School Counseling Supervision: A Qualitative Summary from the Perspective of School Counseling Site-Supervisors
Abstract
School counseling supervision is an area of research that has limited information available to school counselors. As a result, a qualitative study from the perspective of school counseling site-supervisors was conducted to address the following three research questions 1) What is good school counseling supervision?, 2) What exemplifies exceptional school counseling site-supervisors?, and 3) Why do school counselors become involved in school counseling supervision? In order to best address the questions in this study, the researcher conducted individual phone interviews with ten participants working as school counseling site-supervisors throughout the United States. To increase the trustworthiness of the study the following methods were used: member checks, data saturation, triangulation, the peer review process, identification of the researcher's perspective, maximum variation, an audit trail, and participant quotations. As a result of the study, the researcher identified seven major themes. The themes identified in the study are: 1) Good school counseling supervision facilitates professional growth and development of the school counseling intern from a developmental perspective, 2) Good school counseling supervision establishes a collaborative working relationship for the intern with the supervisor and the school's stakeholders, 3) Good school counseling supervision establishes an environment that is conducive to learning, flexible and well-defined, 4) An exceptional school counseling supervisor is aware of the developmental process of the school counseling intern, 5) An exceptional school counseling supervisor acts as an educator, counselor and consultant throughout the internship experience, 6) An exceptional school counseling supervisor is self-aware and reflective in their own work as a school counselor, and 7) School counselors become involved in school counseling supervision as a part of their professional growth, continual development of the counseling profession and to maintain the professional identity of a school counselor. Finally, the researcher provides a summary of the research study's results identifying connections between the results, the existing literature and how this study fills current gaps. Additionally, the researcher provides a critical analysis of the study, the study's limitations and areas for future research to enhance the field of school counseling supervision.