Do research supervisors generate beneficial learning outcomes for learners?

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the learning outcomes of students and the importance of research supervisors in writing research.Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire covering three dimensions: (A) skill set, (B) course arrangement, and (C) supervisor guidance was distributed to research students in Hong Kong and Chengdu, China, to examine their perceptions of a research module.Findings The regression results presented in this paper suggest that clear expectations of the course and the communication skills of supervisors or peers can explain around 20-30 percent of the change in the dependent variables of “awareness of using strategies to learn effectively,” “building self-confidence” and “quality of interaction.” With regard to the learning outcomes of students, the skills of using various resources, writing literature reviews and communication skills were perceived as being very important. For research supervisors, the quality of interaction, research experience and being approachable were all identified as being important.Practical implications The management of higher educational institutes could consider these findings when designing research curricula and selecting research supervisors so as to enhance learning outcomes.Originality/value The paper details learning outcomes from supervisors of writing research, which is important for the educational sector and the business world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]