Qualitative undergraduate dissertation supervision in psychology: current practice, needs and support for supervisors

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to report on a project that investigated supervisors’ experiences of supervising qualitative psychology undergraduate dissertations. This research identifies common themes of supervision experience and highlights the need for training, support and an online resource for supervisors and students. Background: The dissertation is a core component of a psychology undergraduate degree, though very little research has been conducted into supervision processes and experiences at undergraduate level. Methods: Seventeen supervisors from psychology university departments in North-East England and Scotland were interviewed about their experiences of supervising qualitative undergraduate dissertations. Supervisors were recruited through personal contacts and referrals. The semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and covered issues relating to early experiences of supervision, sources of support, the dissertation process (from signing-up students to marking dissertations) and needs for supervision. The transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, and three core themes were identified: (1) the ‘quantitative culture’ in psychology teaching and its relevance for both student learning and supervisor experience, (2) supervisors’ expertise including the absence of training and staying within one’s comfort zone, and (3) the supervision process including the matching of supervisor to student and progression through a qualitative project. Conclusions: The results support previous research into the qualitative dissertation experience and further highlight the need for support and training in qualitative dissertation supervision. Concrete recommendations are suggested to help attend to these needs: an online resource which would provide materials and discussion space for this topic (such as a repository of examples of marked qualitative dissertations with indicators of their strengths and weaknesses, case studies or testimonials about qualitative dissertations, and access to free software for qualitative analysis). The limited number of staff members who supervise qualitative dissertations in each department can often mean that there is a lack of collegial support and an online resource would provide a means through which supervisors and students can ask questions and discuss qualitative dissertation issues within a shared community of practice.