Challenges in postgraduate supervision Klara Bolander Laksov Paula

Challenges in postgraduate supervision Klara Bolander Laksov & Paula Mählck Department of Education, Stockholms University, Sweden

Postgraduate supervision in theory and practice Day 1: Introduction and challenges in supervision Case exercize: the individual study plan The framework: rules and regulations The research process Preparation: Write a text on how you experienced your own supervision during your Ph. D. + Readings Day 2: Organisation of postgraduate studies Ph. D education from a pedagogical perspective Meeting with Ph. D student ombudsman Preparation: Write a description of how Ph. D Ed is organised at your department. + Readings

Postgraduate supervision in theory and practice (contd. ) Day 3: Ethics of research supervision Supervision and diversity Workshop on writing blocks Preparation: Write and bring ethical dilemma Day 4: Highlights from experienced supervisors Discussion on reflection papers Preparation: Interview an experienced supervisor and bring what you got from it Assessment: Write a reflection paper on either: a) Plan, implement and evaluate a supervisory meeting b) Make an auscultation at a supervisory meeting

Day 1: What are challenges in supervision? • How much feedback should I give to the student? • How should I support student writing in a good way? • Balancing freedom – guiding of student • Formal criteria/ goal – personal development balance • How to deal with high level theory and form it into a Research question? • Who’s text should be written, theirs or yours? • How to keep motivation with student? • How to find out what works best for each student (structure/ freedom)?

Challenge dimensions in supervision • Intrapersonal: individual’s process of learning, level of motivation, engagement, independence • Relational: balancing control – laissez faire, communication patterns, feedback, cultural differences • Procedural: balancing focus on process – product, division of of responsibilities students/ supervisors • Product: order and strategy in decision making around Reseach questions, design, type of thesis, tasks

Research question: How do supervisors who took the course feel the course provided them with guidance and tools to deal with their challenges? - in a longer perspective - In relation to the four dimensions - Other situations that contributed to development?

Data collection • 11 interviews with experienced supervisors • Took the course 2 -5 years earlier • Swedish and international origin • Working at Stockholm university 5< • Natural sciences, humanities, social sciences • Transcribed verbatim • Analysed: reading and re-reading for narratives. Narrative analysis,

Narratives • “Unattained expectations” • “Caring for the student” • “Balancing roles” • “Learning to supervise” • “Lack of trustful collegial conversations”

Unattained expectations

Narrative “unattained expectations” One of my Ph. D students, who I’m main supervising, has had a tough time and it has been hard for me to know how to deal with it when there is no progress. He works a lot, for days, but I can see that there is no action and there is a lot of explanations for why he couldn’t do this and that. It’s been really hard. There, in May I think, we sat down together with the co-supervisor and made a plan for what needed to be done, and if we didn’t accomplish this, there would be no thesis. …and it was difficult. I had to re-do the meeting actually, bacause I didn’t manage to be as explicit as I should have been. And that was no good, but then I called for a new meeting and it was better. Then he understood and we could actually talk through what it means and how we shall do it right and I feel it goes much better now.

Caring for the student

Narrative “Caring for the student” What happens is that after a seminar you have a follow-up with the student and then the question is how to deal with what has been said (at the seminar) so that it isn’t perceived as too aggressive, too big or negative. How to mitigate it, or pick out the viable content. In case somebody says “I think you wrote far too much about this or that theorist” it is naturally a question of how you stop the student from breaking down…but picking up what is useful.

Narrative “Caring for the student” I have this student, he always have economic problems and troubles. He didn’t finish his Ph. D on time in 4 years. He did it in 5 years. And the department helped and gave him some teaching for half a year. And I paid his rent for half a year from my project. This also helped. The rent for his house. For living. … I know you can’t really, but at that time you could. Because I could not pay him salary, but you can do something to compensate. Because you HAD to help him.

Balancing roles

Narrative “Balancing roles” There are so many dilemmas in supervision and in research which cannot be solved in a course, but it is very rewarding to discuss with somebody who is more experienced. Should you take the easy, straight route for your student, or should you take this which is a bit more challengeing, and educative? With my first Ph. D student I took too many risks and it turned really troublesome and I learned a lot from that. Now I try to first play it safe so that we can have a bit more risky adventures towards the end.

Narrative “Balancing roles” The challenge is that the main supervisor takes up too much space as I experience it, and talk to much himself. So the student isn’t allowed to come out properly, not as I interpret it. The student HAS become much better at dealing with those situations, but I still find it difficult, and have to mediate the space. And I can also feel that if I were the main supervisor I would plan the supervision in a different way. It would be more directed: “Today we are going to talk about this. How did it feel talking about that”. I would do it more like that. …supervision is to a lesser degree about fact knowledge and much more about these other skills, to be able to see problems and solutions. It is much more design and structure. What can be said on the basis of what, and that you must make the student believe in her project.

A balanced supervision Listen In control Product Task Relationship Laissez faire Process Speak 1/4/2022 Klara Bolander Laksov, Stockholm University, Sweden

Learning to supervise

Narrative “Learning to supervise” In the beginning I thought it was awful to have the responsibility for how it would go. My Ph. D student was very ambitious and very skilled early in the education and that made me feel it was particularly hard to. …because I felt it as if it doesn’t work out now, when he seems good, then it’s all my fault. And then it would have been good with support, there in the beginning, when you decide what to do. …I feel insufficient and feel that I don’t know enough. Sometimes you wish that you knew it all, you can’t but you’d wish, so especially in the beginning I felt ”am I really qualified to be a supervisor”?

Narrative “Learning to supervise” To me the course was important because it gave me a better understanding of the importance of supervision. That it is a relationship that is rather special. And then I really brought with me this thing about process- and productsupervision. I thought it was important. It wasn’t something I had put words on previously. Nowdays I keep back a little about my specific advice on how to do it and try to make them…we talked about (at the course) asking questions instead so that they themselves can find the (answer)…perhaps it is a good solution. It is something that develops over time too, but I guess the seed was planted then (at the course (

Lack of trustful collegial conversations Trust?

Narrative “Lack of trustful conversations” It is easier to be open in a trans-institutional environment like the on the course. You were confronted with scenarios that made it possible to discuss on a very personal level. It is far too sensitive to do at our department. There is so much prestige between colleagues. I don’t feel that weaknesses and problems can be discussed as the group is now, group dynamically, as far as I have been around, but I could imagine that with other individuals that could change. I wish there was a ‘higher ceiling’ between colleagues, but there are many practicalities that need attention. Some questions are sensitive and I wouldn’t want to expose Ph. D students in that group. It is a trustful relationship between supervisor and student that I am not prepared to…. All issues don’t need to be shared.

Narrative “Lack of truthful conversations” We have meetings with the small group once a year to see that the student is progressing, and you could also go to them and talk about supervision, but I haven’t chosen to talk to them, Rather I have spoken to people with a door open. Or people who are in the same kind of situation as me, I mean who graduated about the same time and who have a student who is at a similar stage in their process. Those are the ones I have turned to.

Research question How do supervisors who took the course feel the course provided them with guidance and tools to deal with their challenges? • It did help and gave tools. • It focused mainly on intrapersonal and relational dimensions, less on procedural and product dimensions. • Other situations that contributed to development • - informal conversations

Ways forward based on challenges: • Make expectations overt • Balance kindness and pressure • Develop significant networks • Balance roles over time and in relation to student and co-supervisor • Acknowledge the supervisor as learner

Thank you for your attention! Klara Bolander Laksov Klara. bolander. laksov@edu. se