Satisfaction with the supervision (advise) of thesis by undergraduate students

Introduction: The preparation of a thesis involves stages of student autonomy and supervisor support. A relationship is established between the two that is not always appropriate. Hence the importance of studying the role of the supervisor, the relationships established between the two, the elements that influence the satisfaction of the advisor, as well as the quality of supervision. Objective: To analyze the satisfaction presented by the thesis students of a faculty of Dentistry with respect to their thesis supervisors. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study that included 108 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Dentistry of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (Lima, Peru). The perception they have about the supervision process of their undergraduate thesis (motivation, experience, orientation, autonomy, support, satisfaction and quality) was assessed with the use of a scale and open questions. The analysis was performed through frequencies and response coding. Results: 14.8% agreed with the relationship established with the advisor (higher values for fifth-year students), and 50.9% disagreed. Advisors with a specialist degree presented the higher satisfaction agreement (15.7%). Those teachers who did not master the subject presented greater disagreement (37%) and those who were imposed (35.2%) as well. Fifth-year students show a higher frequency of satisfaction unlike boarding school students (21.3% vs. 7.4%). Women presented higher frequencies (19.4%), agreeing with the relationship established with their advisor. Conclusions: Most of the thesis students are not satisfied with the supervision of their advisors. The biggest disagreements are among advisers who do not master the subject, are not researchers and are imposed.