Challenging the dual assumption of the ‘always/already’ autonomous student and effective supervisor

Novice supervisors’ practices and dilemmatic space in supervision of student research projects

“…For example, supervisors aim to pursue students' sense of agency within a project whilst simultaneously maintaining an effective student-supervisor relationship simultaneously which can result in indirect, although very potent ways of steering (Turner 2015). For instance, supervisors shape master's students' research activities by often implicit and unconscious diagnosis on student characteristics, such as enthusiasm for a topic, motivation and attitude towards the supervisor (de Kleijn et al 2015).In addition, supervisors should foster student learning in interaction with the student and adapt their pedagogies to student research competencies and to the wider context ofthe institute and department they work in (de Kleijn et al 2015;Grant 2003;Manathunga and Goozée 2007;Pearson and Brew 2002). Relations between supervisors, students and the context in which they work and learn can introduce supervisors to different, perhaps conflicting, values, responsibilities or goals.…”

“…Furthermore, both student research activities and the nature of supervisors' work as an academic play a central role in doctoral research supervision practices (e.g. Kandiko and Kinchin 2012;Manathunga and Goozée 2007). Supervisors of undergraduate and doctoral student research projects draw on personal experiences gained in other supervision and teaching contexts (Amundsen and McAlpine 2009;Todd, Smith, and Bannister 2006;Turner 2015).…”

Towards supervising for social justice: A personal perspective

“…Supervision requires the development of mutual understanding and trust among those involved. Manathunga and Goozée (2007) highlight the importance of good relationship skills for supervision. They claim that both the student and the supervisor have to learn how to interact with each other throughout the journey of supervision.…”

Postgraduate supervision at a young university: The role of supervision initiatives

“…Postgraduate research supervision, as I have discovered (Nothnagel, 2015:91), is a field of study in its own right that demands specific skills and therefore should not be entered into unprepared by novice supervisors who are not simply "always/ already" (Manathunga and Goozee 2007). Lee (2008:267) argues that a supervisor can make or break a postgraduate student especially if she herself has not been confidently inducted into the new field with its own concepts, theories and methodologies.…”