Written feedback in intercultural doctoral supervision: a case study

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the feedback interactions in an intercultural supervision context between a white New Zealand supervisor and a Chinese international doctoral student, who is also the author (and researcher) of this study. Using mixed methods, it examines the supervisor’s written feedback on a draft PhD proposal and the student’s feedback responses reflected in the revised draft. Qualitative inquiries generated descriptive frameworks of feedback foci and formulations and the revisions made by the student. Quantitative investigations revealed the prevalent patterns of feedback provision and response. The effects that feedback foci and formulations exerted on the responses are also discussed, drawing on the student-author’s critical self-reflection. The findings suggest the student’s responses to the feedback materialise the tension and struggle between the student and the supervisor, between the student’s cultural heritage and the institutional culture. It is important to distinguish the student’s active inaction from passive resistance in feedback responses.

KEYWORDS:

• Doctoral supervision
• feedback
• intercultural communication
• responses
• writing

Acknowledgement

I wish to thank Barbara Grant, Molly Mullen, Lawrence Zhang Jun, Alex Li and Yulida Pangastuti for their insightful suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.