The Effects of Unsupportive Supervision on Doctorate Completions

Abstract

Within the literature on doctoral student withdrawal, the student–supervisor relationship is attributed as having more influence on doctoral non-completion than other factors. This chapter examines the effect and affectedness of this relationship. Supervisory practices are examined through a student lens from ethnographic data previously collected using interviewing techniques to gather the students’ experiences of unsupported candidature. Such practices are postulated to be behavioural issues of the supervisor or institutional issues caused by funding and/or a lack of supervisor training.