Supervision – the most variable of variables: student perspectives

Abstract

The supervision literature often conceptualizes the supervisor as the primary person in doctoral students' progress. Yet, there is growing evidence that the supervisor is but one of many resources that students draw on. Our study takes up this idea in answering the question: What is students' experience of their supervisory relationships over time? Sixteen social science participants in two UK universities, at different points in their doctoral journeys, completed logs of a week's activities for a number of months before being interviewed. This distinct longitudinal approach provides a more nuanced understanding of students' perceptions of the supervisory relationship, specifically, varied reasons for seeking supervisory help, distinct needs related to where students were in their progress, and diverse in which they negotiated and characterized the supervisory relationship.