CD‐ROM Technology for Education and Support of Site Supervisors

The authors discuss the creation and evaluation of a CD‐ROM to train and support prepracticum, practicum, and internship site supervisors in a master's‐level counselor education program. The authors, from a small, rural, southwestern college, created and distributed a CD‐ROM containing video and document resources for this purpose. Small focus groups were then conducted to gather data to measure the CD‐ROM's effectiveness. Data showed strong support for the use of CD‐ROM technology in providing training of site supervisors. Recommendations are offered to improve future versions of the CD‐ROM.     

Field Supervision of Counselors in Training: A Survey of the North Atlantic Region

Most of the research on supervision has focused on supervisors in academic institutions (faculty members or doctoral students). In this article the authors describe a study in which they examined supervisors in community agencies where master's level counselors were assigned for practicum and internship training. The survey suggested that agencies were heavily invested in supervising graduate level counseling students and providing them with a rich clinical experience. Respondents typically had a master's degree, used various models of supervision, and provided feedback by means of self-report and audiotape or videotape review of counseling sessions. Results suggest that these supervisors had little contact with the concurrent academic supervisor and may have had little formal training in supervision. Implications of this survey include a need for more training for supervisors in graduate counseling programs and a need for more liaison between campus and field supervisors.     

School Counseling Site Supervisor Training: An Exploratory Study

This study explored the supervision training needs of site supervisors of master's program school counseling interns via the construct of self‐efficacy. Using the Site Supervisor Self‐Efficacy Survey developed for this study, the authors surveyed school counseling site supervisors in the states of Oregon and Washington (N = 147) regarding their hours of supervision training and their supervisor self‐efficacy. Results indicated that 54% of school counseling site supervisors had little or no counseling supervision training. Supervisor self‐efficacy appeared to be relatively strong, consistently so for school counseling site supervisors with over 40 hours of supervision training. A partial correlation indicated a slightly positive relationship between the hours of supervision training received and perceived self‐efficacy regarding supervision. Implications regarding school counseling site supervisor training and future research are offered.     

A model for the supervisor–doctoral student relationship

The supervisor–doctoral student interpersonal relationship is important for the success of a PhD-project. Therefore, information about doctoral students’ perceptions of their relationship with their supervisor can be useful for providing detailed feedback to supervisors aiming at improving the quality of their supervision. This paper describes the development of the questionnaire on supervisor–doctoral student interaction (QSDI). This questionnaire aims at gathering information about doctoral students’ perceptions of the interpersonal style of their supervisor. The QSDI appeared to be a reliable and valid instrument. It can be used in research on the relationship between supervisor and doctoral student and can provide supervisors with feedback on their interpersonal style towards a particular student.     

Supervision as mentoring: the role of power and boundary crossing

There is a current consensus in the literature and policy documents on postgraduate supervision that positions mentoring as the most effective supervision strategy. Authors suggest that this approach to supervision overcomes some of the problematic, hierarchical aspects embedded in supervision as a pedagogical practice. They portray supervision as an innocent and collegial pedagogy between autonomous, rational supervisors and students. However, mentoring is a powerful form of normalization and a site of governmentality. Therefore, I argue that rather than removing issues of power from the supervision relationship, describing effective supervision as mentoring only serves to mask the significant role played by power in supervision pedagogy. I have applied Devos’ investigation of mentoring to postgraduate supervision to highlight the work that mentoring does as a form of academic and disciplinary self-reproduction that can have paternalistic impulses located within it. In particular, I argue that supervisors need to be conscious of the operations of power in postgraduate supervision despite their best intentions. I have also begun to explore what implications this more nuanced understanding of supervision might have for people such as me, who are charged with the responsibility of providing academic development programs on supervision.     

Supervisors’ experiences in supervising higher education students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds during work-integrated learning of health and non-health courses

The growing number of students who are culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) relative to the host university undertaking fieldwork placements raises questions about how to best support their needs and the needs of their fieldwork supervisors so as to maximize the experience for both parties. This research aims to quantify and compare fieldwork supervisors’ perceptions of CALD versus non-CALD students’ performance during placements, the areas and levels of concern they experience in providing this supervision. Placement supervisors from health and non-health courses affiliated with an Australian University were randomly assigned to a survey containing question sets relating to their experiences in supervising CALD (n = 153) or non-CALD students (n = 168). The survey comprised Likert scale questions assessing “pressure points” to supervision and open-ended questions including strategies fieldwork supervisors typically used to assist students. Using univariate ordinal logistic regression analyses, “speaking” (coefficient, 95% CI 2.1 (1.56, 2.65)), “writing” in English (1.69 (1.17, 2.20)), and “adapting to culture of workplaces” (1.20 (0.71, 1.69)) were perceived by placement supervisors as the top “pressure points” in supervising CALD students. Interaction effects demonstrated that “difficulties in assessing CALD students’ competency” (coefficient, 95% CI?1.14 (?2.27, ?0.01), “feeling competent in supervising students for placements” (1.35 (0.26, 2.45)), and the “perception of lack of support” from either the university or employing organization (?1.70 (?2.83, ? 0.56)) were evident within fieldwork placement of health courses only. These results can assist universities and placement organizations to prioritize resources to address the key areas affecting CALD students’ performance on placements, and to improve supervisors’ experience in supervising CALD students on placements in health courses.

     

The Influence of Teacher Development on Secondary Content Area Supervision Among Preservice Teachers

This study addresses the issues and challenges faced by university supervisors when providing content-specific and general pedagogical feedback to preservice teachers. Study data highlight the perspectives of six preservice teachers as they reflect on their supervisory experiences over the course of a licensure year. Survey, interview, and written observation data from preservice teachers and university supervisors reveal the influence of teacher development and content area conventions on how preservice teachers view their teaching abilities and their expectations of university supervisors. Findings will inform how others may approach mentoring, support, and the evaluation of beginning teachers.     

Enhancing Counseling Gatekeeping with Performance Appraisal Protocols

Academic and site supervisors of counselors-in-training perform the important function of serving as gatekeepers to the counseling profession. Their endorsement of a trainee implies that the trainee is capable of carrying out the role of a counselor in an ethical and effective manner, without endangering clients. Limited guidelines and training in the gatekeeping function pose a problem for supervisors. In the quest for improved gatekeeping processes, the counseling profession may achieve greater clarity and fairness by incorporating performance appraisal protocols from the business and management fields.     

The statistical knowledge gap in Higher Degree by Research students: the supervisors’ perspective

This study sought to gain an understanding of the current statistical training and support needs for Australian Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and their supervisors. The data reported herein are based on the survey responses of 191 (18.7%) eligible supervisors from a single Australian institution. The survey was composed of both forced-choice and open-ended items relating to supervisors’ background and experience, supervisors’ perceptions of their own statistical knowledge, the capabilities of their HDR students and supervisors’ attitudes towards the provision of statistical support for HDR students. Most supervisors described themselves as being at either an intermediate or advanced level of statistical experience (74.4%) and were moderately to very confident (72.3%) supervising students in relation to statistical matters. In contrast, supervisors identified a substantial discordance, or gap, between HDR students’ statistical knowledge, which they rated at an overall introductory or lower level (76.6%), and a requirement to have at least an intermediate level of statistical knowledge to complete their degree (74.5%). The findings suggest that supervisors perceive HDR students’ statistical knowledge to be underdeveloped, that both students and supervisors are likely to benefit from the provision of formal statistics training and that supervisors value access to statistical consultancy services.     

Leadership in Guidance: A Survey of School Counseling Supervisors

The authors present the results of a survey of district-level school counseling supervisors in Virginia. The results indicate that few school divisions employ individuals with the title of guidance supervisor. In divisions where such positions exist, they are staffed most often by individuals with guidance training and experience. The supervisors surveyed indicated that they spend a substantial portion of their time providing direct consultative support and assistance to counselors, engage in few research activities, and have few consultative contacts with counselor educators. Recommendations regarding school counselor supervision are offered based on survey data.     

Adaptive research supervision: exploring expert thesis supervisors' practical knowledge

Several researchers have suggested the importance of being responsive to students' needs in research supervision. Adapting support strategies to students' needs in light of the goals of a task is referred to as adaptivity. In the present study, the practice of adaptivity is explored by interviewing expert thesis supervisors about diagnosing student characteristics in order to determine students' needs and concurrent adaptive support strategies. The findings suggest that next to competence, supervisors also diagnose elements of students' determination and context. With respect to support strategies, it is suggested that supervisors adapt to student needs in terms of explicating standards, quality or consequences, division of responsibilities, providing more/less critical feedback and sympathising. The complexity of the relationship between diagnosing student characteristics and adapting support strategies is illustrated and needs further study.     

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Perceived Supervisory Working Alliance of Counseling Trainees and Their Supervisors in Agency Settings

The present study investigated the relationships between supervisee and supervisor trait emotional intelligence (EI) levels and their perception of the supervisory working alliance. Data were collected from 64 supervisor-supervisee dyads among masters-level community counseling internship students and their site supervisors. Findings indicated that supervisees and supervisors with higher levels of trait EI tended to perceive the supervisory working alliance more positively. However, findings did not support the presence of an interaction effect between supervisee and supervisor trait EI on either supervisees’ or supervisors’ perceptions of the working alliance. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.     

The Lived Experiences of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship Students Providing Home-Based Therapy

Home-based therapy has become an ongoing trend within the mental health field. This transcendental phenomenologically designed study explored the lived experiences of clinical mental health counseling internship students (N=8) who provided home-based therapy as their primary method of gaining required clinical experience for the completion of their master’s degree. The overall personal and professional development of the students providing therapy in this setting was explored. Insights of the internship students regarding their experiences and challenges in providing home-based therapy were revealed. Recommendations based on the experiences of the students providing home-based therapy were offered. Implications to students, counselor educators, and supervisors have also been provided.

     

Suicidal Clients and Supervisees: A Model for Considering Supervisor Roles

It is likely that counselor trainees will be exposed to suicidal clients and subsequently face personal dilemmas, stress, and feelings of incompetence. Ethical guidelines mandate that supervisors have procedures to assist supervisees in such times. Currently, the literature does not provide a framework for providing such supervision. This article presents a theory‐grounded model to assist the supervision of supervisees working with suicidal clients.     

Writing in doctoral programs: examining supervisors’ perspectives

In the current context of doctoral education students are required to develop a range of complex academic literacy skills to accomplish optimal performance in their academic communities of practice. This has led to increase the interest in research on doctoral writing. However, research on how supervisors contribute to doctoral writing has not been extensive. The purpose of this study is to analyze the supervisors’ perspectives on doctoral writing by addressing three questions: a) What role do supervisors attribute to writing in doctoral training? b) What type of writing support do supervisors intend to provide to their students? and c) What are the relations between the role supervisors attribute to writing and the type of writing support supervisors offer to their students? Participants were 61 supervisors in the social sciences and humanities with diverse levels of expertise. Using a cross-sectional interpretative design, we collected qualitative data using an open-ended survey. Categories based on content analysis were established (Miles and Huberman 1994). The results demonstrated that supervisors attributed different roles to doctoral writing, ranging from process- to product-oriented and focusing on 1) producing appropriate academic texts, 2) generating epistemic activity, and 3) promoting communication and socialization. A significant number of supervisors did not attribute any role to writing but acknowledged writing as an important and neglected activity. Three categories of writing support were identified based on the type of activities supervisors reported and their involvement: 1) telling the students what to do, 2) reviewing and editing students’ texts, and 3) collaboratively discussing students’ texts. The results suggest that there are complex relations between the role that supervisors’ attribute to writing and the type of writing support supervisors are able to offer. The relations appear to be mediated by supervisors’ awareness and resources concerning doctoral writing.     

Recent trends in secondary science education in New Jersey

This article compares the results of two surveys sent to New Jersey science supervisors in 1978 and 1982 regarding the status of secondary science education in their schools. It discusses trends that have developed during the four-year period and compares them to national trends revealed in recent studies. The comparison shows that New Jersey faces many of the same problems in science education found across the country. Instruction time in science, double laboratory periods, and the use of national curriculum studies have all declined. Respondents also reported a marked increase in the number of science teachers leaving the classroom for jobs in business and industry. The recruiting of qualified teachers was a difficult task and over 9% of the public schools reported having to use teachers with emergency certification in science to meet their staffing requirements. Difficulties in using staff effectively, in obtaining adequate financial support, and in providing professional development programs were the major concerns of science supervisors.     

Postdoctoral researchers: roles,functions and career prospects

Concerns with postdoctoral research training and employment outcomes are growing at an international level. Recent studies of postdoctoral and other contract researchers in various countries emphasize common issues associated with these appointments, including the absence of any systematic definition of postdoctoral research positions, lack of policy and data on postdoctoral researchers, and increasing dissatisfaction among postdoctoral researchers with the nature of their position and with their future employment prospects. These issues are explored further in the study reported here, through an interview‐based investigation of the views of both postdoctoral researchers and postdoctoral supervisors with regard to the nature of postdoctoral research positions and the career development support provided within those positions. Key findings include substantial variation in the functions of postdoctoral researchers, and in the perceived purposes of such positions. Despite a widespread perception among both postdocs and their supervisors of limited employment opportunities in academia or research positions, there was a consistent focus among both parties on the postdoctoral period as providing preparation for such positions.     

Essential competencies for teaching students with hearing loss and additional disabilities

The purpose of this national study was to establish an initial database of the essential competencies needed for working with students who are deaf or hard of hearing with additional disabilities. Surveys were sent to program supervisors across the United States; each supervisor was asked to give the survey to a professional on his or her staff who worked with students who were deaf or hard of hearing with additional disabilities. Respondents indicated that there were 67 specific competencies needed for working with this diverse population of students. A list of the specific competencies and a rationale for providing more in-depth training for teachers is provided.