How Do Chinese Graduate Students Perceive Supervisors' Authority? Deconstructing Authority in Chinese Graduate Education (Poster 21)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Sunday 1:30 p.m.
  In Poster Session: Issues in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education

Abstract

Supervisors’ authority in Chinese graduate education is often viewed as deeply rooted in traditional culture. Utilizing Weber’s theoretical framework, this study challenges this view by emphasizing the importance of graduates’ perceptions in the construction and maintenance of authority. Through interviewing with 28 Chinese graduate students, the research identifies four distinct types of supervisory authority—academic, traditional, personal, and institutional—sustained by specific sources of legitimacy and forms of domination. Moving beyond simple cultural comparisons, this study provides a nuanced understanding of supervisory authority, framing it as a dynamic rather than a static concept. The findings also reveal operational factors and suggesting potential cross-cultural parallels in supervisory dynamics.

Authors

• Yifei Zhao, Beijing Normal University

• Lingyun Yu, Nanjing Normal University