Group supervision: an appropriate way to guide postgraduate students?

Abstract

This article explores the potential of group supervision as a way of dealing with the growing number of students engaged in postgraduate studies. It refers to constructivist and cooperative learning theories which are applicable in this form of supervision, analyses the required changes in the supervisor’s role, and discusses key success factors such as strong relationships, the important role of the affective domain, and effective communication. While the findings refer to the benefits of group supervision, the article also discusses the problems associated with this method.