Experiencing higher degree research supervision as teaching
C. Bruce, I. Stoodley
Feb 12, 2013
Citations
54
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Studies in Higher Education
Full text
Semantic Scholar
Key Takeaway Key Takeaway: Higher degree research supervision is experienced as teaching, promoting supervisor development, imparting academic expertise, upholding academic standards, promoting learning to research, drawing upon student expertise, enabling student development, and contributing to society.
Abstract
This article describes higher degree research supervisors' experiences of supervision as teaching. While research education is considered central to the higher degree research experience, comparatively little is known to date of the teaching lenses adopted by supervisors as they go about their supervision. We worked with 35 supervisors engaged in discipline-specific and interdisciplinary research across architectural design, science, engineering, computer science, information systems and librarianship. Several of these supervisors conducted projects which interfaced with the social sciences and humanities. Nine categories describing supervisors' experiences were constructed through the adoption of a phenomenographic approach. These offer a picture of supervisors' collective awareness of supervision as teaching. Supervision as teaching was experienced as: Promoting the supervisor's development, Imparting academic expertise, Upholding academic standards, Promoting learning to research, Drawing upon student expertise, Enabling student development, Venturing into unexplored territory, Forming productive communities, and Contributing to society.