International Journal of Research Studies in Education,
2017; 6 (2): 29-40
In recent years, Tanzanian higher learning institutions have attracted many candidates to
pursue various postgraduate programmes. However, some higher education stakeholders have
echoed their concerns that the number of postgraduate students who successfully graduate
from the institutions is low, despite the increase in postgraduate enrollment. Supervisors have
consistently been identified by postgraduate students as the main source of either delaying
graduation or dropping from the postgraduate studies. This study was conducted in Tanzania,
involving 76 academic staff, including 42 males and 34 females, from four public universities
and two private universities. The study was designed to achieve two specific objectives: First,
to examine the challenges of supervising postgraduate students as experienced by supervisors
in Tanzanian higher learning institutions; and secondly, to recommend best practices for
improving the supervision of postgraduate students in Tanzanian higher learning institutions.
The findings indicated that the supervision of postgraduate students in Tanzanian higher
learning institutions faces numerous challenges which could be categorized as student-related
and administrative challenges. This calls for collaborative efforts among higher education
stakeholders to ensure quality graduates who can contribute significantly to the development
of their societies. In view of the findings of this study, it is recommended, among others, that
the higher learning institutions should improve administrative and support services to enable
both supervisors and supervisees perform their responsibilities effectively.