Oldal 97 [97]
A SHORT OVERVIEW OF SUPERVISION OUTCOME RESEARCH:
METHODICAL AND PRACTICAL ISSUES
to account for the change, but rather a more specific connection (specificity).
We expect the relations among variables not to be sample specific (consistency).
Causes and mediators must temporally precede the effects and outcomes
(timeline). Greater activation of the proposed mediator should be associated
with greater change in the outcome and the explanation of how a mediator or
mechanism operates should be integrated to the broader scientific knowledge
base (plausibility or coherence).
RECOGNIZING THE BENEFITS
Beyond the familiar benefits of reducing social, emotional, and behavioral
problems, supervision can have guite broad outcomes." Mediation analysis
can be most fruitfully used for comparison and modelling particular factors
of supervision effectiveness. Understanding the processes that account for
change in supervision and other interventions (e.g. coaching, counseling,
psychotherapy) we may optimize the result. Should we focus on boundaries,
style, reflective work, authority, context, questions? Clarifying mechanisms
will show the connections between what is done (supervision) and the diverse
outcomes. Better understanding of how the process works might also have
generality for understanding human functioning beyond the context of
supervision. The reverse is also true: mechanisms that explain how other
change methods work might also inform supervision.
EVIDENCE BASED RESEARCH
Though many research initiatives have addressed specific questions, evidence
base for supervision is still quite weak. Besides that there is no common
theory formulation; there is lack of evidence concerning many interventions;
a long time scale from inception to full implementation and poor transfer of
knowledge from research studies to normal clinical practice.’ Therefore, it
is temporarily suggested for practicioners to gather good-quality data from
“Kadushin — Harkness, 2002.
5 e.g. positive psychology, emotional intelligence research; L. Birnbaum, Connecting to inner
guidance: Mindfulness meditation and transformation of professional self-concept in
social work students, Critical Social Work, 6 (2005) www.criticalsocialwork.com, accessed 1
September 2015.; D. Goleman, Emotional Intelligence, New York, Bantam Books, 2005.
I. Mathews — K. Crawford, Evidence-based practice in social work, Exeter, Learning Matters,
2011.