Title:
|
A developmental model of supervision for educational psychology : from training through to professional practice
|
This study gives a snapshot of supervision of Educational Psychologists in
Training at the point when training enters a period of major change (the move to
a three-year Doctorate programme) and where the profession itself is at a
crossroads in terms of a shift towards more defined multi disciplinary practice
under the umbrella of Every Child Matters.
The study first explored the role, status and training of supervisors of Educational
Psychologists in Training through a short survey and content analysis of material
on supervision provided by 10 of the 13 MSc Educational Psychology
Programmes and used this to devise an agenda for Focus Groups with
supervisors in the Joint London Placement Group and with Educational
Psychologists in Training at one London University. The themes emerging from
the Focus Groups were used to devise a questionnaire that was sent out to all
supervisors of Educational Psychologists in Training on the core or major
placement for that year. Grounded theory was used to begin to build a model of
supervision that would meet the needs of psychologists working at a number of
levels and allow a framework to be provided for both supervisor and supervisee
regardless of the predominant or espoused psychological theory.
Results indicated that there was almost universal interest in having a model of
supervision that was developmental in nature and which allowed for a range of
supervision activities and interventions to be planned, used within the supervision
sessions and reviewed. The questionnaire showed a high proportion of
respondents who received little or no support when supervising an Educational
Psychologist in Training, a paucity of supervision models within services, and a
generally low status accorded to supervision. One method suggested for both
improving the quality of supervision and increasing its status was to extend
supervision courses and insist that qualification in this is a pre-requisite of
supervising Educational Psychologists in Training.
The model was presented at a meeting of MSc Educational Psychology
Programme Leaders in December, 2005, and written feedback was received
from the group. The model was generally welcomed as appearing to fit those
going on placement in Year 1 and for their work under supervision at Years 2 and
3. The model lends itself to specific supervision training and it is now hoped to
trial it as a supervision model within services.
|