Focus Groups Report: Academic Research Supervisors

RSVP has four key areas of exploration:

• Celebrate the contributions made to supervision practice by different stakeholders 

• Explore, challenge and problematise the nature of supervision as it relates to different disciplines and contexts

• Critically examine how quality and consistency of supervision is articulated, recognised and rewarded

• Learn from each other and identify what more is needed to elevate the status of supervision practice

To better understand the supervisor experience and to ensure that the professional development we have developed and piloted is grounded in the supervisor experience, we have conducted a series of focus groups with different stakeholders. These include an unprecedented exploration of the experience of doctoral supervisors based in industry, the challenges and opportunities faced by Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools and a ‘Deep Dive’ into the PGR experience of supervision.

The first of the reports details the experiences and reflections of research supervisors based at the five core consortia partners (Universities  of Nottingham, York, Coventry University, Sheffield Hallam University and King’s College London). The report is organised around the projects’ four core areas:  the role of team supervision, supervising different types of research degree, supervision in different disciplines and understanding and combatting poor supervision practice. It  explores in detail the expectations and experiences of supervisors in relation to professional development.