Qualitative undergraduate project supervision in psychology: Current practices and support needs of supervisors across North East England and Scotland
2016 (English)In: Qualitative Research in Psychology, ISSN 1478-0887, E-ISSN 1478-0895, Vol. 13, no 1, p. 1-19Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little research has been conducted into supervision processes at undergraduate level. This study examined the accounts of supervisors of qualitative dissertations in order to identify current practices of supervision and possible resources that might support supervision. Seventeen supervisors from psychology departments in North East England and Scotland were interviewed, and three main themes were identified using thematic analysis: the quantitative culture in psychology teaching, supervisors’ expertise, and the supervision process. Supervisors noted that students were typically constrained in their choice of methodology due to limited qualitative methods teaching, lack of training and guidance for supervisors, and concerns about the risks of demanding qualitative projects. Supervisors therefore often reported staying within their comfort zone, electing where possible to supervise only the methods that they themselves use. Recommendations for practical resources are provided to help support students and supervisors in the process of undertaking qualitative psychology dissertations.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Taylor & Francis, 2016. Vol. 13, no 1, p. 1-19
Keywords [en]
Empirical project, qualitative research, research methods teaching, supervision, undergraduate dissertation
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-141154DOI: 10.1080/14780887.2015.1075641ISI: 000374250200001OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-141154DiVA, id: diva2:1143936
Note
Funding agencies:The authors would like to thank Gillian Hendry, Ryan Kelly, Robert McQuade, and Kim Singh for their research assistance at various stages of the research project. We are also grateful for financial support for this project, which was received from the University of Strathclyde's Education Excellence Fund and Teesside University's Teaching Fund. We would also like to acknowledge the support of members of the BPS QMiP Section's Teaching Qualitative Psychology Group, formerly the Teaching Qualitative Psychology (TQP)/Teaching Qualitative Research Methods at Undergraduate Level (TQRMUL) Special Interest Group of the Higher Education Academy.
2017-09-232017-09-232017-12-07Bibliographically approved