Adnan Satariyan

A Reflective Model for Action Research

One of the most important trends in education in past decades is the notion of reflective practice. This type of pedagogical practice, which is largely based on the influential approach proposed by Donald Schon (1983, 1987), focuses attention on the forms of knowledge that practitioners use in problem-solving and decision-making.

The Design and Implementation of a Short Course, Focusing on Metacognition, to Develop Writing Skills for University Students for Whom English Is an Additional Language: An Action Research Study

What is an appropriate structure for reporting a study of designing a short course to develop the writing skills of EAL university students to cope with the university assignments when following the interpretive and critical paradigms and adopting action research methodology?

Towards 'operating within' the field: doctoral students' views of supervisors' discipline expertise

Aim/Purpose: This paper considers the role of supervisors’ discipline expertise in doctoral learning from a student perspective. Background: Doctoral students need to develop expertise in a particular field of study. In this context, developing expertise requires doctoral students to master disciplinary knowledge, conventions and scholarship under the guidance of supervisors. Methodology: The study draws on a mixed-method approach, using an online survey and semi-structured interviews conducted with doctoral students. Contribution: The paper brings to the fore the role of supervisors’ discipline expertise on doctoral students’ research progress. Findings: The survey data suggest that doctoral students nominate their supervisors on the basis of their discipline expertise. They also view supervisors’ expertise as key to the development of ‘insider’ knowledge of their doctoral research. Recommendations for Practitioners: Supervisors play a pivotal role in helping doctoral students overcome intellectual barriers by imparting their discipline knowledge as well as balancing satisfactory doctoral completion rate and high quality student experience. Impact on Society: Doctoral supervision equips doctoral students with the right arsenal to be able to competently operate within their field and prepares them for their future research or professional career that demands a high level of discipline expertise. Future Research: The scope of the findings leaves open a discussion about the experiences of doctoral students matched with non-discipline expert supervisory teams; for example, the extent of the mismatch and its ramifications.