Doctorate students' peer-mentoring scheme: peer-mentoring groups on the basis of action learning sets - PALS Network

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1 Doctorate students' peer-mentoring scheme: peer-mentoring groups on the basis of action learning sets - PALS Network (UTLC Internationalisation award) Gyuzel Gadelshina (NUBS) Susan Addison (NUBS)

2 Aims of our presentation - To share information and our experience about doctoral students peer-mentoring initiative - To discuss what might be done to take it forward - To explore whether and in what ways we might be working together with other Universities.

3 International doctoral students' learning experience: problems and issues?

4 International doctoral students' learning experience: problems and issues Evidence from informal talks and personal experience of the applicants: - Lack of support - Inadequacy of the supervision system - Poor communications - Feeling of isolation - Personal trauma and anxiety - Ill health - Longer completion time than expected. Evidence from the University statistical data: - PhD completion rates across the University (particularly in HASS faculty in 2009: 63% - full time PhD, 36% - part time PhD).

5 PALS Network Project rationale Emerging contexts in the University agenda: - Establishing internationalisation as an institutional portfolio - Enhancing and improving students learning experience - Assisting the transition of doctoral students into university life and in their professional development.

6 Aim and objectives of the project Aim To create a collaborative and non-hierarchical environment for mentoring international doctoral students. Objectives To provide supportive infrastructure to facilitate doctoral journey to timely completion. To support the integration of international doctoral students in the University academic culture. To enhance the range of students transferrable skills by introducing action learning practice.

7 What is Action Learning? Action Learning can enable practitioners to learn from their action and act upon their learning in order to improve their practice and make changes (Revans, 1997). In the framework of our project Action Learning Sets are organised as a supplementary learning structure.

8 What is Action Learning Set? Action Learning Set is a group of people (usually 6-9 participants) working together in a concentrated period of time. Action learning set is guided by ground rules agreed by all participants: - confidentiality; - active listening; - being non-judgemental; - providing constructive feedback; - time commitment to the set.

9 What are Action Learning Processes? Every participant is allocated with the equal air-space to present his issue or problem. During this individual time the presenter is listened to and is offered empathic support through questioning and discussion helping him to take responsibility and to decide on action.

10 Organisation of the scheme - Start of the pilot scheme in April Contracting an external professional facilitator from the North Leadership Centre (ECLS, Newcastle University) - Recruitment of doctoral students - Action Learning Sets 1 set Started in May 2010 (4 sessions) 7 second year PhD students (HASS) from Russia, UK, Jordan, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Iran, SA 2 set Started in October 2010 (3 sessions) 6 first year PhD students (HASS) from Palestine, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, China - Training session for developing facilitation skills - Social events (3 informal get together meetings) - Development of the website - July Presentation of the project to HASS doctoral students during the induction week September 2010.

11 Methods of data collection 1. Ethnographic observations of action learning sets. 2. Informal conversations with doctoral students. 3. In-depth interviews with project participants.

12 Issues addressed by doctoral students during the action learning sets 1. Self-management/ development - Difficulties with presentation skills; - Concerns with the academic writing. 2. Relationship with the supervisor or supervision team - How to balance relationship between two supervisors; - How to improve communication with the supervisor; - How to address cultural differences; - Not satisfied with the supervisor s feedback.

13 Issues addressed by doctoral students during the action learning sets (contd.) 3. PhD process management - Cannot communicate with the topic; - Don t feel the ownership of the research progress; - Struggling with the topic and can t narrow it down; - Very slow progress. 4. Personal well-being - Feeling de-motivated; - Feeling exhausted; - Could not switch from the PhD research to other activities. 5. Time management - Tracking the progress; - Balancing different priorities (family, research and free time).

14 Our experience: what works well Peer-mentoring relationship...this is a chance for me to speak about my own problems. Especially those problems that I cannot share with the supervisor.. (PhD student from Palestine) Working in a group... The PhD is a lonely process... you can have better experience if you have a group that can support you... (PhD student from Palestine)... It is like being in a family, so to me working in a group was a very pleasant experience... (PhD student from Jordan)...The most important thing is diversity, because we have a diverse background and... [our] own perceptions about the things...so when we discuss about the same aspect others may have a different opinion. Then you can learn that there are points that you have previously missed... (PhD student from Pakistan)

15 Our experience: what works well Action learning processes...i was able to learn that unlike my own culture you are not telling person what ought to be done in the project you do not actually prescribe what should to be done, you lead the person to help him to discover himself. (PhD student from Sierra Leone) Positive attitude towards PhD progress...during our last session a month ago I felt so depressed because I was overwhelmed with the my situation and had so many problems. But now I feel more energised and happy because I managed to solve them and this project helped me a lot... (PhD student from Pakistan) Project design and organisation it is formal in one way but it is also informal. Formal by the way it is organised and in way how we need to ask the questions and to give feedback to others but informal because you can speak freely and get more honest answers.... (PhD student from Palestine)

16 Our experience: what works less well - A lack of time commitment. Doctoral students are usually facing competing pressures to help the family, to study, to conduct research and to teach - A lack of mentoring and facilitation skills among doctoral students.

17 Lessons that we have learned 1. Peer-mentoring relationship are important in developing positive attitude towards PhD progress. 2. Action Learning Sets processes enabled international doctoral students to acquire new skills such as active listening and effective questioning. 3. Doctoral students reported development of communication, networking and team-working skills. 4. Doctoral students also improved their personal effectiveness including self-discipline, self-confidence and motivation.

18 Emerging questions How might we learn from other mentoring schemes and initiatives? To what extent is this approach to doctoral students mentoring transferrable more widely? How should/ could we take this forward?

19 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION! QUESTIONS? Corresponding author:

20 Key References Bennion, E.A. (2004) The Importance of Peer Mentoring for Facilitating Professional and Personal Development. The Profession, January, pp Creighton, T., Parks, D. and Creighton, L. (2008) Mentoring Doctoral Students: The Need for a Pedagogy. The NCPEA Handbook of Doctoral Programs in Educational Leadership: Issues and Challenges, pp.1-11 Kram, K.E. and Isabella, L.A. (1985) Mentoring Alternatives: The Role of Peer Relationship in Career Development, Academy of management Journal, Vol.28, No.1, pp McGill, I. and Beaty, L. (2002) Action Learning: A Guide for Professional, Management and Educational Development, 2 ed., Kogan Page Limited: London Revans, R. (1997) Action Learning: Its origins and Nature. In Pedler, M. Action Learning in Practice (3 ed.) Bookfield, VT: Gower