STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THESES ADVISOR’S SUPERVISION CUSTOMIZED TO STUDENTS IN DIGITAL AGE กลยุทธ์การส่งเสริมประสิทธิผลของการให้คำปรึกษาวิทยานิพนธ์ของอาจารย์ที่ปรึกษาที่ปรับให้เหมาะสมกับผู้เรียนในยุคดิจิทัล

Abstract

The aims of this research are 1) to analyze the thesis supervision process for graduate students in digital age, 2) to create an instrument to assess advisors’ thesis supervision and the supervision effectiveness, 3) to analyze the state of advisors’ thesis supervision and the students’ outcomes, and 4) to develop strategies for enhancing advisors’ thesis supervision for students in digital age. In this 4-phase research, it started by the analysis of advisors’ thesis supervision in digital age. Interview data from ten productive advisors were analyzed by means of content analysis. In the second phase, advisors’ thesis supervision and the supervision effectiveness instrument were created and examined for content validity, reliability and construct validity. In the third phase, data from 180 master and doctoral students were collected by questionnaires and analyzed by using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), latent class analysis, and t-test. The last phase focused on developing a set of strategies for enhancing advisors’ thesis supervision for graduate students in digital age by interviewing 7 dyads of advisee-advisor. The proposed strategies were examined their suitability and feasibility by 3 experts. The key findings were as follows:
1. Advisors’ thesis supervision in digital age was to adopt technologies for supporting in thesis supervision process. Advisors used a blended method both one to one and group. There were three stages of advisors’ thesis supervision: 1) analyzing students 2) conducting thesis supervision which consists of administration, education, feedback, and emotional support, and 3) adjusting the method of advisors’ thesis supervision to suit each student.
2. The developed instrument for measuring advisors’ thesis supervision and the supervision effectiveness of graduate students and advisors which consisted of rating scale was examined for content validity (IOC from 0.75 to 1.00) and internal consistency reliability for students and advisors (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.893 and 0.892) and supervision effectiveness of students (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.951). The instrument was examined for construct validity found that the measurement model for students fit the empirical data ( (2, N=180) = 1.955, p=.376, TLI = 1.000, SRMR = 0.005 and RMSEA = 0.000) and the measurement model for advisors fit the empirical data. ( (2, N=180) = 10.370, p = .0056, TLI = 0.980, SRMR = 0.006 and RMSEA = 0.152)
3. Graduate students who used technology in thesis supervision were at a low level of 3 factors; education (M = 0.725, SD = 0.494), feedback (M = 0.708, SD = 0.463) and administration. (M = 0.694, SD = 0.443) Similarly, the advisors had low level of technology use in thesis supervision; feedback (M = 0.642, SD = 0.474), education (M = 0.639, SD = 0.487) and administration (M = 0.591, SD = 0.428), but the technology use in emotional support had the lowest level for both students and advisors. Graduate students and thesis advisors can be classed into three classes: the first class that used technology to manage online documents, the second class that used social network technology, and the third class that used basic technology in daily life. In addition, the students who used 3 or more types of the same technology resulted to the students’ self-efficacy significantly at the .05 level (t = 2.921, df = 178.00, p = .004) and increased thesis motivation significantly at the .05 level (t =3.556, df= 165.278, p= .000).
4. A set of strategies for enhancing advisors’ thesis supervision for graduate students in digital age were as follows: 1) Encouraging thesis advisors to adopt technologies in the thesis supervision process by creating a guide book for using technology in thesis supervision, 2) Advisors and students must change their paradigm or belief towards the theses supervision in digital age by organizing workshops, and 3) There are quality assurance system for advisors’ thesis supervision.