Doctoral Mentorship Practices in Canadian Political Science. Issue 3 (September 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berdahl, Loleen; Malloy, Jonathan; Young, Lisa
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of political science. Volume 55:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 709
• Page End: 720
• Publication Date: 2022-09
• Subjects: doctoral training -- PhD mentorship -- PhD supervision -- PhD programs -- faculty; formation doctorale -- mentorat de doctorat -- supervision de doctorat -- programmes de doctorat -- corps professoral; Political science -- Periodicals; 320
• DOI: 10.1017/S0008423922000440
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-4239

Abstract

Abstract: Supervisors shape the PhD student experience and play a critical role in students' development. To what extent and in what ways are faculty engaged in mentorship? Are faculty mentoring more or differently now than in the past? This study of political science faculty from political science departments offering PhD programs in the English language finds that graduate supervision is changing over time, with mentorship practices becoming both more common and more varied. Supervisors do not appear to be simply replicating their own limited experience of mentorship as a PhD student. Instead, supervisors are becoming more actively and directly involved in their students' research careers in ways that increase their students' career opportunities. There is opportunity for institutions, at both the university and department level, to further invest in building the capacity and ability of supervisors to be effective mentors.