The Student-Supervisor Relationship

Rob Briner

Organizational Psychology

Birkbeck

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Outline

Historical context What do students want from the relationship? What do supervisors want from the relationship? What does Birkbeck want from the relationship? How does it go right? And keeping it that way How does it go wrong? And how to fix it Behaviours that can cause relationship problems Looking outside the student-supervisor relationship for

guidance Some conclusions

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Historical context

Old relationship Individual Private Unmonitored Unstructured Few rules/guidelines Unclear mutual

expectations Most power with

supervisor

New relationship Institutional Public Monitored Structured More rules/guidelines Clearer mutual

expectations More equal power

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What do students want from the relationship?

Practical guidance to help get it done Various kinds of support Socialization into subject area or profession Help with career (if going into academia) Access to networks Inspiration

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What do supervisors want from the relationship?

To give advice and support Stimulation and inspiration Satisfaction and enjoyment of helping solve

research puzzles To help advance field Joint publications Their own career enhancement

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What does Birkbeck want from the relationship? [1]

To provide excellent postgraduate research supervision

For it to ‘work’ Provide support/training for students and

supervisors Code of practice Monitoring

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What does Birkbeck want from the relationship? [2]

Postgraduate Training and Research For The MPhil and PhD Degrees: College Code of Practice (http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reg/qa/PGCodeofpractice.htm)

– A. The role of the College Research School.– B. Schools’ structures and responsibilities. – C. Supervisors’ responsibilities. – D. Research students’ responsibilities. – E. Final examinations for MPhil and PhD degrees

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What does Birkbeck want from the relationship? [3]

Examples of supervisors’ responsibilities– “…advice on the nature of research and the standards

expected; about the planning and due scope of the student’s research programme…”

– “…meet with the student for formal consultation at least three times a term in the case of full-time students, and at least twice a term in the case of part-time students…”

– “…Written work should be requested as appropriate, and returned with constructive criticism in reasonable time…”

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What does Birkbeck want from the relationship? [4]

Examples of students’ responsibilities– “monitor their progress against their research plan, and keep

their progress under regular review by maintaining a written "research log…which is made available to the supervisor”

– “…discuss with their supervisors the type of guidance and comment they find to be most helpful, and agree a schedule of meetings for reporting to their supervisor on the progress of their work…”

– “…take full account of the scholarly guidance offered by their supervisors…”

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How does it go right? And keeping it that way

When both parties get what they want When both parties are doing what they ‘should’ Mutual sensitivity Awareness of changing level and types of needs over

course of research Honesty – being clear and open Explicit progress and future plans for progress Recognising and working with differences in style and

preferences

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How does it go wrong?

When both or either party doesn’t get what it wants When both either parties are not doing what they

‘should’ Mutual insensitivity Unawareness of changing level and types of needs

over course of research Dishonesty – being unclear and closed No clear progress and no future plans for progress Not recognising and not working with differences in

style and preferences

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And how to fix it

Prevention better than cure Clarify mutual expectations Look at Code of Practice and how it’s used

within your Department/School Talk to PhD Tutor/Programme Director in your

Department/School Changing supervisors Decent supervision is a right not a privilege!

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Behaviours that can cause relationship problems

Supervisor Not responding to

questions or giving feedback quickly enough

Giving poor responses or feedback

Not being available Not showing concern or

interest in the student or their work

Student Not doing the work Not responding to

feedback or suggestions Hiding problems or lack

of progress Being too dependent

and not taking responsibility

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Looking outside the student-supervisor relationship for guidance

Other students Other staff in Birkbeck (researchers, PhD tutor) College/School/Department Guidelines Other researchers outside Birkbeck working in

your field Books about doing PhDs (not all good)

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Some conclusions

Student-supervisor relationship important but only one source of advice

Most likely to work well if both parties explicit, systematic, and use guidelines

If doesn’t work well, many ways to fix it Need to think through what you want out of your

relationship with your supervisor and how you can manage it

Be aware that what you want is likely to change over the course of your research