Factors influencing the quality of undergraduate students’ degree projects: from student and supervisor perspectives

Abstract

Background: Degree projects are part of most professional study programmes and correspond to professional and academic requirements. They are an essential part of students’ professional development and provides them with life-long learning strategies and abilities, which ensures the continuous development of their future profession. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate factors that influence the quality of student degree projects from a supervisor and student perspective. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were performed with eight supervisors from the study programme in dentistry at Karolinska Institutet. These were transcribed, and while the first part was summarized and described, the second was analyzed thematically. Also, a questionnaire was completed by 45 students in the 7th and 9th semester of the study programme. Student responses from the questionnaire were summarized and described. Results: The main findings indicate a convergence of expectations and perspectives between supervisors and students regarding the factors that influence the quality of the degree project. This encompasses the roles of the supervisor and student, the supervision structure, and the perception of academic requirements and quality. Both groups emphasize the importance of having realistic expectations, feasibility, and adherence to academic standards for a high-quality outcome. Effective supervision involves the supervisor being readily available, responsive to student inquiries, and aiding in time-management. Conversely, students are expected to demonstrate motivation, engagement, and a growing sense of autonomy throughout the project. Additionally, both agree that the project should be engaging, relevant to the supervisor's expertise and the student's interests, contribute to personal and academic growth, and ideally result in a publication. Conclusions: Taken together, supervisors and students share grounds for the degree project work, which is an important condition for ensuring a qualitatively sound degree project. Sharing expectations and perspectives in the beginning and having a continuously open dialogue concerning this issue during the degree project work benefits a sustainable collaboration and ensures quality. To achieve this, supervisors need to choose students that are interested and motivated and a degree project that is in their area of expertise, feasible and structured. Supervisors also need to give students support with time-planning, and to be attentive for instance by responding swiftly to any student queries.