Formation, negotiation, and alignment of doctoral student and supervisors’ expectations: a co-constructed narrative

• Published in: Journal of further and higher education 2023-11, Vol.47 (10), p.1362-1374
• Main Authors: Baydarova, Irina, Collins, Heidi Ellise, Barron, Deirdre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Doctoral Students; Graduate students
• ISSN: 0309-877X; 1469-9486
• DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2023.2256683

The alignment of student-supervisor expectations in doctoral research builds a foundation for strong supervisory relationships. While some expectations around research practice and outputs are clearly stated and regulated, the expectations concerning personal aspects of supervisory relationships are seldom voiced. To address this gap, this article presents a co-constructed narrative, foregrounding the lived experiences of a doctoral student and their supervisors during the formation, negotiation, and alignment of their expectations of th roles and responsibilities within their relationships. The article highlights the complexities of articulating and aligning expectations and explores how those complexities were managed and eventually overcame by the authors. In tracing the student’s development as a researcher, authors reflect on the changes in supervision relationships and the opening of new dialogues that emerged from the converging expectations of each of the co-authors. Through the act of writing co-constructed narrative, authors’ understandings of their evolving expectations were further developed and clarified.