TOWARDS EFFECTIVE PHD SUPERVISION KICT Sharing Personal Experiences

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TOWARDS EFFECTIVE PHD SUPERVISION _at_ KICT
Sharing Personal Experiences

• Presented By
• Assoc Prof Dr Husnayati Hussin
• Department of Information Systems
• Kulliyyah of ICT

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Agenda

• Overview on PhD Supervision
• Students perspective
• Supervisors perspective
• Personal Experience
• Issues considerations
• Conclusions

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Importance of Supervision

• The role of a supervisor is critical to the
  successful outcome of the candidate (Delamont
  et. al., 1997)

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PhD Supervision is a craft!

• The only way to know a craft is to practise it.
• Thus, it is learnt practically via reflective
  experience and demonstrated through practice.
• The practice of a craft is informed by knowledge
  drawn from theoretical sources however, it is
  essentially a practical endeavour.
• As a result, whilst it involves knowledge which
  can be communicated in an abstract, formal
  fashion, it also contains much informal tacit
  knowledge which is rarely communicated
  explicitly.
• It cannot be learnt in the short term (weeks or
  even months).

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Role of the Supervisor

• The role of the supervisor is not to transmit
  knowledge but rather, as someone with more
  general expertise and skills in the students
  topic area, to scaffold learning experiences of
  an increasingly complex nature..
• (Vygotsky, 1978).

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• Supervisees Perspective

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Supervisees grievance
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Grover Malhotra, 2003
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Scenario 1 (Quadrant 1)

• Interaction Style Domineering/ego-centric
• Supervision approach Hands-on / frequent
  meetings
• We dont really discuss anything
• CSF Acquiescence

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Scenario 2 (Quadrant 2)

• Interaction Style Domineering/ego-centric
• Supervision approach Hands-off/ no or
  infrequent meetings
• Please tell me he/she is in today
• CSF Process management

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Scenario 3 (Quadrant 3)

• Interaction Style Inclusive / Participative
• Supervision approach Hands-on/ frequent
  meetings
• Now I have to go down this path
• CSF Passive recognition of analysis paralysis
  vs. proactive closure

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Scenario 4 (Quadrant 4)

• Interaction Style Inclusive / Participative
• Supervision approach Hands-off/ no or
  infrequent meetings
• We didnt get much accomplished
• CSF Time Management

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What students expect from a Supervisor?

• Supervisors need to be
• Innovative
• Creative problem solver
• Resource-oriented
• Work-focused
• Technically expert
• Decisive
• Dependable

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Hope we are not one of this.
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Supervisors Perspective
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Supervising PhD is..

• Challenging!

• They have to monitor progress, be caring and
  empathetic and a team builder.
• In addition, supervisors, like business managers,
  must be able to assess which of these supervisory
  qualities is needed at any particular time..the
  supervisor must deliver each of these qualities
  with expertise, ease and care
• In order to do this, they must be able to take a
  helicopter perspective of the PhD process and
  accurately assess their own capabilities as a
  supervisor..

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Supervising PhD is..

• Rewarding!

• I have found that supervising research students
  in a happy and productive way has been one of my
  most satisfying responsibilities in higher
  education. Watching a fresh graduate become an
  independent scholar, plan the project, execute
  the plan with care and thoughtfulness, write up
  the results and present their first published
  paper at a conference is a wonderful experience

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What do supervisors expect from a supervisee?

• Hard work
• Enthusiasm
• Able to work independently
• Confidence
• Able to handle criticisms
• Able to meet deadlines

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Top Ten Mistakes

• DS do not create synergy
• DS are too reactive
• DS do not carefully evaluate opportunity costs
• DS fall into a lull period
• DS do not manage their Supervisor
• DS do not seek help
• DS do not build an asset base
• DS are too ambitious
• DS are not politically astute
• DS leave too early

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My personal approach.
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Pre-Supervision-- How do I select a PhD
student?

• The process
• Just see on paper
• Meet face-to-face (preferably)
• Key Considerations
• Is the area within my expertise?
• If not, am I willing to learn together?
• Am I motivated to supervise?
• Does the student have preferred qualities?
• Am I comfortable working with him/her?

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First few weeks.

• Getting to know him/her, family, background,
  interest, etc
• Understanding his/her motivations for pursuing
  PhD
• Clarifying PhD expectations (research method
  classes, proposal defense at end of Year 1,
  etc..)
• Standard milestone or progress Year 1, Year 2,
  Year 3
• Sharing your expectations (be in charge, constant
  communication, paper presentation)

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First year is critical!

• Establish trusting relationship
• More frequent meetings usually fortnightly
• Reminding on PG policies regulations
• Ensuring he/she attends Research Method class
• Assess students competency, motivation,
  commitment
• Encourage student to explore domain area
• Require him/her to search-read-write-think on
  research articles

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Identifying researchable topic
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Preparing for Defense of proposal

• Clarify / justify on research focus probable
  method
• Attempt to understand his/her thoughts or
  arguments
• Chapters development Chp 2 (literature review),
  Chp 3 (Framework), Chp 4 (method) and Chp 1
  (intro)
• Guide on academic writing style
• Problem signal Intervention.

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Managing Expectations

• Multiple tasks
• Honor agreements
• Open communication seeking others advice, etc
• During meeting, share your research thoughts
  ideas, problems, plans
• Written report submitted at least a day before
  research meeting
• Conference papers
• Doctoral consortium participation

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Handling the relationships

• Build TRUSTING relationship
• Open door policy -- approachable
• Responsible read submissions and return in
  reasonable time
• Support access to resources, handling the
  sponsor, family / personal problems
• Moral support / motivation
• Sincerity

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Teamwork

• Foster collaboration
• Involve other experts
• Integrate candidate into research group or
  industry network
• Enhance professional development through joint
  paper writing

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Data Collection Challenges

• Usually, by now, students are more confident and
  independent
• Less frequent meetings
• Assist in handling practical problems
• Ensure he/she has the skills for data analysis

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Handling Data analysis, interpretations

• Quantitative study ? statistical skills
• Often they got into the trap of running all types
  of statistical analysis (sophisticated ones too!)
  without focusing on the justifications for the
  selected statistical method
• Also, the problem of shallow interpretationthey
  produce impressive write up lots of tables but
  what are the meanings and implications of these
  results?
• Frequent meetings discussion again

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The Ending Part

• Writing the thesis
• Clear plan on draft chapter submission
• Thesis refinement
• Time consuming!
• Ensuring acceptable quality
• Finding examiners
• Waiting for the viva at last a break!
• Attending the viva
• Moral support
• A Sense of relief! (when he/she performs well)

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The agony of Writing up
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The little routines

• Plan for next meeting
• Written report a day before the meeting
• Half an hour to one hour meeting
• Written comments
• List of next tasks
• Sharing of key articles
• Progress File

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A Sample.

• Notes of Meeting

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Handling students cases

• Motivated but lack of effort
• Motivated, hard working but incompetent
• Hard working but lack of research ability
• Competent but not motivated
• Competent but lack of management skill
• Etc.

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Scenario 1 motivated but lack of commitment

• Student is probably working or involved with
  other commitments
• How to handle?

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Scenario 2 Hard working but incompetent

• Student is able to produce deliverables, on time,
  but not up to the expected quality
• How to handle?

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Scenario 3 Competent but lack of management
skills

• Can produce quality work but poor in managing the
  PhD process
• Do not submit progress report
• Postphone meetings, etc
• How to handle?

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Scenario 4 Not motivated, incompetent but still
in the system..

• Chances are the progress is not satisfactory
• Critical! A headache..
• How to handle?

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Warning Signals

• Physically not on campus for quite some time
• Miss or cancel meeting consecutively avoidance?
  Did not meet the target?
• Repeatedly failed to generate text (report), meet
  deadlines or milestones
• Personal or family problems
• ? reach out and handle it before it escalates!

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Useful Tip!

• It is important to develop a comprehensive
  repertoire of supervisory strategies to suit the
  needs of different students, which encourages
  direct open discussion between supervisor and
  students..

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• Issues Considerations...

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Grover, 2004
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Success model for PhD

• Students input
• Competence personality motivation good
  management effort ? improved research ability ?
  SUCCESS
• Student / Program process
• Resources faculty (supervision) ? research
  ability
• Student Output
• Completed thesis
• Publications / Scholar

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What qualities do we look in students?

• Independence confidence?
• Theoretical knowledge broad specialize
• Competence in research method or specific
  research skills
• Ability to construct logical argument
• Ability to write clearly
• Life management skill
• Social skills network, etc

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• The issue is.how do we assess students
  competencies and motivation, etc at the entry
  point?

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Research / Program Process

• Effective supervision
• Research Skill Development program
• Availability of resources
• Expertise
• Facilities
• Research Publication Culture
• Support system monitoring, assistance, etc.

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Can supervision be learned / trained?

• It is a craft!....need to experience the process
• Whilst institutional regulations guidelines
  may proclaim the duties of supervisory roles, the
  actual practice of that role encompasses large
  amounts of tacit knowledge
• Trial and errorlearn from mistakes
• Reflective of the process

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Supervision as a complex craft

• Supervision is a balancing act!
• guide vs. critique
• Close guidance vs. autonomy
• Supervision requires foreseeing!
• Foreseeing students potentials
• Foreseeing possibilities of the research project
• You can still the whole processwhereas the
  person writing the thesis is still at Chapter
  1..
• Supervision requires skills in timing!
• is this project do-able within 3 years?
• Intervention at appropriate juncture to maximize
  momentum

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Supervision as a complex craft (cont..)

• Supervision requires skills in critiquing!
• The aim is to cultivate or enforce rigour upon
  students intellectual thinking and writing
• I try to criticize them without leaving any
  bruises
• Supervision requires informing!
• You need to tell them a lot of practical things
  about a thesis and how to do research and so
  on.
• I tell themyoull get depressed after three
  months because youll discover that what you
  thought you were looking for isnt there
• Supervision requires guiding!
• Intellectual guidance
• I really dont think you should do that one,
  that is a difficult one, do this, this is easier,
  youll get an answer
• The craft is both a complex and contingent one
  the above operate in interactional fashion!

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Criteria for good supervision practice

• Interest in, and enthusiasm for, the supervision
• Appreciation of a range of good practice
  approaches to supervision
• Establishment, for and with students, of clear
  goals and expectations
• Productive and regular meetings held with
  students which provide them with sympathetic,
  responsive and effective academic, professional
  and personal support and guidance.
• Careful management of the supervisory process to
  achieve timely and successful completion...

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Criteria for good supervision practice

• Development of a partnership with students . to
  assist them to develop a range of generic
  attributes and to introduce them to the research
  community.
• Open communication established with students with
  timely feedback, which is both supportive and
  challenging.
• Utilization of a repertoire of supervisory
  strategies to take account of the differing and
  diverse needs of individual students
• Evidence of systematic evaluation of competency
  in supervisory skills and of critical reflection
  and engagement .., to improve supervisory
  practice.
• Use, by the supervisor, of the literature on the
  scholarship of supervision pedagogy, and of
  relevant policy issues ..
• (Brew Tai, 2004)

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A Supervisor needs to be a person who..

• has vision (who can see the wood for the trees so
  to speak)
• is creative in the supervisory process
• has the ability to acquire the necessary
  resources
• is able to motivate the student to produce
• can direct the work of students
• can check on and coordinate the various
  activities that need to be undertaken in the
  research journey
• monitors the student s progress
• can nurture, create capabilities and
• is able to foster growth of individuals.
• Perhaps most importantly a good supervisor knows
  when to do these things and can move comfortably
  between these functions and has the skills,
  knowledge and abilities to perform them.
• (Vilkinas, 2002)

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Conclusions

• PhD supervision is challenging yet rewarding!
• Effective supervision is achieved through
  practice and reflective exercise
• Effective supervisors are wise in using
  appropriate supervision strategies, taking into
  consideration individual student needs.
• Supervision requires commitment, patience and
  skills.

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Authors Supervision Experience

• PhD Supervision
• Completed PhDs -- 2
• In Progress, Main Supervisor -- 3
• In Progress, Co-Supervisor -- 4
• Master in MIS / IT By Research
• Completed Research -- 5
• MBA Projects -- 3
• PhD External Examiner -- 1
• Master By Research External Examiner -- 2
• Master Project / Thesis -- 7

• PhD Research Areas
• E-Government Success Model
• IT Outsourcing Practices Success
• E-Commerce and SMEs
• Ethics and E-Commerce
• E-Learning Readiness in a Developing Country
• Usability and E-Learning Systems
• E-Procurement
• Strategic Information Systems Planning
• Persuasive Technology
• Groupware Usability

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IIUM 23rd Convocation(25th August 2007)

• Dr Zuraini Ismail

• Dr Norshidah Mohamed

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Thank you, Wassalam.