Abstract

Over time, postgraduate students have voiced concerns about dissatisfaction with their research experience, particularly when some supervisors fail to provide the necessary attention, guidance, and support for successful completion of their projects. While previous research has explored various psychological and institutional factors affecting research supervision, there has been limited focus on critical components like supervisors’ competence, which is essential for enhancing student satisfaction. This study aims to address this gap in Nigeria. Using an ex post facto research design, the study surveyed 4,062 postgraduate students selected through cluster sampling. Quantitative validation of the instruments involved exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to determine the factor structure and dimensionality of the items. Convergent and divergent validities were assessed using average variance extracted (AVE) and the Fornell–Larcker criterion, while reliability was evaluated through Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability, ensuring appropriate psychometric properties. Data analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling with a covariance approach. The results revealed that supervisors’ technical, editorial, and structural competences have a direct impact on students’ satisfaction with research supervision, as well as on supervisors’ research interest. Moreover, research interest was found to mediate the relationship between supervisors’ competence and students’ satisfaction with research supervision. The study’s implications are discussed in detail.