Margot Pearson

Research Training and Supervision Development

Research education, or training, as it is often termed, is attracting greater scrutiny as research itself is seen of greater importance in the global knowledge economy. In turn, concerns to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of research supervision are leading to the introduction and extension of programmes for supervisor development. This article presents a framework for an approach to supervisor development, based on the assumption that in order to discuss supervisor development it is important to understand what supervisors do and why. The article examines the nature of the educative process for research students in the current research environment. It articulates the generic processes supervisors need to engage in for effective supervision, if students are to develop in differing institutional, disciplinary and professional contexts the appropriate expertise and attributes for employment; and presents an outline of what might constitute a flexible professional development programme for supervisors in this context.

The Changing Environment for Doctoral Education in Australia: implications for quality management, improvement and innovation

ABSTRACT Although there has been considerable institutional attention to quality management and improvement in Australian higher education, concerns about the quality of doctoral education persist. This paper argues that addressing these concerns will require a shift in perspective. The conventional view of doctoral education which assumes an on‐campus, full‐time student experience, with socialisation arising formally and informally through interaction with the supervisor(s) and other academics in a university department, and which prepares the candidate for academic or other full‐time research work, is increasingly recognised as problematic. The rapid growth in candidate numbers is associated with a more diverse doctoral student population, and increasingly flexible patterns of research and study. These trends are likely to continue as they are in response to major changes in the higher education environment and changes in patterns of research activity. The argument presented is that addressing concerns ...

Enabling critical reflection on research supervisory practice

This paper describes the development of an instrument—The Reflective Supervisor Questionnaire (RSQ). The RSQ maps the domain of research supervisory practice as a facilitative process involving educational tasks and activities. It is designed to assist research supervisors explore, by means of self‐reflection and reflection on feedback from others, how they practise supervision. In developing the RSQ 58 items were generated describing 5 hypothesised constructs derived from prior research. The resulting instrument was tested on postgraduate research students in 2 institutions. The questionnaire correlated highly with an established questionnaire supervision scale and with an overall satisfaction measure. Four factors identified in an exploratory analysis closely approximated the hypothesised constructs and extended the theoretical framework being developed. These 4 factors identified 4 subsets of facilitative supervisory practice: Progressing the Candidature, Mentoring, Coaching the Research Project, and Sponsoring Student Participation in Academic/Professional Practice. Issues in the interpretation of the findings and the possible usage in academic development programs of an instrument based on them are discussed.

Framing research on doctoral education in Australia in a global context

The scope of doctoral education scholarship continues to broaden to include such issues as the complex interactions of higher education and research policy and practice, changes in knowledge production, and the status of research students, among others. However in this article I argue for framing this scholarship and research within a comparative approach that links more rigorously and critically developments in Australia with what is happening worldwide. To establish this case I explore dominant narratives current in doctoral education scholarship in Australia to challenge some myths and assumptions about the historical record; and to problematise the nature of government and institutional policy development, the ways in which the changing research environment connects with research education, and our connections with international and increasingly global educational systems. To conclude I introduce some current approaches to rethinking higher education theory and research that have potential for framing research on doctoral education in ways that acknowledge the complexity and the significance of multi‐actor, multi‐level local, national, international and global interactions.The scope of doctoral education scholarship continues to broaden to include such issues as the complex interactions of higher education and research policy and practice, changes in knowledge production, and the status of research students, among others. However in this article I argue for framing this scholarship and research within a comparative approach that links more rigorously and critically developments in Australia with what is happening worldwide. To establish this case I explore dominant narratives current in doctoral education scholarship in Australia to challenge some myths and assumptions about the historical record; and to problematise the nature of government and institutional policy development, the ways in which the changing research environment connects with research education, and our connections with international and increasingly global educational systems. To conclude I introduce some current approaches to rethinking higher education theory and research that have potential for framing...

Professionalising Ph.D. Education to Enhance the Quality of the Student Experience.

Ph.D. student numbers have been increasing in Australia as has government interest in the economic and social outcomes of graduate education (Moses 1994, Cullen et al. 1994). Yet the position of Ph.D. students can still be seen as marginal within universities and the institutional organisation of Ph.D. education as problematic. This situation can be related to the highly individualistic nature of research and supervision which is both a barrier to and part of the argument against efforts to examine and discuss in general the processes of research training and supervisory interactions across disciplinary and departmental boundaries. This article positions all Ph.D. students, in all fields of study, as learners in a form of professional education -a perspective which offers a way out of this apparent dilemma. Drawing on data from a study reported in Cullen et al. (1994) the following topics are explored: Ph.D. students as learners of the knowledge and skill of the professional practice of research and scholarship; the role of the supervisor in assisting students to become independent practitioners; and the complementary professional role of student participation in the academic community. Implications for policy and practice to professionalise Ph.D. education and enhance the quality of the student experience are discussed.

How shall we know them? Capturing the diversity of difference in Australian doctoral candidates and their experiences.

Although there is general agreement that doctoral students and their experiences are diverse, in what respect this is true is in question. Most institutional practices in the collection of data in this regard have been established to satisfy government reporting requirements and concerns, such as funding, participation and equity, and efficiency. Missing is more detailed and nuanced quantitative data and analysis, complementary to those of qualitative studies, to illuminate the nature and extent of doctoral student diversity and the effects on the quality of their candidacy. Drawing on select data and findings from a national survey of Australian doctoral candidates conducted in 2005, the article questions the utility of commonly used categories for quantitative data collection and analysis, and their use as the basis of (sub)groupings to represent doctoral diversity. In so doing, it presents a more complex picture of doctoral candidature that depicts the idiosyncrasy of the individual experience, as well as generic characteristics. Central to the argument is that doctoral candidates are diversely different, bringing varying goals, expectations, career histories and family and community responsibilities beyond the academy, that shape their engagement with their candidacy.

Using digital data and bibliometric analysis for researching doctoral education

As more digital data become publicly available new opportunities for researchers in education are arising. Researchers may be unaware of the existence and usefulness of such data even though these are freely available. In this article the use of one such source of information is described and its potential for research into research education discussed. We sought to exploit the research potential of the existing, yet dispersed, collection of online Australian thesis records to inform their research into the development of the PhD in Australia. Having created a searchable and reliable database from the available records, bibliometric analyses enabled us to map knowledge production and research capability in institutional and disciplinary settings from 1949 to 2003 as indicated by PhD theses. This is in contrast to the more familiar use of data based on student load or completion rates, and complements that data by focusing on research output as opposed to student throughput.

Classifying Australian PhD theses: linking research and library practices

This article draws on the findings from, and the methods and approach used in the provision of a database of Australian PhD thesis records for the period 1987 to 2006, coded by Research Fields, Courses and Disciplines (RFCD) fields of study. Importantly, the project was not merely the creation of yet another database but something that constitutes a valuable research resource in its own right. The database is significant as it can be used to track knowledge production in Australia over a twenty year period and contains approximately 54,000 bibliographic records. Recommendations for practice relate to university libraries, doctoral candidates, and the coded database.

Approaches to Individualising Instruction — A Review

ABSTRACT Although there is an extensive literature available on individualised instruction and self‐paced learning, much of it concerns particular methods and systems. This review looks at the development of individualised instruction, identifies issues and problems common to all variants and assesses the evidence on outcomes in terms of student achievement, student access, costs, and the role of the teacher. It is concluded that: individualised instruction is unlikely to reduce costs; may improve access but not automatically for all target groups; requires a commitment on the part of the teachers to be effective; provides a range of strategies which extend the options available to educators intent on improving teaching and learning.

Development from within academe: Eschewing imperialism, managerialism and missionary zeal?

Abstract In the current turbulent environment as we face pressures for efficiency and commercialization, good intentions will not be sufficient. Reflection on what the future holds for us is timely. In this article two case examples of academic development, drawn from the experience of staff at The Australian National Universitys Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, are presented and analysed. A key issue for the field of academic development emerging from this critical examination of the cases is how units and those working in them are positioned in relation to academic colleagues, academic practitioners, and senior officers who are university leaders and managers. Through the case studies and discussion the article explores issues of our location; it concludes that reflection on our models and theories, and critical rethinking of our practice, are essential first steps in deciding on our own professional development.