Exploring the Supervisory Practices and Written Feedback for a Self-Study Dissertation

• In Event: Supporting Across the Stages of Teacher Development: Self-Studies of Mentorship for Pre-service, Graduate, and Doctoral Students

Abstract

This article reports on my experiences and supervisory practices as a dissertation committee chair in supporting a doctoral student to complete a self-study dissertation. Particular emphasis is placed on the written feedback provided on various drafts of the doctoral student’s dissertation, as well through our shared email correspondence. Incorporating content analysis within a self-study framework, findings demonstrate how the overall feedback I provided to the doctoral student was directive 31% of the time, facilitative 42% of the time, and affective 27% of the time. Important differences emerged between the feedback provided on the dissertation versus the feedback provided through email. The significance and implications of these findings are discussed within the context of better supporting doctoral student learning.

Author

• Jason K. Ritter, Duquesne University