Focus Groups Report: Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools

Dr Hang Li RSVP Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of York, UK

Dr Hang Li is a Postdoctoral Research Associate for RSVP. Her role focuses on the analysis of RSVP focus group data, and supporting the dissemination of RSVP qualitative findings.

Dr Lucy Atkinson Researcher, University of York, UK

Dr Lucy Atkinson is a Researcher at the University of York. With a background in politics and international development, Lucy's research has focused on teachers and pedagogy, wellbeing of separated young people, as well as youth voice and the environment.

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 reflections from academic research supervisors based at the RSVP consortium partners, an unprecedented exploration of the experience of doctoral supervisors based in industry, challenges and opportunities faced by Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools, and a ‘Deep Dive’ into the PGR experience of supervision.

The second focus group report presents the perspectives of 19 Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools from 18 UK universities. It explores how supervision quality is understood, monitored, and addressed at an institutional level. This report provides insight into the institutional structures and practices through which supervision concerns are identified, how institutions respond to poor supervision practice, and how Deans and Directors of Doctoral Schools understand supervision practice and its relationship to wider supervision culture in UK HEIs.