Post-graduate diploma students' evaluation of the academic supervision practices at the post-graduate diploma level

Abstract

Supervisors' engagement in the teaching and learning process is crucial in assisting the organisation's objectives to be successfully achieved. This study evaluated post-graduate diploma students' perceptions of academic supervision practices. The study was conducted using a quantitative design. Data were collected through an online questionnaire to explore the students' views towards the supervision practices conducted at the higher institute. The target group was all post-graduate diploma students enrolled at the institute in the current academic year. The SPSS statistics package program was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated positive results that reflect the effectiveness of the efforts made in the supervision practices at the higher institute. The results also obtained more understanding and further insights into the key factors affecting supervision practices, which helped to draw recommendations on enhancing the efficiency of the supervisor's interactions in the supervision process and increasing student supervision competence.

Keywords

Academic supervision practices / Supervision / Supervisor effectiveness / Challenges / Supervisor-supervisee / Teacher / Student / Teacher-student / Student support / Post-graduate diploma

References

[1] Rana MM. Academic Supervision in Higher Education: The Case of Government Colleges in Bangladesh. Philosophy and Progress. 2022; 97-128. https://doi.org/10.3329/pp.v71i1-2.66522

[2] Ismail A, Abiddin NZ, Hassan A. Improving the Development of Post-graduates’ Research and Supervision. International Education Studies. 2011; 4(1): 78-89. https://doi.org/10.5539/ies.v4n1p78

[3] Thorndahl KL, Frandsen LN. Supervision beyond borders: Perspectives on a mutual process of becoming in higher education. Human Arenas. 2022; 5(1): 105-21. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42087-020-00135-5

[4] Wright A. The challenge of research supervision: The experience of lecturers in various academic disciplines. 2020.

[5] Saleem T, Mehmood N. Assessing the Quality of Supervision Experiences in the Different Research Stages at Post-graduate Level. Journal of Education and Educational Development. 2018; 5(2): 8-27. https://doi.org/10.22555/joeed.v5i2.1851

[6] Delany D. A review of the literature on effective Ph. D. supervision. Trinity College, Dublin: Centre for Academic Practice and Student Learning. 2008.

[7] Okeke-Uzodike OE. Post-graduate supervision in a South African transforming academic environment: A reflexivity approach. Issues in Educational Research. 2021; 31(4): 1175-94.

[8] Gohar AS, Qouta MM. Challenges of Improving the Quality of Academic Supervision of Post-graduate Studies at the Faculty of Education, Damietta University. Journal of Educational Issues. 2021; 7(1): 113-37. https://doi.org/10.5296/jei.v7i1.18292

[9] Gatfield T. Supervisory Styles: Overview & Research. 2005.

[10] Lee AM. Developing effective supervisors: Concepts of research supervision. South African Journal of Higher Education. 2007; 21(4): 680-93. https://doi.org/10.4314/sajhe.v21i4.25690

[11] Sidhu GK, Kaur S, Chan YF, et al. Establishing a holistic approach for post-graduate supervision. Taylor’s 7th Teaching and Learning Conference 2014 Proceedings: Holistic Education: Enacting Change; 2015: Springer.

[12] Al-Sakraan A. Developmental vision of the role of the academic supervisor of theses, dissertations, and complementary research of postgraduate students in departments of education at Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University. Journal of Educational Sciences. 2016; 6: 5-71.

[13] Gratrix L, Barrett D. Desperately seeking consistency: Student nurses’ experiences and expectations of academic supervision. Nurse Education Today. 2017; 48: 7-12. PMid:27681685 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2016.09.005

[14] Tlali T, Chere-Masopha J, Sebatane E, et al. Challenges Confronting Post-graduate Supervision at the National University of Lesotho:: Supervisors’ Perspectives. International Journal of African Higher Education. 2022; 9(2): 22-39. https://doi.org/10.6017/ijahe.v9i2.15367

[15] Moskvicheva N, Bordovskaia N, Darinskaya L. Role of students and supervisors’ interaction in research projects: expectations and evaluations. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2015; 171: 576-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.163

[16] Azure JR. Student’s Perspective of Effective Supervision of Graduate Programmes in Ghana. American Journal of Educational Research. 2016; 4(2): 163-169.

[17] Lubis M, Rahmanita F, Ulfa M. Communication of Supervisors on the Quality of Student Thesis. International Journal of Economics Education Research. 2022; 3(2): 32.

[18] Davis DF. Students’ perceptions of supervisory qualities: What do students want? What do they believe they receive? International Journal of Doctoral Studies. 2019; 14: 431-64. https://doi.org/10.28945/4361

[19] Bayona-Oré S. Perceptions of post-graduate students on the relationship between thesis development and performance of a supervisor. Journal of Turkish Science Education. 2021; 18(4): 559-73. https://doi.org/10.36681/tused.2021.90

[20] Yuniar RF. The impact of students’ perception on their academic background on their learning motivation. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning (JETLE). 2021; 2(2): 78-84. https://doi.org/10.18860/jetle.v2i2.11921

[21] Li X, Liu W, Hu K. Learning motivation and environmental support: how first-generation college students achieve success? Frontiers in Psychology. 2023; 14: 1280783. PMid:38145001 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1280783