2004-01-13
Handledarspegeln - A survey on supervisors evaluation of postgraduate research training
Handledarspegeln (A Mirror for Supervisors) is a complementary survey to Doktorandspegeln (A Mirror for Postgraduate Students), a study conducted by the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education to chart doctoral students´ views on postgraduate research training. The results of this study are presented in Doktorandspegeln, report series 2003:28 R from the National Agency for Higher Education.
Introduction Types of introduction vary between seats of learning and departments, subject to administrative resources and the supervisors´ and research environment´s views on what is required. According to the supervisors, doctoral students´ introduction requirements largely depend on individual personality and situation. Mentorship between senior and new doctoral students and/or prompt involvement in projects were proposed as the best solutions.
The volume, frequency and continuity of supervision depends on the supervisors´ and students´ personalities, the individual project, and the supervisors´ other commitments. The duties and expectations of both supervisors and doctoral students have changed as a result of the recent reform in postgraduate research training and an increased dependence on external funding. Supervisors felt that the relationship between supervisor and student is primarily personality-related, as opposed to gender-related. As regards gender differences, women tend to get more worried and stressed than men, but also contribute more to the social environment and are more receptive to supervision.
To achieve optimum results, supervisors felt that supervision must be combined with a healthy study environment with senior researchers, creative thinking, reflection and discussion. Furthermore, social environment is becoming increasingly important due to growing emphasis on interdisciplinarianism, collaboration, networks and external funding.
Many supervisors felt that the main critical factor for good supervision is a lack of financial resources Other critical factors include the establishment of a good research and study environment (meaning a research community as opposed to excessively delimited relations between supervisors and doctoral students), reaching doctoral candidates and having the funds to recruit them, and viable project ideas and methods. It is also critical for doctoral students to want supervision, and for supervisors to have time for collaboration. The reduced programme duration and larger number of duties for both doctoral students and supervisors risk impairing the quality of both projects and supervision.
The most recent reform in postgraduate research training imposed an increased number of courses and reduced programme duration, while the requirements for the doctoral thesis remained the same. As a result, there seems to be some confusion about the roles of both supervisors and doctoral students. Furthermore, supervisors now have more leadership and administrative duties, while the establishment of a competitive research environment with access to external funding is becoming increasingly vital, in turn raising the need for societally related doctoral programmes. These factors are creating an increasingly complex and sometimes contradictory situation determining the needs, expectations and conditions for both supervisors and doctoral students.
Handledarspegeln charts supervisors´ views on certain issues commented on by doctoral students in Doktorandspegeln, and highlights supervisors´ thoughts on factors that, from a supervisor´s perspective, are critical to postgraduate research training and its future development. The survey was carried out in the winter of 2003 through interviews with focus groups comprising 52 supervisors from all faculties at the Universities of Linköping, Umeå, Uppsala and Växjö.
Supervisors´ views on critical issues addressed in Doktorandspegeln
Introduction Types of introduction vary between seats of learning and departments, subject to administrative resources and the supervisors´ and research environment´s views on what is required. According to the supervisors, doctoral students´ introduction requirements largely depend on individual personality and situation. Mentorship between senior and new doctoral students and/or prompt involvement in projects were proposed as the best solutions.
Supervision
The volume, frequency and continuity of supervision depends on the supervisors´ and students´ personalities, the individual project, and the supervisors´ other commitments. The duties and expectations of both supervisors and doctoral students have changed as a result of the recent reform in postgraduate research training and an increased dependence on external funding. Supervisors felt that the relationship between supervisor and student is primarily personality-related, as opposed to gender-related. As regards gender differences, women tend to get more worried and stressed than men, but also contribute more to the social environment and are more receptive to supervision.
Study environment
To achieve optimum results, supervisors felt that supervision must be combined with a healthy study environment with senior researchers, creative thinking, reflection and discussion. Furthermore, social environment is becoming increasingly important due to growing emphasis on interdisciplinarianism, collaboration, networks and external funding.
Doctoral students´ future The reduced duration of doctoral programmes and a changing climate have generated greater need to prepare and adapt doctoral students´ research and skills to meet societal demands.
Critical factors for successful postgraduate research training
Many supervisors felt that the main critical factor for good supervision is a lack of financial resources Other critical factors include the establishment of a good research and study environment (meaning a research community as opposed to excessively delimited relations between supervisors and doctoral students), reaching doctoral candidates and having the funds to recruit them, and viable project ideas and methods. It is also critical for doctoral students to want supervision, and for supervisors to have time for collaboration. The reduced programme duration and larger number of duties for both doctoral students and supervisors risk impairing the quality of both projects and supervision.
New system - new roles
The most recent reform in postgraduate research training imposed an increased number of courses and reduced programme duration, while the requirements for the doctoral thesis remained the same. As a result, there seems to be some confusion about the roles of both supervisors and doctoral students. Furthermore, supervisors now have more leadership and administrative duties, while the establishment of a competitive research environment with access to external funding is becoming increasingly vital, in turn raising the need for societally related doctoral programmes. These factors are creating an increasingly complex and sometimes contradictory situation determining the needs, expectations and conditions for both supervisors and doctoral students.
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Swedish National Agency for Higher Education Visting address: Luntmakargatan 13 Box 7851, 103 99 Stockholm
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
Phone: 08-563 085 00 Fax: 08-563 085 50 Email: hsv@hsv.se
