Unveiling Supervisor-Supervisee Relationships in Master’s Thesis Writing: Insights from Students’ Voices

One of the issues that Master’s students frequently experience when writing their theses is how they view and communicate with their supervisors. This study aims to gain a comprehensive understanding of supervisor-supervisee relationships in Master’s thesis writing. The study’s objective is to explore Master’s students’ supervision practices, their interactions with supervisors, and their implications for humanistic education and holistic student development. Participants at a private university in Yogyakarta, Indonesia took the online survey using Google Forms, which contained questions about their thesis writing and other connected concerns. The accounts gathered from the 35 students who responded to the questions were processed as data and interpreted using Krippendorf’s qualitative content analysis and Polkinghorne’s narrative inquiry. The framework employed was intersectionality. The study reveals that the participants perceived supervisors as (1) affable and professional academic mentors, (2) intellectual partners, and (3) personal confidantes. The participants’ accounts may provide insight into the ideal supervisor-supervisee relationship. The supervisees’ perspectives suggest that supervisors’ triple roles assist students in managing relationships and promoting whole-person growth. Several implications for strengthening humanistic education and self-development are highlighted in the study, including supervisory responsibilities, cura personalis, emotional support, and holistic development. This study contributes to the existing literature by focusing on the often-overlooked perspectives of thesis students in Indonesia, particularly at the Master’s level.