Field Instructor Perceptions in Group Supervision

Abstract

Recent studies on group supervision in social work and psychology have begun to build a systematic knowledge base on the benefits and challenges of group supervision from the perspective of students. Missing from the empirical data are supervisor perspectives on group supervision. In an attempt to address this gap, this qualitative exploratory study reports on the experiences of five field instructors who offered group supervision to 20 social work students. Although primarily focused on field instructors' perceptions, students' perspectives are also included especially when the two groups either strikingly paralleled or differed from one another. The study findings identified a number of related factors that affect the creation of a productive learning environment including: (1) extragroup factors such as students' previous histories with each other, and varying times for beginning the practicum, (2) managing difficult group member behaviours such as “the non-reflective students,” “the consultant, not learner,” and those students who cannot take risks, and (3) balancing the intersection of individual supervision and group supervision. From the analysis of the findings, the researchers propose practice principles and future research directions.