Meetings with Students

A: The Meeting Toolkit

Meetings with students work best when the supervisor uses thoughtful questioning, supportive feedback and reflective dialogue. These approaches help students take ownership of their research and ensure that the Extended Essay remains an independent, authentic investigation.

Supervisors are not expected to provide content expertise. Their influence comes from the way they prompt thinking, encourage clarity and guide students to make their own decisions.

A1. Questioning

Questioning is at the heart of strong supervision. It helps students clarify ideas, think critically and confront complexity. Good questions invite students to articulate their reasoning rather than look for direction.

Purposes of questioning

• To help students refine their ideas

• To prompt deeper thinking

• To encourage independence

• To reveal gaps in understanding

• To support reflective practice

Types of questions supervisors might use

Basic questions

Help students explain what they have done.

Why did you focus on this idea first

Academic questions

1. Encourage clearer reasoning or analysis.

2. How might you explain this finding more precisely

Personal reflection questions

1. Help students recognise their own growth.

2. What has been the most challenging part of your research so far

Evaluative questions

1. Encourage judgement and decision making.

2. Which sources have been most valuable, and why

Forward focused questions

1. Prompt students to decide what comes next.

2. What is your next step to strengthen your argument

These questions support the student without providing content, solutions or rewriting.

A3. Supporting Reflection

Reflection is central to the Extended Essay and is assessed directly through Criterion E. Supervisors help students reflect meaningfully by prompting them to think about:

• how their understanding has changed

• what decisions shaped their project

• which skills they developed

• how they overcame challenges

• what they might do differently next time

Reflection is not about summarising the essay. It is about understanding the process and the growth that happened along the way.

Using purposeful questioning and the SAFE framework encourages students to:

• articulate their learning

• evaluate their decisions

• recognise the strategies that supported them

• prepare more effectively for their reflective statement

• approach the viva voce with confidence

B: Meeting Types and What To Do

Supervision meetings help students refine their thinking, navigate challenges and maintain ownership of the Extended Essay. There are three optional check in sessions and three mandatory reflection sessions. Each meeting has a clear purpose, and supervisors support students through questioning, SAFE feedback and reflective dialogue.

B1. Check in Sessions

Check in sessions are optional but highly valuable. They give students structured opportunities to share their progress, clarify decisions and identify next steps. Supervisors prompt thinking rather than direct the research.

Check in One

Purpose: Early exploration and viability

Focus:

• Early ideas and initial reading

• Emerging interests and possible directions

• Whether the topic fits the subject

• Ethical considerations at the outset

• Setting expectations for using the Researcher’s Reflection Space

Supervisor role:

Ask exploratory questions to help the student clarify what they want to investigate and why. Encourage wide reading and early organisation.

Check in Two

Purpose: Refining the research question

Focus:

• Strength and clarity of the developing research question

• Availability and suitability of sources

• Feasibility of methods or data collection

• Whether the question invites analysis rather than description

Supervisor role:

Guide the student to improve focus and feasibility. Use questioning to help them evaluate their options and refine their direction.

Check in Three

Purpose: Discussing one complete draft

Focus:

• Coherence of argument

• Structure and flow

• Clarity of ideas

• Gaps in reasoning or evidence

• Alignment with requirements and criteria

Supervisor role:

Respond to the draft using open, process based questions. SAFE is especially helpful here. Supervisors do not edit, correct or restructure the essay.

B2. Mandatory Reflection Sessions

These sessions form the reflective backbone of the Extended Essay. They are recorded on the Reflection and Progress Form and help students articulate their learning for Criterion E.

Reflection Session One

Purpose: Refining the proposal

Focus:

• Presenting the working research question

• Showing early understanding of relevant concepts and methods

• Identifying ethical issues

• Planning next steps

Supervisor role:

Encourage the student to explain the reasoning behind their question and how they plan to approach the inquiry.

Reflection Session Two

Purpose: Reflecting on progress

Focus:

How understanding has changed

Progress with research and reading

Challenges and how they have been addressed

Development of structure and line of argument

Supervisor role:

Prompt reflective thinking about decisions, methods and problems encountered. Help students recognise progress and clarify what remains to be done.

B3. Reflection Session Three (Viva Voce)

Purpose: Final reflection, authenticity, and closure

Reflection Session Three is the final meeting in the Extended Essay process. It takes place after the student has submitted their final essay. The viva voce is a short, structured conversation that celebrates completion, confirms authenticity and helps the student articulate the learning that will appear in their five hundred word reflective statement.

This is not an assessment of content. It is a reflective dialogue that brings the entire journey to an end.

Aims of the Viva Voce

• To give the student space to reflect on their research decisions

• To confirm that the essay is their authentic work

• To recognise the skills and strategies they developed

• To discuss challenges they overcame and insights they gained

• To close the process in a positive and encouraging way

The tone should be warm, supportive and genuinely celebratory.

Duration

The viva voce usually lasts ten to fifteen minutes. It should feel purposeful but not rushed.

Documentation

After the viva voce, supervisors should:

1. Sign the Reflection and Progress Form to confirm the session took place

2. Ensure the student feels confident in writing their reflective statement

This marks the formal completion of supervision.