Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book offers an account of reflection and reflexive practices within shared learning spaces and explores how these can increase the likelihood of a successful graduate supervision. It examines how supervisory practices are influenced by socio-cultural realities, uncontextualised graduate programme structures and an absence of culturally specific supervisory training. The book looks at how policies intended to guide supervisory practices in developing countries are usually generic adaptations of Western rhetoric, neither conceptually nor contextually designed to facilitate developing world realities. It proposes a mixed-method, primarily qualitative research methodology to draw upon Pacific-led research on educational practices in order to explore the challenges – practical, cultural and epistemological – of supervising graduate theses. The book offers a ‘celebratory’ account that explores elements of perceived best practice in graduate research supervision derived from informal conversations and interactions with experienced research supervisors.