A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

12
Supervising research
students
Steve Ketteridge and Morag Shiach
INTRODUCTION
The growth in number of students in the UK higher education sector over recent years
has included an increase in numbers of students enrolled for research degrees. For the
majority of academics working in UK universities, supervision of research students is
now an integral part of their academic practice; indeed for many it will be an explicit
requirement of their role and clearly identified in the terms and conditions of employment
or job description, using phrases such as ‘to supervise research students through to
completion’. This chapter provides an introduction to the supervision of research students
reading for research degrees of different types, but with an emphasis on the Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.) and Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.). It will also have relevance to
those supervising similar doctorates with thesis requirements, such as the Doctor of
Medicine (MD or MD [Res]) and professional doctorates (e.g. Ed.D.).
This chapter is built on two premises. The first is that research supervision is a specialist
form of teaching. For some disciplines this has always been thought to be the case,
but for others, research has been considered very much as part of the research side of
the business. James and Baldwin (2006: 3) at the University of Melbourne set out a
number of principles of effective supervision which should inform effective practice,
including:
Supervision involves the fundamentals of good teaching, among them, concern for
students, interest in their progress, and the provision of thoughtful and timely
feedback. Good supervisors exemplify the characteristics of good teachers in any
setting.
Supervision is an intensive form of teaching, in a much broader sense than just
information transfer. The sustained complexity involves much time and energy. Good
supervisors are aware of this and of the professional commitment necessary to every
student they agree to supervise.
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