Collaborative supervision: Collaborative learning Déirdre Ní Chróinín; Elaine Murtagh, Richard...

Collaborative supervision: Collaborative learning

Déirdre Ní Chróinín; Elaine Murtagh, Richard Bowles, Liam Clohessy

Arts Education and Physical Education, Faculty of Education

“I think it was really good that I had three quite different supervisors, because, imagine that I only had one? Then I would be like a clone of that supervisor”

Quote from a PhD graduate (Kobayashi et al, 2013)

Collaborative / joint / team / panel co- supervision!

•North American has longer tradition•More common in the Sciences than

Humanities or Social Sciences (Manathunga, 2012)

•Little research has been devoted to co- or joint supervision and its role in doctoral research and the writing of the thesis (Olmis-López & Sunderland, 2013)

Figure 1 from Kobayashi et al, 2013

PhD student’s research sits at the interface between 2 or more distinct groups

PhD student’s research utilises 2 or more distinct methodologies

Possible pitfalls

•Receiving diverse feedback (Guerin & Green, 2013)

•“Operations of power” (Manathunga, 2012)

•Problematic for students to “manage” their supervisors (Kobayashi et al, 2013)

•Problematic if no-one in the team can take an overall view of the thesis (Spooner-Lane etal, 2007)

Pros

•Broadens the range of experiences and the opportunities for the student to benefit from different points of view

•Suite of specialised expertise for interdisciplinary projects

•Junior academics can learn from more experienced supervisors

•Supervisor absences can be accommodated

Bourner & Hughes, 1991; Guerin & Green, 2013;

Can collaborative supervision develop more positive working relationships ?

My story began 2 years ago…

• I had little experience of the ‘research’ world and wasn’t sure about what to expect

• I had heard about supervisors, however,…

• The PE department were supportive and listened: I had contact with several lecturers.

• We discussed my ideas and they helped to refine them.

• Emails began to be shared and it was suggested that I would have 2 supervisors.

How it works in practice• Including everyone on all communications• Everyone attends each meeting• Piece of written work e-mailed one week before

meetings• Agenda written by me sent to supervisors in

advance• Individual written feedback/comments from each

supervisor• Discussion and multiple perspectives gained• Student as chair• Record of meeting

My experience of co-supervision (so far!)

‘Many hands make light work’

“A great supervisor oversees your academic work, is passionate about your subject area and invested in

your success”.

http://www.uvic.ca/graduatestudies/research/home/yoursupervisor/relationship/

Lee, A (2008) Supervision Teams: Making them work, Society for Research into Higher Education.

PROFESSIONAL PERSONAL

FUNCTIONAL

Directing/ Project management

Progression through tasks: acquiring resources/ monitoring

Student: organised/ responsive•Roles (e.g. contact/ lead/ cc both)•Responsibilities (e.g. deadlines/ agenda)

ENCULTURATION

Opportunities for participation within the discipline ‘legitimate peripheral participation’

Gatekeeping

Student: Apprenticeship/ Role model• Teaching assistant/ Conferences/ Meeting

attendance

CRITICAL THINKING

Socratic method/ Constructive inquiry

Evaluate/ Challenge

Student: Inquiry – synthesis of literature/ making an argument• What would Mary think/ say now? What do I

think? • Expectations (e.g. feedback schedule)

EMANCIPATION

Disorientation/Confusion…transformation

Mentoring/ Support/ Challenge

Student: Critical reflection/ Personal Growth/ Reframing/ Owning the argument

RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Supporting the emotional dimension

Relationship outside of supervisory meetings

Support/ Good team member

Student: Good team member

(Lee, 2008,p.35)

Supervisor learning?

“Doctoral supervision is the peak of the teaching

experience for academics” (Lee, 2008)

Supervisor Learning

“becoming a supervisor” is rooted in pedagogical relationships (Halso, 2011 p.568)

• Complex and multi-faceted process

Supervisor supports• How to be a supervisor

▫Own experience▫Graduate school▫Research Office

• Linking to wider networks and supports ▫Advice on research design PE PAYS Research Centre

• Supervisor identity in the wider academic community ▫Networking at conference

•Supervisor – student relationship is a critical factor in successful doctorial outcomes

•Defining roles and responsibilities: getting

the balance right

COMMUNICATION

Supervisor

Supervisor

Supervisors

Studen

t

(Guerin & Green, 2013)

For further informationDeirdre.NiChroinin@mic.ul.ieRichard.Bowles@mic.ul.ieLiam.Clohessy@mic.ul.ieElaine.Murtagh@mic.ul.ie