DOCTORAL FACULTY ADVISOR-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP: A MULTI-CASE STUDY OF THREE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES

The relationship between doctoral students and their faculty advisors is crucial for the students’ academic and professional development. While previous research has emphasised the role of faculty in providing guidance and supervising dissertations, our understanding of the dynamics and boundaries of these relationships remains limited. Many studies overlook the significance of student agency and the impact of institutional factors such as policies and practices. Historical developments and contemporary complexities within academia contribute to different interpretations of adequate supervision and healthy supervisor-student relationships. Additionally, the rise of remote and online doctoral supervision, driven by technology, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the diverse backgrounds of faculty and students, introduces cultural considerations that complicate these interactions. This study involved Delphi surveys with 301 participants, 11 interviews, and two interpretative panel sessions to explore the relationships between faculty advisors and doctoral students. The goal was to understand the influences, nuances, and indicators of productive and satisfactory relationships across various experiences and circumstances. By focusing on participants’ lived experiences, the study aimed to interpret the dynamics of doctoral student advisement and establish a framework for improving faculty-student (supervisor-student) relationships. It employed a qualitative multi-case analysis involving faculty members and PhD students from three broad disciplines: social sciences and humanities, health and medical sciences, and natural and engineering sciences. The findings revealed that doctoral advisement holds different meanings for faculty members and PhD students. Faculty members viewed themselves as having familial responsibilities toward students, while students perceived themselves as friendly employees and colleagues of the faculty. These differing interpretations affect how faculty and PhD students interact within the advisement relationship, which is primarily symbiotic and focused on student development, influenced by various disciplinary and institutional factors. This study provided valuable insights into the perceptions of satisfactory and unsatisfactory faculty advisor-student relationships. It also offered significant recommendations for enhancing doctoral advisement and improving overall outcomes. Furthermore, the findings identified specific challenges in doctoral advisement while highlighting effective practices, leading to new understandings relevant to graduate education. The study introduced a theoretical framework called “responsive advisement” to strengthen the relationship between faculty advisors and doctoral students.