Recommendations for Improving Graduate Adviser-Advisee Communication
Publication: Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 135, Issue 4
Abstract
Communication between advisees and their research advisers while they are in graduate school has a major impact on their academic and research performance. A model of communication process was verified using results from a poll of more than 100 engineering graduate students. Major findings from the results and analyses include that advisees appreciate an adviser’s concern, pressure, and timely feedback. However, graduate students would like their advisers to be more sensitive to their lack of technical knowledge. Feedback from the advisee to the adviser can increase the likelihood of effective communication. In addition, advisers need to better guide their students in career building aspects during the Ph.D. process (e.g., submitting papers to journals). Language differences do not appear to be significant barrier to effective communication. An array of recommendations for improving adviser-advisee communication is provided.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice
Volume 135 • Issue 4 • October 2009
Pages: 153 - 160
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Mar 21, 2008
Accepted: Mar 11, 2009
Published online: Sep 15, 2009
Published in print: Oct 2009
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