Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Journal of Iranian Cultural Research

Supervising graduate students; Styles, opportunities, and challenges

Document Type : Scientific Research Manuscript

Author
Mohammad Saeed Zokaei
Professor of Cultural Studies, Faculty of Social Scienes, Allameh Tabataba'i University, Tehran, Iran
10.22035/jicr.2025.3321.3596
Abstract
Dissertations and theses are essential components in the process of knowledge production within universities and higher education institutions. Improving their quality and standards is key to ensuring the advancement of knowledge and strengthening its connection within social and cultural context. Based on thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with twenty-two faculty members from Allameh Tabataba'i University, this article seeks to identify the supervisory styles employed by faculty and assesses their views on opportunities and challenges they face in fulfilling this role. According to three continuums - the level of engagement, supervisory method, and attention to students' behavioral and personality characteristics-the main supervision styles can be categorized into five: delegators, disciplined caregivers, emotional supporters, personal and collaborative mentors, each with subcategories. These styles are shaped less by formal organizational rules and frameworks and more by personal experiences, preferences, power dynamics within the university, subcultures around these dynamics, and situational factors, leading to various opportunities and limitations for faculty members.
Keywords
Supervisory styles
dissertation and thesis
faculty-student relationship
power relations
university culture

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 29 April 2024
  • Revise Date 27 July 2024
  • Accept Date 09 September 2024