Background and programme content:
This three-day event will mainly involve supervisors of doctoral studies in at least three aspects of doctoral education. Firstly, the doctoral education context and the process of doctoral supervision prior to embarking upon studies and actual supervision will be discussed. Questions addressed include: What are the contexts in which doctoral supervision takes place? How does supervision of master's and doctoral studies differ? What are the reigning and emerging models for research supervision? How are candidates for doctoral studies selected? What are the roles and responsibilities of doctoral candidates and supervisors? How does one deal with an increasingly diverse doctoral population? Secondly, the doctoral supervision process will be looked into. Questions that will be focussed on include: How does a supervisor ensure the development of a logical argument in a thesis? How can the doctoral proposal process be well supervised? What constitutes a good literature review and how does supervisors facilitate such a review? What is the value of promoting a sound conceptual framework the doctoral research process? How is formative feedback sought and given in doctoral supervision? What guidelines can be provided to doctoral candidates to write a good conclusions chapter in a doctoral thesis? Thirdly, the completion of the doctoral education process will be highlighted by addressing questions such as the following: How are examiners of doctoral theses selected and what examination criteria are crucial? How can supervisors assist doctoral candidates with the internal auditing of their theses before submission for examination? How can doctoral work be best disseminated by publications?
Facilitator:
Dr Ruth Albertyn - is involved in research and development in the field of postgraduate supervision, doctoral education, research methodology and scientific writing. She teaches research methodology in various disciplines and supervises students on a master's and doctoral level. She has published in the field of adult and higher education both nationally and internationally.
Professor Eli Bitzer - is a past Director of the Centre for Higher and Adult Education in the Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University (SU). He has successfully supervised a total of more than 60 master's and PhD students and has published extensively in the field of higher education postgraduate supervision, doctoral education and different aspects of quality promotion in higher education.
Associate Professor Liezel Frick - is Director of Centre for Higher and Adult Education and her research focuses on creativity in doctoral education and doctoral pedagogy. She has successfully supervised master's and doctoral graduates, published various scholarly articles and book chapters and has contributed to the development of scholarship, creativity and building research networks.
Associate Professor Peter Rule - His research interests include various aspects of adult and higher education: adult learning in Africa; dialogue and learning; learning in relation to HIV and AIDS; disability and learning; community education; curriculum; students' conceptions of research; and case study research methodology. He has chaired the boards of a number of educational non-governmental organisations. His books include, 'Dialogue and boundary learning' (Sense Publishers, 2015) and, with Vaughn John, 'Your guide to case study research' (Van Schaik, 2011).
Please contact Ms Rhoda Van Rensburg at vanrensburgrhoda@sun.ac.za for more information on each short course, as well as registrations or simply click on the registration button above.