New Faculty Perceptions of Supervision and Mentoring - The Influence of Graduate School Experiences

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa

This study examines how newly appointed faculty perceive and enact student supervision and mentoring, drawing connections to their own doctoral experiences. Fourteen Canadian early-career academics participated, describing an ideal where supervisors also function as mentors by sharing professional and personal experience, offering guidance, and preparing students for current work and future responsibilities. Many reported their graduate supervisors did not serve as their sole or effective mentors. Participants nonetheless deliberately incorporated mentorship into their supervisory roles, suggesting that graduate-school mentoring experiences shape later supervisory practice.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Methodology

Participants and study design

Survey and interviews

8 New Faculty Perceptions of Supervision and Mentoring: The Influence of Graduate School Experiences Shannon Gadbois & Elizabeth Graham Brandon University This study examined new faculty members’ perceptions and approaches to student supervision and mentoring as related to their own experiences as doctoral students. Previous research has examined the graduate student-supervisor/mentor relationship but has yet to examine its impact on subsequent graduate student practices when they enter academic positions. Fourteen Canadian faculty members participated in a study on the experiences and expectations of doctoral candidates and early career academics. As a group, these new faculty members perceived that ideally a supervisor would also bea mentor. They perceived that a mentor shares professional and personal experience, functions as a‘sounding board,’ provides guidance and advice, and helps prepare students for the work they are currently doing and for their career responsibilities in the future. A majority of these new faculty members reported that their graduate supervisors were not their only mentor or did not function as a mentor. Furthermore, all participants reported that they consciously made an effort to include mentorship as part of their supervisory role. These findings indicated that graduate students’ own experiences of being supervised and/or mentored informed approaches with their own students. This research shows the apparent value in studying the influences of these important graduate school relationships and demonstrates the way in which our perspectives on supervisory relationships may influence subsequent practice. I n the academic relationships have profession, been given mentoring considerable attention. Researchers (e.g., Kram, 1983; Paglis, Green, & Bauer, 2006) have specified particular functions of mentors including the often informal influence on the development of self-confidence, to the more formal development of career skills needed within the profession. Specifically, Weidman and Stein (2003) argued that doctoral students acquire essential professional skills when their faculty members in their programs promote and encourage scholarly activities on a daily basis. In fact, researchers (e.g., Baker & Pifer, 2011; Schor, 2003; Schrodt, Cawyer, & Sanders, 2003; Sorcinelli & Yun, 2007) have noted proactive and supportive mentors are vital to subsequent success in the academic context. The impact of the relationship between students and their supervisors and/or mentors can mean the difference between pursuing an academic career or not doing so (e.g., Singer, Cassin, & Dobson, 2005) . Consistent with this idea, Paglis et al. (2006) longitudinal study showed that doctoral candidates whose advisors provided psychosocial mentoring (i.e., helped students develop a sense of competence in their work) and research collaborative mentoring (i.e., working with students on shared publications) showed greater research self-efficacy and research productivity in subsequent years of their studies. Research has also shown that graduate programs are not effective in preparing graduates for their roles in part because many graduate supervisors are not necessarily mentors, although students expect they will be (e.g., Austin, 2002; Gadbois & Graham, 2009; Manathunga, 2007) . Adams (2002) argued that students want mentorship that encompasses more than research skills training. Specifically, Adams proposed that graduate advisors should be helping their students develop the necessary skills so that they themselves will become effective student supervisors and mentors. In fact, although research has focused on the graduate studentsupervisor/mentor relationship, it is important to consider how this relationship might influence new student-supervisor/mentor relationships (e.g., Bean, Readence, Barone, & Sylvester, 2004) . As such, exploring the experiences of new academics should be beneficial given the import

FAQs

What does the study investigate about new faculty supervision and mentoring?

It investigates new faculty perceptions and approaches to student supervision and mentoring, specifically how these relate to their experiences as doctoral students.

How many participants took part, and what were they asked to do?

Fourteen Canadian faculty members volunteered. They first completed an online survey, and those who wished to participate in interviews contacted the authors.

What main finding emerged about the role of supervisors as mentors?

Many new faculty reported their graduate supervisors were not their only mentor or did not function as a mentor, yet all participants made a conscious effort to include mentorship in their supervisory role.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa