2.2 Undergraduate EFL Learners’ Supervisory Experiences: A Review of
2.2.2 External Factors of the Supervisions’ Challenges Experienced by
External factors are experienced by undergraduate EFL learners that come from outside the students themselves. These factors are things that students cannot control. In this research based on the articles, there are five factors experienced by undergraduate EFL learners during supervision. Below is the explanation of each factor.
32 2.2.2.1 Insufficiency Expertise of Supervisors
The supervisors who have expertise in a particular field of knowledge will greatly assist the development of the student's thesis. However, there are several supervisors who do supervision with research topics that they do not even have the expertise or knowledge in that field. Cases like this began to be found by some experts. Ndubuisi et al. (2020) investigated the supervision's challenges in Nigeria.
The result showed that lack of relevant supervisory competencies is an obstacle faced by students in Nigeria. Nigerian supervisors are deficient in relevant supervisory skills because there is no professional or pre-training regarding skills that must be possessed by supervisors. Chugh et al. (2021) also researched about problems encountered by students in supervision. The finding showed that supervisors often do not have relevant subject knowledge to supervise certain projects. The supervisors negatively affect the supervision process. In this case, the supervisors will be limited in providing feedback needed by students.
These few studies indicated that insufficiency expertise of supervisors is one of the external factors of the supervisions' challenges that undergraduate EFL learners will face. The role of a supervisor who has the right expertise in a field has a major impact on the supervision that will be conducted with his students. Students will have limited opportunities to get new insight and feedback when they are conducting supervising if their supervisor is not capable and is not an expert in the research topic they are researching for their thesis.
33 2.2.2.2 Insufficiency Support of Supervisors
The literature review indicates that support from supervisor is one of the challenges in doing supervision for undergraduate EFL learners. Supervisor's support has a big role in the supervision process. The students will need support and feedback provided by their supervisors to help them in conducting their thesis. Therefore, the lack of support from their supervisors will interfere with student performance as well as hinder the supervision process. Agricola et al. (2021) investigated students' perceptions on undergraduate thesis supervision. The result showed students had negative perceptions when supervisor’s feedback or explanations were unhelpful, unclear, or not easy to understand. In addition, Djatmika et al. (2021) also found that the lack of support provided by supervisors is because supervisors do not always have time to do online supervision. Supervisors are busy with other activities that caused delaying the supervision process required by their students. In different study, Edmonds (2013) investigated the perceptions of the supervisory relationship at New Zealand universities. The students struggled with their unhelpful supervisors because the supervisors did not put any effort to guide and time for their students. Anna found that most students who had an unsupportive supervisor would discontinue their studies. The review of those studies showed that support and encouragement from supervisor are vital things needed by students in doing supervision smoothly.
34 2.2.2.3 Change of Supervisors
Another external factor of supervision challenge is a change of supervisors.
Changes in supervisors in the middle of the supervision process will certainly be very disturbing for students. Mahlangu (2021) explored the challenges of supervising postgraduate students. The result showed that the change in supervisor in the middle of the supervision process was a nuisance rather than an advantage for students.
Furthermore, the quality of research reports may be problematic. The review of this study indicated that a change in supervisor would have a considerable impact on the process that had been done by students. In this case, students should re-adapt to their new supervisor's style in doing supervision.
2.2.2.4 Internet and Technology Problems
Nowadays, the world is experiencing a COVID-19 pandemic which requires students to do everything online, especially online supervision. In online supervision activities, students and their supervisors will use applications in the form of online chat and using video conference. During the online supervision process, there are many challenges that must be faced. There are few literatures related to this aspect.
Djatmika et al. (2021) investigated supervisors' perspectives on challenges in online thesis supervision. The result showed that trouble with internet signal was a common challenge in doing online supervision. Moreover, trouble in internet signal will make it difficult for students and also the supervisor in conducting online supervision.
Similarly, Zaheer and Munir (2020) also researched about research supervision's
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challenges in distance learning. The result showed that technological problems could hinder the supervision process. In this study, technological problems include non-availability of internet, internet speed, and interrupted power supply. Connections are often lost and cause communication to run ineffectively. This eventually delays the progress of the thesis. These few studies pointed out that online supervision connection influence the supervision activities, when students faced unstable connection and technological problems, it will be challenging for them.
2.2.2.5 Supervisors’ Negative Feedback and Comments
According to Ali et al (2016), a supervisor should provide critical feedback on his/her student's written work in good time. Feedback and comment have an important role when conducting supervision. Students will be very dependent on what their supervisor says. Hence, if students get negative feedback and comment it will affect them as well as their research. Costa (2018) did a study related to this case. He did an investigation about challenges regarding postgraduate research supervision in Zambia. The result showed postgraduate students got negative feedback from their supervisors. Student performance would decrease because the feedback provided by their supervisor did not provide encouragement and made students pessimistic about their abilities. The review of this study indicates that supervisors' feedback and comments have an important role in the supervision process.
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2.3 Undergraduate EFL Learners’ Supervisory Experiences: A Review of