With us, for us: Outcomes of a training program for novice research supervisors designed using a participatory design approach

Abstract

The aim of the research study reported in this article was to create a program that delivered a bespoke form of professional learning that a group of novice supervisors perceived themselves as needing, by engaging them more effectively in their own learning. Professional learning programs for novice research supervisors are typically designed by in the supervisors’ views of themselves as research experts and experienced supervisors. Few studies have investigated the design of such programs that have incorporated multiple stakeholders’ voices, including the novice supervisors themselves. Using a participatory mixed methods approach, a supervisor training program was devised by engaging novice supervisors at Christian universities as key stakeholders in the design of their own training. In this article, we report on this training program and on their views of themselves as supervisors after they participated in the program. Findings from this study revealed how novice supervisors especially value interactive professional learning activities and opportunities to learn from other supervisors. The study also revealed the role of confidence in the supervisors' views of themselves as supervisors.