Student supervision in social work practice placements – content and experiences

Jasper, Catherine (2022) Student supervision in social work practice placements – content and experiences. Doctoral thesis (PhD), Manchester Metropolitan University.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the content and activities of student social work placement supervision, complemented by student and Practice Educator (PE) views and experiences of placement supervision. Whilst the pedagogical importance of student placement supervision is consistently promoted within the practice learning literature, the focus on the fine detail and content of supervision is an underresearched area of practice. Data was gatherered using ethnographic methods (audio recording of supervision sessions) and via semi structured interivews, and some documentary data (supervision records) was also collected and analysed. Eleven student and PE dyads submitted audio recordings of 30 supervision sessions undertaken during 100 day final student placements (2 or 3 audio recordings from each dyad), equating to 30 hours of audio recorded supervison time, and each audio recorded session was fully transcribed. A qualitative approach to analysing the supervision audio recordings was taken, using Ethnographic Content Analysis (Altheide ,1987). A bespoke Coding Frame was developed to code topic coverage and the content and activities of supervision. After placement completion, semi structured interviews were undertaken with students and PEs from the same dyads, to explore student and PE experiences of thier placement supervision. Whilst findings indicated that discusssion of 'case work' (the student's direct work with service users) framed supervison sessions and could thus suggest the 'managerial capture' of supervision, the analysis within the thesis promotes the construct and possibility of 'case work' as ‘gateway’ for wider dialogue, theoeretical deliberations and discussion. Analysis of student and PE interviews complement these findings and indicate that the quality of the student and PE relationship is pivotal for the promotion of such dialogue, and a key contributor to student learning. The thesis concludes that to enact and facilitate this 'gateway', the educative repurposing of student placement supervision is required; the PE role in the facilitation of student learning has to be actively promoted and the enabling and facilitative function of the PE role be purposefully aligned with the content and process of student supervision. Specific suggestions and considerations for future PE training are made regarding this required enhanced pedagogical focus within student supervision.