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Teaching Strategies

Setting Expectations

Clarifying your and your student's expectations at the outset can address and avoid potential problems. Make sure that both you and your student have the same understanding about:

  • Dependence vs independence
    What degree of independence is appropriate?
    How might the degree of independence change as the project progresses?
  • Style of supervision relationship
    How formal or informal will the relationship be?
    How will meetings be arranged and conducted?
    How much and what form of written material will be required for meetings/between meetings?
  • Setting the pace
    Who will set the time frames and expectations of how much work to be completed in that time?
  • Managing emotions
    How will issues such as anxiety, stress, motivation be handled?

Expectations in Research Supervision.pdf document

This questionnaire is designed to facilitate discussion of expectations held by postgraduate research students and supervisors. The questions cover many of the issues that arise during supervision of a research degree. It is recommended that the form be completed independently by supervisor and student and that the responses be discussed at a supervision meeting. The major objective of this process is to assist the student and supervisor to establish an effective working relationship for the duration of the research project.