Accessibility and flexibility: master’s level academic mentorship and research supervision at distance

Purpose This study aims to identify which aspects of distance research supervision learners found helpful to motivate their progress to qualification completion and to explore how “professional alignment” within this relationship was experienced by learners. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed Masters graduates from three Masters programmes within a vocational education tertiary institution (n = 50); this number included eight indigenous (Māori) graduates and 41 graduates who lived remotely from the polytechnic campus. Findings Graduates perceived accessibility and flexibility of distance supervision to be beneficial, especially for mature research students with dependents and paid work commitments. Māori students felt valued when cultural knowledge was incorporated into online supervision practice. Social implications: The importance of whanaungatanga (relationship building) between the learner and supervisor is paramount and needs to be included at the commencement of the supervisory relationship and repeated in the event of supervisory changes during the candidature. Effective distance supervisory relationships between learners and supervisors often persist long after graduation and provide the foundation for ongoing collaborative work. Practical implications This study contributes insights about what supports learners within master’s programmes to thesis completion where distance supervision has been the norm, rather than occurring as a pragmatic response to pandemic conditions. Furthermore, the experience of Indigenous learners highlights the importance of cultural safety within the supervision relationship. Originality/value This study expands the understanding of supervision processes that contribute to the success of Indigenous postgraduate learners.