Learning, re‐learning and un‐learning: Our journey across the dissertation process: Reflections of two student teachers

Document Type

Article

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

Research supervision is crucial and the literature very well emphasizes the fundamental role that research supervisors play in the entire process of research work. We are novice researchers and student‐teachers, who have tried to manifest the strong link between the theory and practice of research supervision by reflecting on their concerted efforts of research under the supervision of a senior faculty, an Assistant Professor at the Aga Khan University‐Institute for Educational Development (AKU‐IED) Karachi, Pakistan. We narrate how, initially, our supervisor gauged our conceptual and intellectual level of understanding of the areas to be researched, our emerging professional needs, helped us to examine or explore that particular topic or area, and how she created a working environment in which the consensus between the research supervisor and the supervisees developed. The paper illustrates how the constructive feedback from the supervisor helped to bring clarity and focus when writing and presenting the research proposals, and how the supervisor's critical questioning brought rigor in the data analysis and took us as researchers to a desirable level of producing the research text. This paper also highlights how the research supervisor, as a mentor, contributed to the development of our research skills as supervisees and enabled us to carry out research following the requirements of quality and ethics in qualitative educational research. Although the paper reflects the learning experiences of us as two student‐teachers, from the broader perspective of research supervision it also provides some useful groundwork for both novice researchers and research supervisors.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Reflective Practice: International and Multidisciplinary Perspectives

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