Table 3.

Interview outline.

Interviewees	Dimension of questions	Questions
postgraduate students	Communication way	1.How often do you contact your supervisor? What is the main content of the contact? What is the contact way (face-to-face, phone call, We Chat, etc.)? Is it you or your supervisor who contact the other?
	Communication content	2.What type of guidance does your supervisor provide (study, life, social skills, etc.)?
	Students' learning attitude	3.Do you dare to express your opinions in front of your supervisor? Why?
	Students' attitude toward supervisor	4.Do you like the way to communicate with your supervisor now? Why do you like it or not?
	Students' gains	5.How do you interact with your supervisor to help you grow? What types of growth? If not, what do you think causes it? Are there any solutions?
Supervisors	Communication way	1.How do you contact postgraduate students? How often do you contact them? Is it you or your students who contact the other?
	Communication content	2.How do you usually supervise and manage your postgraduate students? What types of supervision and management are mainly involved?
	Supervisors' educational philosophy	3.How do your postgraduate students respond to your supervision and management? What do you want them to do with your supervision
	Students' gains	4.Do you think your students have gained significantly under your supervision? What harvest do you think it brought?
	Problems and solutions	5.What is your ideal supervisory relationship in your mind? What do you think supervisors should do to establish the ideal supervisory relationship? What should postgraduate students do?