Why do Supervisors and Thesis Students Decide to Discontinue the Pedagogical Relationship?

Abstract

Thesis supervision is a pillar of postgraduate education. We analyzed the supervisor-thesis relationship investigating the reasons that may lead to its discontinuity from the perspective of both parties. A descriptive quantitative study was made, based on an ad hoc designed survey, which was applied to a non-representative sample of 1607 thesis supervisors and thesis students from universities in Argentina. Results indicated that 58 % of thesis supervisors discontinued their relationship. Some reasons they provided were: Insufficient dedication of the student and insufficient following of the recommendations. For thesis students, the central reason was the supervisor’s lack of support.