Experiences of supervisors in facilitating the induction of research higher degree students to fields of education

What distinguishes effective higher degree supervision in research fields of education? What are the strategies commonly employed by higher degree supervisors in these fields? Which strategies best meet the needs of education students during candidature? These questions are important because they concern the special features of higher degree study in the diverse and dynamic research fields of education. In this chapter, the authors address these questions by drawing upon the views of experienced supervisors in education and by framing these views within the context of disciplinary diversity. A key argument in the chapter is that higher degree supervision is a process that supports the induction of individuals to particular academic disciplines. The authors first examine what students need in order to master disciplinary conventions and norms necessary for successful completion of higher degree studies in the social sciences, including education. They then provide evidence of the strategies used by supervisors in education to meet these needs.