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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.
