Perceptions of Research Scholars towards Research Supervision and Supervisory Practices at Doctorate Level

Abstract

The current paper was about the investigation of perceptions of research scholars towards research supervision and its impact on academic satisfaction and research skills. The main objectives were to investigate the satisfaction of research scholars, explore the perceptions of research scholars about their supervisors’ expertise and supervisors’ supervisory practices in M. Phil degree. Data were collected with self-developed instrument named Doctoral Students’ Satisfaction and Research Skills Survey (DSSRSS). The statistical tests frequency distribution and t-test were applied. The result revealed that research scholars were dissatisfied with the supervisory practices of the supervisors (Mean = 2.56, SD = .754) and research expertise of the supervisors (Mean = 2.87, SD = .698). Female students were found to be more dissatisfied than those of male students in both supervisory practices and research expertise of the supervisors. The process of research supervision should be improved to get the fruitful results both quantitatively and qualitatively.