NARRATIVE INQUIRY OF SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP WITH PHD STUDENTS; VOICES FROM PAKISTANI ACADEMIA

Abstract

The current study is entitled “Narrative inquiry of supervisory relationship with PhD students; voices from Pakistani academia, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” The purpose of the study is to explore the supervisory interaction with PhD students, challenges, and how supervisor interaction affects the quality of the study within the specific cultural context of Pakistani society. The prime objectives of the study are to explore the personal narrative of the students regarding their supervisor interaction with male and female students and to examine how students' supervisor interaction affects the quality, motivation, and productivity of academia. For the current study, the researcher used a qualitative study as a research design. A total of eight sample sizes is selected purposively from the Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan. The data was collected through open-ended in-depth interviews from the respondents and was analyzed through narrative analysis. The analyzed data were presented in the form of themes and respondents' narratives, stories, etc. The analyzed data reveal that the personal qualities and abilities of the supervisor lead to the academic growth of the students. It is the personal qualities of the supervisor through which the soft skills, management and discipline skills of the students can be enhanced. Similarly, the expertise of the supervisor in the research area has a positive impact on the academic growth of the students. Further, regarding the gender differences, the views of the respondents reflect differently, as most of the respondents shared that it is not a barrier for the students or the supervisor; however, a few respondents shared that due to the socio-cultural context of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is very challenging for the scholar to conclude his/her PhD on time as time management, coordination, discussion of ideas and timely response is mandatory in gender different supervisory role.