Developing a Framework for Postgraduate Supervision

The twin forces of globalization and internationalization brought about the democratization of education at all levels including postgraduate study. In Malaysia, an initiative referred to as MyBrain15 under the National Higher Education Strategic Plan (NHESP) has been put in place to produce 60,000 postgraduate doctoral graduates by 2023. Despite the significant push by the government for more knowledge and innovative workforce, the success rate of MyBrain15 leaves much to be desired. One of the reasons cited for the high attrition and low completion rates among research postgraduates around the globe has been postgraduate supervision. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a framework for postgraduate supervision. The descriptive study involved 209 postgraduate students and 120 supervisors from two local universities in Malaysia. Data were collected via two questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Based on results obtained from this exploratory study, this paper puts forward a framework for holistic postgraduate supervision based on the principles of heutagogy where all learners should be self-determined and be at the centre of their own learning.