Supervising Dissertations of Struggling Research Scholars: An Autoethnographic Inquiry

Abstract

In this autoethnographic study, I explore research scholars' emotional and psychological challenges while preparing their dissertations. To gather data, I reflect on my experience supervising three M Phil in English Language Education students at a university in Nepal. These scholars faced difficulties from the initial stages of preparing their dissertation proposals to defend their dissertations and went through a range of experiences, from trauma to satisfaction. To better understand the scholars' perspectives on dissertation writing, I examined McCann and Pearlman's (1990) theory of vicarious trauma, Astin's (1999) theory of person and environment, and Bronfenbrenner's (1979) theory of ecological models of human development. The study revealed that scholars often experience depression and trauma at certain stages of dissertation writing. This study highlights the crucial role of the supervisor, not just in academic matters but also in the mental well-being of scholars. The insights contribute to the discourse on how personal characteristics and environmental factors influence an individual's academic development. It emphasizes the importance of the supervisor's role in understanding scholars' needs and interests to create a suitable research environment for struggling scholars.