Abstract

ROSAS, Ana Karina; FLORES, Daniela  and  VALARINO, Elizabeth. The thesis tutor' s role: Responsabilities, functions and personal conditions. Investigación y Postgrado [online]. 2006, vol.21, n.1, pp.153-185. ISSN 1316-0087.

This study shows the results of a field research, descriptive and transversal, done with graduate students writing their thesis from five graduate programs at the Universidad Simón Bolívar. The students gave their opinions on the relevance of certain variables associated with the tutor’s role and his or her performance. Six indicators were used: performance, importance, discrepancy, level of criticism, and the hierarchy of both the variable of success and the one of risk. According to the students, the ten most important tutor’s role characteristics were: research experience, confidence, responsibility, openness to discuss the material, tutoring experience, emotional stability, constructive contributions and suggestions, abilities managing information, and knowledge of new lines of research. The study was useful to evaluate the tutor’s role and to detect the most important aspects to be considered when designing, implementing and evaluating effective programs for guiding graduate research. It is recommended to extend this investigation to other graduate programs in order to identify their own variables of success and risk.

Keywords : tutorial function; tutor; graduate thesis.