ABSTRACT
There are now a range of models for looking at research supervision. Gatfield (2005) based his research on the Blake and Mouton Managerial Grid model, and verified his work through 12 in-depth interviews with supervisors. He found two axes of ‘support’ and ‘structure’ and argued that where support and structure are low the academics’ style was found to be laissez-faire, and where support and structure were high, there was a contractual style. A pastoral style would mean that the academic provided high personal support but left the student to manage the structure of their research project and the directorial style would do the reverse. Gatfield argues (as I do) that no one approach is right or wrong, it is about appropriateness and sharing expectations.
