Supervising PhD Students in a Resource Constrained Setting: Challenges and Prospects
Abstract
A doctoral degree education and successful completion of a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) study in a resource-constrained setting are influenced by many critical factors among whom is the quality of the supervision process. This is because a Ph.D. supervisor is expected to fashion a student’s development to address deficits in knowledge and skills, undertake intervention to ensure timely completion of the study, provide research assistance work to minimize the risk of withdrawal, and deploy personal networks to facilitate knowledge exchange and sharing to advance the study goals. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a reflection and understanding of supervision of PhD students education in a resource-constrained setting by examining the current state of PhD study, identifying the challenges that affect PhD research and supervision, and examining the interventions/opportunities that can be exploited to minimize these challenges to advance and promote the goals of a PhD study, with particular references to Uganda. It is hoped that the article will contribute to understanding Ph.D. supervision challenges in a resource-constrained setting so that the context unearthed in the paper can assist in putting into practice necessary actions and interventions to improve the quality of PhD supervision.
References
1. Abidin, N.Z., Ismail, A. and Ismail, A. (2011). Effective Supervisory Approach in Enhancing Postgraduate Research Studies, International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(2), 206-217.
2. AfricaNetherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) (2011). Available at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/15364/ASC- 75287668-36201.pdf?sequence=2
3. Ali, A. and Kohun, F. (2006). Dealing with isolation feelings at IS doctoral programs, International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 1, 21-33. Available at http://ijds.org/Volume1/IJDSv1p021-033Ali13.pdf
4. Baptista, A.V. (2011). Challenges to doctoral research and supervision quality: A theoretical approach, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 3576-3581.
5. Bunting, I., Cloete, N. and van Schalkwyk, F. (2014., An Empirical Overview of Eight Flagship Universities in Africa, 2001-2011, Cape Town : Center for Higher Education Transformation Burgess, R.G., Pole, C.J. and Hockey, J. (1994), Strategies for Managing and Supervising the Social Science PhD, Qualitative Studies in Education, 9(4), 481-500.
6. Carrol, B. (2005). Private Monies, Public Universities: Implications for Access and University Behaviours; A study of Makerere University, PhD Thesis, Stanford University.
7. Cloete, N., Bunting, I. and Maasen, P. (2014). Research Universities in Africa: An Empirical Overview of Eight Flagship Universities, Johanessburg : Center for Higher Education and Trust.
8. Cloete, N., Maassen, P. and Moja, T. (2013). Higher Education and Different Notions of Development, In: IIE Networker. Institute of International Education, Spring 2013.
9. Collins, E., Bulger, M.E. and Meyer, E.T. (2012). Discipline matters: Technology use in the Humanities, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 11, 76.
10. Dysthe, O. (2002). Professors as mediators of academic text cultures: an interview study with advisors and Masters degree students in three disciplines in Norwegian University, Written Communication, 19(4), 485-563.
11. Elgar, F. (2003). PhD Degree Completion in Canadian Universities, Final Report, Graduate Students Association of Canada.
12. Freeman, P., Johansson, E. and Thorvaldsson, J. (2010). Enhancing Research Capacity at Makerere University, Uganda through Collaboration with Swedish Universities, 2000–2008: Past Experiences and Future Direction, Stockholm : Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
13. Frischer, J. and Larsson, K. (2000). Laissez-faire in research education: An inquiry into a Swedish doctoral program, Higher Education Policy, 13(2), 132-155.
14. Goodyear, R., Crego, C. and Johnston, M. (1992). Ethical issues in the supervision of student research: A study of critical incidents, Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 23(3), 203-210.
15. Greenberg, A. and Versluis, G. (2017). Sida Supported ICT Project at Makerere University in Uganda, Stockholm : Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
16. Haksever, A. M. and Manisali, E. (2000). Assessing supervision requirements of PhD students: The case of construction management and engineering in the UK, European Journal of Engineering Education, 25(1), 19-32.
17. Halvorsen, T. (2010). Introduction, In: Reshaping Research Universities in the Nile Basin Countries, Book 2, edited by Alemu Kassahun, Mary Mwiandi and Tor Halvorsen. Kampala: Fountain Publisher.
18. HESA (2011). A Generation of Growth: Proposal for a National Programme to Develop the Next Generation of Academics for South African Higher Education. Pretoria: HESA
19. Hill, T., Acker, S. and Black, E. (1994). Research students and their supervisor: The nature of effective research supervision, Journal for Further and Higher Education in Scotland, 20(1), 23-30.
20. Hockey, J. (1996). Strategies and tactics in the supervision of UK social science PhD students, Qualitative Studies in Education, 9(4), 481-500.
21. International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (2017). Accessing and contributing to global research: the problem of the last kilometre, INASP Newsletter, March 2017, 1-7.
22. Kasozi, A.B.K. (2015). Rethinking of Our Education System: Part 1. Higher Education Project, Kampala : Makerere Institute of Social Research.
23. Khodabocus, F. (2016). Challenges to Doctoral Education in Africa, International Higher Education, 85, Spring 2016.
24. Kiamba, C. (2016). Mapping and Assessment of Innovative Initiatives in Higher Education in Africa: A Report for the MasterCard Foundation, Nairobi: University of Nairobi.
25. Kiley, M. and Austin, A. (2000). Australian postgraduate students’ perceptions, preferences and mobility, Higher Education Research and Development, 19(1), 75-88.
26. Kimani, E.N. (2014). Challenges in quality control for postgraduate supervision, International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 1(9), 63-70.
27. Liang, X. (2004). Uganda Tertiary Education Sector Report, Washington, DC: World Bank.
28. Mamdani, M. (2007). Scholars in The Market Place: The Dilemmas of Neo-Liberal Reform at Makerere University, 1989-2005,Kampala, Fountain Publisher.
29. McQueeney, E. (1996). The nature of effective research supervision, A Journal for Further and Higher Education in Scotland, 20(1), 23-31.
30. Moses, I. (1994). Supervision of higher degree students: problem areas and possible solutions, Higher Education Research and Development, 3, 153-165.
31. Mouton, J. (2011). The State of Doctoral Training in Sub-Saharan Africa: Statistics, Analysis and Challenges, African Doctoral Academy, Stellenbosch University, http://events.aau.org/userfiles/file/corevip11/presentations/state_of_dotoral_training.pdf Accessed on 12th December 2018.
32. Muriisa, R.B. (2010). It is not about Money: Financial Governance and Research in Public Universities in Uganda, In: Reshaping Research Universities in the Nile Basin Countries, Book 2, edited by Alemu Kassahun, Mary Mwiandi and Tor Halvorsen. Kampala : Fountain Publisher.
33. Muriisa, R.B. (2015). The state of doctoral education in social sciences in Uganda: Experiences and challenges of doctoral training at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, 2003 - 2010, Journal of Education and Practices, 6(10), 204-213.
34. Mutula, S.M. (2009). Challenges of Postgraduate Research: Global Context, African Perspectives: Key Note Address Delivered at the University of Zululand, 10th DLIS Annual Conference, from 9 - 10 September 2009, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.
35. NCHE (2013). The State of Higher Education and Training in Uganda 2011: A Report on Higher Education Delivery and Institutions, Kampala : NCHE.
36. Norhasni, Z.A. and West, M. (2007). Effective meeting in graduate research student supervision, Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 27-35.
37. Phillips, E.M. and Pugh, D.S. (2000). How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors, Buckingham : Open University Press.
38. Russell, A. (1996). Postgraduate Research: Student and Supervisor Views, The Flinders University of South Australia.
39. Samara, A. (2008). The PhD research school as an arena for active participation and peer learning: A Norwegian case study, Uniped Ảrgang, 31(3), 5-15.
40. Scott, C.L. (2015). The Futures of Learning 2: What Kind of Learning for the 21st Century? Paris : UNESCO.
41. Sicherman, C. (2005). Becoming an African University: Makerere University, 1922 – 2000. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
42. Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) (2012), A contribution to the development of a regional strategic plan for revitalising and strengthening higher education in the SADC region: In: Proceedings of the Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Higher Education and Training, 5 June 2012, Johannesburg, South Africa.
43. State House, Uganda (2017). Government of Uganda: Presidential Initiatives, Retrieved from http://www.statehouse.go.ug/ on 20th December 2018.
44. Wadee, A.A., Keane, M., Dietz, T. and Driekie, H. (2011a). Effective PhD Supervision - Chapter Four- Coaching: Charting Your Own Path, retrieved from http://rozenbergquarterly.com/?p=1888 on 13th January 2019.
45. Zakri, A.H. (2006). Research Universities in the 21st century: Global Challenges and Local Implications. Global Keynote Scenario at the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge: Colloquium on Research and Higher Education Policy, November 29-December 1, 2006, Paris.
2. AfricaNetherlands Research Programme on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) (2011). Available at: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/15364/ASC- 75287668-36201.pdf?sequence=2
3. Ali, A. and Kohun, F. (2006). Dealing with isolation feelings at IS doctoral programs, International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 1, 21-33. Available at http://ijds.org/Volume1/IJDSv1p021-033Ali13.pdf
4. Baptista, A.V. (2011). Challenges to doctoral research and supervision quality: A theoretical approach, Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 15, 3576-3581.
5. Bunting, I., Cloete, N. and van Schalkwyk, F. (2014., An Empirical Overview of Eight Flagship Universities in Africa, 2001-2011, Cape Town : Center for Higher Education Transformation Burgess, R.G., Pole, C.J. and Hockey, J. (1994), Strategies for Managing and Supervising the Social Science PhD, Qualitative Studies in Education, 9(4), 481-500.
6. Carrol, B. (2005). Private Monies, Public Universities: Implications for Access and University Behaviours; A study of Makerere University, PhD Thesis, Stanford University.
7. Cloete, N., Bunting, I. and Maasen, P. (2014). Research Universities in Africa: An Empirical Overview of Eight Flagship Universities, Johanessburg : Center for Higher Education and Trust.
8. Cloete, N., Maassen, P. and Moja, T. (2013). Higher Education and Different Notions of Development, In: IIE Networker. Institute of International Education, Spring 2013.
9. Collins, E., Bulger, M.E. and Meyer, E.T. (2012). Discipline matters: Technology use in the Humanities, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 11, 76.
10. Dysthe, O. (2002). Professors as mediators of academic text cultures: an interview study with advisors and Masters degree students in three disciplines in Norwegian University, Written Communication, 19(4), 485-563.
11. Elgar, F. (2003). PhD Degree Completion in Canadian Universities, Final Report, Graduate Students Association of Canada.
12. Freeman, P., Johansson, E. and Thorvaldsson, J. (2010). Enhancing Research Capacity at Makerere University, Uganda through Collaboration with Swedish Universities, 2000–2008: Past Experiences and Future Direction, Stockholm : Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
13. Frischer, J. and Larsson, K. (2000). Laissez-faire in research education: An inquiry into a Swedish doctoral program, Higher Education Policy, 13(2), 132-155.
14. Goodyear, R., Crego, C. and Johnston, M. (1992). Ethical issues in the supervision of student research: A study of critical incidents, Professional Psychology Research and Practice, 23(3), 203-210.
15. Greenberg, A. and Versluis, G. (2017). Sida Supported ICT Project at Makerere University in Uganda, Stockholm : Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
16. Haksever, A. M. and Manisali, E. (2000). Assessing supervision requirements of PhD students: The case of construction management and engineering in the UK, European Journal of Engineering Education, 25(1), 19-32.
17. Halvorsen, T. (2010). Introduction, In: Reshaping Research Universities in the Nile Basin Countries, Book 2, edited by Alemu Kassahun, Mary Mwiandi and Tor Halvorsen. Kampala: Fountain Publisher.
18. HESA (2011). A Generation of Growth: Proposal for a National Programme to Develop the Next Generation of Academics for South African Higher Education. Pretoria: HESA
19. Hill, T., Acker, S. and Black, E. (1994). Research students and their supervisor: The nature of effective research supervision, Journal for Further and Higher Education in Scotland, 20(1), 23-30.
20. Hockey, J. (1996). Strategies and tactics in the supervision of UK social science PhD students, Qualitative Studies in Education, 9(4), 481-500.
21. International Network for Availability of Scientific Publications (2017). Accessing and contributing to global research: the problem of the last kilometre, INASP Newsletter, March 2017, 1-7.
22. Kasozi, A.B.K. (2015). Rethinking of Our Education System: Part 1. Higher Education Project, Kampala : Makerere Institute of Social Research.
23. Khodabocus, F. (2016). Challenges to Doctoral Education in Africa, International Higher Education, 85, Spring 2016.
24. Kiamba, C. (2016). Mapping and Assessment of Innovative Initiatives in Higher Education in Africa: A Report for the MasterCard Foundation, Nairobi: University of Nairobi.
25. Kiley, M. and Austin, A. (2000). Australian postgraduate students’ perceptions, preferences and mobility, Higher Education Research and Development, 19(1), 75-88.
26. Kimani, E.N. (2014). Challenges in quality control for postgraduate supervision, International Journal of Humanities, Social Sciences and Education, 1(9), 63-70.
27. Liang, X. (2004). Uganda Tertiary Education Sector Report, Washington, DC: World Bank.
28. Mamdani, M. (2007). Scholars in The Market Place: The Dilemmas of Neo-Liberal Reform at Makerere University, 1989-2005,Kampala, Fountain Publisher.
29. McQueeney, E. (1996). The nature of effective research supervision, A Journal for Further and Higher Education in Scotland, 20(1), 23-31.
30. Moses, I. (1994). Supervision of higher degree students: problem areas and possible solutions, Higher Education Research and Development, 3, 153-165.
31. Mouton, J. (2011). The State of Doctoral Training in Sub-Saharan Africa: Statistics, Analysis and Challenges, African Doctoral Academy, Stellenbosch University, http://events.aau.org/userfiles/file/corevip11/presentations/state_of_dotoral_training.pdf Accessed on 12th December 2018.
32. Muriisa, R.B. (2010). It is not about Money: Financial Governance and Research in Public Universities in Uganda, In: Reshaping Research Universities in the Nile Basin Countries, Book 2, edited by Alemu Kassahun, Mary Mwiandi and Tor Halvorsen. Kampala : Fountain Publisher.
33. Muriisa, R.B. (2015). The state of doctoral education in social sciences in Uganda: Experiences and challenges of doctoral training at Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda, 2003 - 2010, Journal of Education and Practices, 6(10), 204-213.
34. Mutula, S.M. (2009). Challenges of Postgraduate Research: Global Context, African Perspectives: Key Note Address Delivered at the University of Zululand, 10th DLIS Annual Conference, from 9 - 10 September 2009, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa.
35. NCHE (2013). The State of Higher Education and Training in Uganda 2011: A Report on Higher Education Delivery and Institutions, Kampala : NCHE.
36. Norhasni, Z.A. and West, M. (2007). Effective meeting in graduate research student supervision, Journal of Social Sciences, 3(1), 27-35.
37. Phillips, E.M. and Pugh, D.S. (2000). How to Get a PhD: A Handbook for Students and Their Supervisors, Buckingham : Open University Press.
38. Russell, A. (1996). Postgraduate Research: Student and Supervisor Views, The Flinders University of South Australia.
39. Samara, A. (2008). The PhD research school as an arena for active participation and peer learning: A Norwegian case study, Uniped Ảrgang, 31(3), 5-15.
40. Scott, C.L. (2015). The Futures of Learning 2: What Kind of Learning for the 21st Century? Paris : UNESCO.
41. Sicherman, C. (2005). Becoming an African University: Makerere University, 1922 – 2000. Kampala: Fountain Publishers.
42. Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) (2012), A contribution to the development of a regional strategic plan for revitalising and strengthening higher education in the SADC region: In: Proceedings of the Extraordinary Meeting of Ministers of Higher Education and Training, 5 June 2012, Johannesburg, South Africa.
43. State House, Uganda (2017). Government of Uganda: Presidential Initiatives, Retrieved from http://www.statehouse.go.ug/ on 20th December 2018.
44. Wadee, A.A., Keane, M., Dietz, T. and Driekie, H. (2011a). Effective PhD Supervision - Chapter Four- Coaching: Charting Your Own Path, retrieved from http://rozenbergquarterly.com/?p=1888 on 13th January 2019.
45. Zakri, A.H. (2006). Research Universities in the 21st century: Global Challenges and Local Implications. Global Keynote Scenario at the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge: Colloquium on Research and Higher Education Policy, November 29-December 1, 2006, Paris.
Published
2019-06-24
How to Cite
OMONA, Walter.
Supervising PhD Students in a Resource Constrained Setting: Challenges and Prospects.
International Journal of Social Sciences, Humanities and Education, [S.l.], v. 3, n. 2, p. 101-115, june 2019.
ISSN 2521-0041.
Available at: <http://ijsshe.com/index.php/ijsshe/article/view/119>. Date accessed: 27 may 2023.
Issue
Section
Articles
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=logo}
