PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds

1. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds Judi Homewood Faculty of Human Sciences Macquarie University 2109 Sydney Australia Homewood@psy.mq.edu.au

2. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds my collaborators on the data presented here: Christa Jacenyik-Trawoger Catherine Manathunga (University of Queensland) Mark Parry Assoc Prof Anna Reid Elizabeth Reid Dr Claire Wakefield Dr Theresa Winchester-Seeto This project is supported by an Australian Learning and Teaching Council competitive grant

3. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds For postgraduate research supervisors and candidates, the last decade has seen increased challenges • Pressure for ‘timely’ completions • Increased globalisation of the research sector, cultural diversity is becoming the norm not the exception According to the UK Council for International Students Affairs, in 2006-2007 there were almost 40,000 postgraduate research students in the UK from non UK domiciles, this number is growing about 5 % a year http://www.ukcisa.org.uk/about/statistics_he.php#table1

4. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds All candidates have to adjust to the different learning cultures inherent in undertaking a research-based degree but when the candidate is an international student, difficulties may be magnified by cross-cultural issues : • previous educational experiences and their underlying epistemology • researching and communicating in a language that is not their first • adapting to social contexts that differ from that in their home countries • higher opportunity and direct costs

5. Project aims: To extend current knowledge of best practice in HDR supervision in a cross-cultural context; To develop multi-media resources to assist both supervisors and candidates, which will be at http://www.altc.edu.au/ by end of year

6. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds • Most literature on cross-cultural communication relates to hospitality, social work, business and health • For education, the literature is sparse, particularly for postgraduate research candidates

7. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds semi-structured interviews with supervisors (25) and candidates (30) to identify expectations, preconceptions and concerns Interviews focused on: aspects of involvement with supervisors and candidates that are beneficial and useful; the main sources of misunderstandings and problems that arise for international candidates and their supervisors

8. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds • Interpreting data is complicated by: • Identifying and defining cross-cultural contexts: difficulties can arise even with a shared first language • Cross-cultural issues are overlain by: • Different personalities • Life stage and age of candidates

9. PhD supervision when the candidate and supervisor identify with different cultural backgrounds • Emerging themes: • life outside the thesis- role of supervisor • Mismatches about expectations, roles and responsibilities, particularly the degree of academic independence allowed or expected by supervisor • Language: oral and written • - effective oral communication in meetings • with supervisor • - Feedback on written work needs to be • constructive, directive and explicit • - To what extent should the supervisor edit the thesis

10. READINESS FOR RESEARCH GUIDE FOR CROSS-CULTURAL SITUATIONS • Do you have potential supervisors who are trained in how to approach cross-cultural supervision in your university context ? • Have you talked to your potential supervisors about different cultural approaches and protocols to the candidate/supervisor relationship? • Have you talked to your potential supervisors about different cultural approaches and protocols to academic writing ? • Do you have a system in place that supports your supervisors and their candidates throughout the candidature?

11. International candidates often come to study in Australia with the intention of improving their English skills and particularly their academic English skills. Are You Ready? Do you have academic language training at a PhD level or know where to send candidates for such training ? Does your department have a member of staff who can act as an English (academic writing) advisor ? Is the level of English support available made clear to the candidate before they arrive? Do your staff members know how much responsibility they have for editing?

12. Are PhD candidates “junior colleagues” or students ? Many international students are mid career professionals or exceptionally high achievers in their home country • Do you give candidates the option of doing the PhD by publication ? • Do you insist that candidates and supervisors sit down at the beginning of the candidature to discuss/clarify their expectations of one another ? • Do you have any kind of system in the department for letting candidates know about interviews for jobs which might be of interest? • Do you use inclusive language as a department? • Are your candidates given opportunities to present their research to more experienced members of staff ?

13. The department, and especially the supervisor, may be the candidate’s only contact in the new country for some time and this may lead to different expectations as to the limits and boundaries of supervisory relationship Are your staff members prepared to advise candidates on convenient places to search for accommodation ? If not, who does this job ? Does the Department have jobs, such as Tutoring or Research Assistant jobs, which would be suitable for candidates to keep them working in the field rather than taking time-consuming and poorly paid jobs in shops etc? Do you provide any information for candidates to assist them in drawing up a budget according to the specific timeframe and needs of the field ?

14. One of the great challenges of postgraduate research training is how to create successful collaborations of researchers with diverse backgrounds

15. Do you hold seminars to discuss and to inform candidates of latest advances in the field or current research in the Department? Do you have regular academic writing and research courses, specific to your field, for candidates to attend? Do you have spaces (e.g. a tea room) where candidates can talk with other candidates and with staff-members? Do you hold workshops, reading-groups, postgraduate discussion groups etc in conjunction with other departments? Do you have training for candidates taking on tutoring jobs in your department ? What links exist with universities in the candidates’ home country ?