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Successful Postgraduate Mathematics Education Supervision

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Mathematics Education in a Context of Inequity, Poverty and Language Diversity

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Abstract

As postgraduate education expands internationally, the demand and pressures for successful outcomes have also increased. A key aspect under scrutiny in this is the timeous completion of a quality dissertation or thesis. This chapter explores the postgraduate research supervision perspectives and practices of one exceptional mathematics education researcher, Jill Adler, as a contribution to the conversation and understanding of mathematics education research supervision. The question is what can be learnt about supervision from her reflections and experiences, which have taken place in a post-Apartheid South Africa? The chapter draws on data from a larger South African Project on Postgraduate Education Research (1995-2004) and an interview with Jill Adler. The analysis yielded three paired themes, which explain her successful supervision of research students: creating community and being in community; becoming expert and being connected; and building projects and problems of practice.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    www. nrf.ac.za/rating

  2. 2.

    Goba, B. (PhD in progress). A critical analysis of knowledge produced through postgraduate mathematics education research in South Africa (1995–2004). University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 2nd Floor, Francis Stock Building Howard College Campus University KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4041, South Africa

    Renuka Vithal

  2. School of Education, Durban, 4041, South Africa

    Busisiwe Goba

Authors
  1. Renuka Vithal
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  2. Busisiwe Goba
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Correspondence to Renuka Vithal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa

    Mamokgethi Phakeng

  2. Education Department, London South Bank University, London, United Kingdom

    Stephen Lerman

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Vithal, R., Goba, B. (2016). Successful Postgraduate Mathematics Education Supervision. In: Phakeng, M., Lerman, S. (eds) Mathematics Education in a Context of Inequity, Poverty and Language Diversity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38824-3_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-38824-3_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-38823-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-38824-3

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