Phase 1: In Supervisors’ Words: An insider’s view of postgraduate supervision
Funded in 2000 by the then Office of the Dean of Research, ITL interviewed 27 supervisors about their supervision practice. These supervisors were nominated by Deans of Faculty, Postgraduate Research Coordinators or identified through the Sydney University Postgraduate Student Association (SUPRA) Supervisor of the Year Award. The project resulted in the publication In Supervisors’ Words: an insider’s view of postgraduate supervision edited by Peter Kandlbinder and Tai Peseta. The publication documents supervisors’ reflections of their underlying educational approaches to supervision. Three dominant themes emerged: the importance of establishing clear goals; developing partnerships; and managing the supervisory process. Download the booklet(pdf)Phase 2: Case Studies from the Recognition Module
These case studies are the work of supervisors who have successfully completed the Development Program for Research Higher Degree Supervision. The final stage of the Program requires academics to write a case study which explores an aspect of their supervision practice. The staged process of reflection and writing, invites academics to consider their experience of being supervised as a student, to identify a number of key issues that have emerged in their own experience of supervising, and to connect that exploration to the literature on supervision development. The case studies represent a range of different supervision experiences -- from novice to expert.Each of the case studies has been a collaborative effort between the author and the ITL. We will continue to add to our database of case studies as the number of supervisors who complete the Program grows.