Abstract:
Higher education developments are gradually enabling the re-conceptualisation of
postgraduate research supervision as a teaching and learning practice. This re-
conceptualisation has also led to the recognition that postgraduate research
supervisors need to be appropriately capacitated so that they can master the
supervisory craft. This study sought to explore the prospects for professional
development of postgraduate supervisors at the National University of Lesotho, by
examining supervisors’ trajectories of learning how to become supervisors and to
identify areas for further professional development. Fifteen supervisors took part in
the study. Nine (three associate professors and six senior lecturers) were interviewed
through semi-structured interviews while six junior lecturers were interviewed
through a focus group interview. The findings revealed that while most supervisors
relied mainly on the way they were supervised, they also value the experiential
learning accrued in their trajectories as supervisors. The study highlights issues for
consideration in advancing professional development of postgraduate supervisors at
the National University of Lesotho.
