Towards solution-focused graduate supervision: Developing a research-based live simulation for graduate supervisors

Effective supervision is vital for graduate students growing into their respected professions. Although a Solution-Focused (SF) approach can help research supervisors develop optimal capacities to support students, few training opportunities exist to date. This article describes the collaborative process of developing a live actor simulation (LAS) for supervisors to practice the SF approach at a university in Ontario, Canada. Themes generated from needs assessment surveys and interviews with 81 graduate students/alumni and 33 supervisors informed the development of three graduate student characters. Seven graduate supervisors then participated in six collaborative learning sessions to learn SF techniques and practice with simulation actors playing the student characters. Participant feedback indicated that the LAS appeared authentically emulating real-life situations they experience in graduate supervision. SF techniques were considered valuable in navigating common challenges pertinent to the supervisor-student relationship. Participants also highly valued the reflective opportunity to share concerns around their experiences with peers.