Quantitative Exploration of Perceptions and Realities about the Quality of Research Supervision at PhD Level in Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions and the realities of quality of PhD research supervision in Punjab, Pakistan, including a comparative study of students and supervisors in public universities of Punjab Pakistan. The main aim of the study was to examine the role of supervisor support, academic and research guidance, professional relationships and institutional support in terms of the overall quality of PhD supervision. This research is planned to investigate the PhD scholars’ perceptions and realities of research supervision quality in Punjab, to identify the key challenges faced by students and supervisors in maintaining effective supervision, to analyze the institutional policies and support systems (or lack thereof) affecting supervision quality and to propose evidence-based recommendations for improving PhD supervision in Punjab. A cross-sectional survey has been conducted in the six universities of Punjab to interview 300 PhD Scholars. Every efforts has been exercised to collect the meaningful, reliable and trustable data through ensuring validity, reliability and ethical consideration. The analysis demonstrates that supervisors’ support, academic and research guidance, professional relationship between scholars and supervisors and institutional support to the PhD scholars are the contribution factors to ensure the quality of research supervision to the PhD scholars, In the light of research  findings it is recommended that the structures of communication in universities ought to be reinforced through attaching mandates to regular supervisory meetings and structured interaction schedules, which will ensure that academic engagement is in full swing and the quality assurance systems should be strengthened to institute monitoring mechanisms of the institution which periodically test the quality of the supervision practices and administrative policies concerning the approval of proposals, submission of the thesis and examination must be simplified in order to minimize unnecessary delays that can be counterproductive in PhD courses.

Keywords: Perceptions, Punjab, Pakistan, quality, realities, research supervision, quantitative.