A Call for Inspection Unit for Research Students' Supervision

School inspection is a measure for monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning in pre-tertiary education in many countries. The inspectors visit the schools with specific appointments in some regions. In contrast, in others, inspectors are part of schools' leadership, examining different daily conduct and aspects influencing learning as agreed contextually. Usually, inspectors write a report which informs teachers' qualifications, learning and teaching resources availability and accessibility, and schools' general functionality, including the relationship between actors and leadership. In addition, the information supports policymakers and other school stakeholders in regulating practices and resources and formulating appropriate policies to facilitate students' learning.

However, in postsecondary education, supervisors perform teaching tasks without external monitoring or evaluating their practices. Currently, most tertiary education institutions are multicultural learning centers with students and academics with different perceptions and experiences of the roles and responsibilities of teachers and students. Consequently, their understandings may greatly conflict and sometimes challenge their cooperation in supervision. Nevertheless, the notion that teachers are life-givers to their learners and more knowledgeable have sunk into the mind of people in many regions; hence tertiary teachers remain uninspected and untouchable. Indeed, this tendency has created inequality between students and their supervisors even though institutional leadership neglect students' expectations of their supervisors.

Moreover, with the increasing number and diversity of students in most postsecondary institutions, some supervisors are incompetent with contextual teaching norms. However, when students complain about teachers' practices, they do not receive fair judgment from those currently dealing with supervision cases, hence dropping out or changing the supervisor. Indeed, universities worldwide suffer from a student attrition pandemic, and in some countries, half of the people commencing higher education withdraw.

Therefore, the author suggests establishing an independent inspection unit to deal with supervision issues in each University. Elizabeth proposes that the unit consists of four main sections; thus, the section on supervision appointment, assessment and training, dispute resolution, and grading and certifying. Furthermore, the department should employ experienced professors working fairly and independently with all supervision cases. However, the specific tasks of officials in the sections can be regulated based on the University's structure and practice. Significantly, supervision disputes should fall in the hands of experts with supervision knowledge and skills operating independently of the institution's management and leadership. Finally, the author provides a model for the department, which may be modified or adop...