (result oriented)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

has vision (who can see the wood for the trees so to speak)
is creative in the supervisory process
is able to motivate the student to work hard
AbdKarim Alias@2008

can direct the work of students
can coordinate the various research activities
AbdKarim Alias@2008

monitors the student’ s progress
can nurture, create capabilities
is able to foster growth of individuals
AbdKarim Alias@2008

“Perhaps most importantly a good supervisor knows when to do these things and can move comfortably between these functions and has the skills, knowledge and abilities to perform them. …”
(Vilkinas, 2002)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

AbdKarim Alias@2008

Hard work
Enthusiasm
Able to work independently
Resourceful
Confidence
Able to handle criticisms
Able to meet deadlines

Independence & confidence
Theoretical knowledge –broad & specialize
Competence in research method or specific research skills
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Ability to construct logical argument
Ability to write clearly
Life & management skill
Social skills – network, etc
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Master-Apprentice
Laisez-Faire (let it be)

There isn’t a single type of ‘right’ student or ‘right’ supervisor!
Each type of supervisor will be well suited to some types of student.

First thing first…
Discuss and agree on a topic of research
AbdKarim Alias@2008

AbdKarim Alias@2008

First few weeks…
Clarifying supervisor/supervisee roles & responsibilities
Sharing expectations: constant interaction/communication, fruitful & synergistic collaboration, paper presentation/publication

AbdKarim Alias@2008

First 6 months is critical time!!
Establish trusting relationship
More frequent meetings – weekly/fortnightly
Reminding on PG policies & regulations
Assess student’s competency, motivation & commitment
Encourage student to “explore” subject area
Require student to “search-read-write-think” on research article

Meeting scenario
AbdKarim Alias@2008

AbdKarim Alias@2008

After 6 months…
Usually, by now, students are more comfortable, confident and independent
Keep regular meetings (perhaps fortnightly)
Assist in handling practical (or even personal) problems

When the goings get smooth…
Get the student to collate & analyze data
Ensure he/she has the skills for data analysis
Quantitative study  statistical skills
Plan for publication/conference
Frequent meetings & discussion again

The ending part…thesis…
Writing the thesis
Clear plan on draft chapter submission
Thesis refinement – time consuming!

The ending part…thesis…
shallow interpretation—‘what are the meanings and implications of these results?’
Ensuring acceptable quality

The ending part…
The agony of writing

The ending part…
Finding examiners
Waiting for the viva – at last a break!
Attending a viva
Provide moral support
A sense of relief (when student performs well!)

Do these…
Learn to be resourceful
Learn to be critical
One chapter at a time
Ask specific question/feedback
Schedule appointment in advance
Provide regular update
Try to understand your advisor expectation

Do these…
Have a clear understanding & the significance of your work
Always prepare for the worst
Proactive
Deal with psychological problems
Start publishing early

Careful & Proper Planning is …utmost important!!
More time for planning, less problems, high productivity!
Clarify/justify research focus, rationale, approach, hypothesis, objectives, methodology,

Managing relationships
Regular face-to-face meeting
Communicate regularly (sms, email, blog, etc.)
During meeting, share your ideas/thoughts, views, suggestions, concerns, etc… (2-ways communication)

Demonstrate…
Maturity & independence
Sincerity/honesty
Enthusiasm
Respectful
Articulate (say what you mean clearly/explicitly)

Symptoms of irregular meeting…
What did I ask you to do last month?

Quick (but not short) response!!

Make time for regular meeting!!

Some classic habits that irritate the supervisor
Failing to take deadlines seriously
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Failing to respect the supervisor’s time pressures
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Dumping demands on the supervisor at the last minute.
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Expecting the supervisor to read every draft, usually by the next day.
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Expecting the supervisor to organize everything.
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Some classic ways to underminesupervisee relationship with supervisor
Hiding(yourself, or real or imagined problems)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Reason for hiding…
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Ignoring (advice you don’t understand; advice you don’t like)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Some classic ways to undermine supervisee relationship with supervisor
Mixing (business with pleasure or with personal issues)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Gossiping (about your supervisor or colleagues)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Some classic ways to undermine your relationship with supervisor
Denigrating (your supervisor, department or institution)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Some classic ways to underminesupervisee relationship with your supervisor
Bypassing (your supervisor, by making decisions without due consultation)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Some classic ways to undermine your relationship with your supervisor
Assuming (what something meant; what you’re entitled to do)
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Classic problems that are FATAL to the supervisory relationship
’isms: sexism, racism, anti-Semitism, etc.
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Intellectual property issues
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Non-communication
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Let’s hope you are not one of this…
AbdKarim Alias@2008

Harassment – sexual harassment, bullying, damaging insensitivity
AbdKarim Alias@2008

The little routines…
Plan for next meeting
If possible, written report a day before the meeting
Short presentation (if necessary)
30 to 60 minutes meeting
List of next tasks
Sharing of key articles

The little routines…
Be serious on the deadline

Handling students cases
Motivated but lack of effort
Motivated, hard working but incompetent
Hard working but lack of research ability
Competent but not motivated
Competent but lack of management skill

Conclusions
Supervision requires commitment, patience and skills
Successful & fruitful collaboration require mutual understanding and clear expectation
Effective supervision is achieved through practice and reflective exercise

Conclusions
Effective supervisors are wise in using appropriate supervision strategies, taking into consideration individual student needs

Managing Supervisee-Supervisor Relationship

by Universiti Sains Malaysia on Dec 31, 2010

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