Good undergraduate dissertation supervision: perspectives of supervisors and dissertation coordinators

Roberts, Lynne D.; Seaman, Kristen

doi:10.1080/1360144x.2017.1412971

Cited by 68 publications

(67 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Research conducted with supervisors of undergraduate dissertation students indicates that supervisors perceive they contribute to good supervision through providing directed and clear advice, supporting and instilling confidence in students and fostering student independence and growth (Roberts and Seaman, 2018). However, in this and previous studies examining supervisors ' perspectives (e.g., Todd et al, 2006;Wiggins et al, 2016), the paucity of training and resource materials available for supervisors of dissertations at this level has been noted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Students' Experiences of Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision

Roberts

Seaman

2018

Front. Educ.

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Increasingly, students completing undergraduate dissertations in Australia are expected by their supervisors to produce publishable research. Despite this, limited resources are available for supervisors of undergraduate dissertation students on how best to supervise students toward this aim. Building on our previous research on the perspectives of supervisors and dissertation coordinators of what constitutes good undergraduate dissertation supervision, we present here the findings on student perspectives of good supervision. Twenty-five students (seventeen students who were currently completing an undergraduate dissertation and eight who had recently completed an undergraduate dissertation) were interviewed about their experiences in being supervised. A critical incident methodology was used to invite students to reflect on times when supervision had gone well, and times when it had not. Interviews were recorded and transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Key themes to emerge were that students viewed "good" supervisors as those that were supportive and empowering, directed learning, and whose style and interests aligned with those of the students. Challenges in supervision related to lack of clarity and inconsistencies, perceived power imbalances between students and supervisors, and perceived inequities in the amount of supervision provided across students. Whilst the publication of undergraduate research is a worthy aim, the pressure to publish for some students resulted in feelings of inadequacy and perceptions of supervisors losing interest when findings were not deemed publishable.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Students' Experiences of Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision

Roberts

Seaman

2018

Front. Educ.

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“…Successful mentoring relationships have a foundation of clear and open communication (Nakamura, Shernoff, & Hooker, ). Differences in expectations between the mentor and mentee are the most common factor underlying problematic research experiences (Roberts & Seaman, ). When mentors make themselves accessible and students feel comfortable communicating, mentors can better help students through difficult periods, research progress goes more efficiently, and students have more positive experiences.…”

Section: A Framework For Successfully Collaborating With Undergraduatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a mentor, it is incredibly important to build an environment where students feel empowered to ask questions and contribute their ideas (Matthews & Rosa, 2018). Through good mentorship, students gain confidence in their research abilities and develop an identity as a scientist (Davis & Jones, 2017;Linn et al, 2015;Roberts & Seaman, 2018), notably an important component in the retention of underrepresented student groups in science, technology, engineering, and math fields (STEM; Strayhorn, 2012, Wilson et al, 2012, Rainey, Dancy, Mickelson, Stearns, & Moller, 2018. Research experience also yields value to students who do not pursue careers in research, as it gives them first-hand experience with the process of generating scientific knowledge.…”

Section: Recruitment and Retentionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We all agree that successful collaboration with an undergraduate is a partnership between the mentor and the student. This partnership can be described by the following quote:

…good supervision is characterized by trusting relationships where students and supervisors share research interests and supervisors provide advice without undermining students’ ownership of projects, resulting in evolving supportive relationships that foster student growth (Roberts & Seaman, )…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“……good supervision is characterized by trusting relationships where students and supervisors share research interests and supervisors provide advice without undermining students’ ownership of projects, resulting in evolving supportive relationships that foster student growth (Roberts & Seaman, )…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Students as ecologists: Strategies for successful mentorship of undergraduate researchers

Emery

Hund

Burks

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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Guiding undergraduates through the ecological research process can be incredibly rewarding and present opportunities to break down barriers to inclusion and diversity in scientific disciplines. At the same time, mentoring undergraduate researchers is a complicated process that requires time and flexibility. While many academics receive extensive guidance on how to be successful in research endeavors, we pay much less attention to training in mentorship and working collaboratively with undergraduate students. This paper seeks to provide a framework for successfully collaborating with undergraduates including initial recruitment, development of a contract, fostering student ownership of research projects, and submission of a polished manuscript.

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Finding Inspiration: Sharing Practice and Developing Authentic Multimedia Artifacts for Supervision of Undergraduate Research in Irish Higher Education

Donnelly

McAvinia

McDonnell

2020

International Perspectives on Undergraduate Research

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Supervision is a specialist academic practice that can be learnt through the experience of the practice of supervision itself. However, increasingly, supervisors can find inspiration from each other in structured, supported, collaborative professional development. This Chapter evaluates the perceived impact on faculty and student learning of sharing inspirational practices and creating multimedia artifacts which formed the assessment of an accredited postgraduate module entitled 'Supervising Undergraduate Dissertations and Projects' at a Technological University in Ireland. A range of themes are explored in the Chapter including the increasing demand for this form of professional development for academics; the importance of a peer learning approach for providing inspiration and sharing of practice; the design and development of multimedia artifacts for undergraduate supervision practice and the national context within which this work is situated. Participants were surveyed to explore how they now approach supervision and how they disseminated their multimedia artifact in undergraduate supervision. Findings indicate increased levels of confidence, clearer communication in the supervision conversation, greater emphasis on guiding rather than leading the student, and improved feedback processes.

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Good undergraduate dissertation supervision: perspectives of supervisors and dissertation coordinators

Cited by 68 publications

References 30 publications

Students' Experiences of Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision

Students' Experiences of Undergraduate Dissertation Supervision

Students as ecologists: Strategies for successful mentorship of undergraduate researchers

Finding Inspiration: Sharing Practice and Developing Authentic Multimedia Artifacts for Supervision of Undergraduate Research in Irish Higher Education

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