Back to results

East Tennessee State University

Supervisory Feedback in Speech-Language Pathology: Preferences and Practices.

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>Research in the area of clinical supervision has historically been limited, especially in the field of speech-language pathology. Furthermore, those few studies that do exist were primarily published during the decade of the 1980's. Clinical supervision, and specifically its critical component of supervisory feedback, is crucial to all clinical training programs. However, supervision research only mentions the topic of supervisory feedback and neglects the relationship between supervisory feedback preferences and actual supervisory practices. This study was designed to identify and compare supervisor and supervisee preferences and perceptions regarding supervisory feedback, to relate these preferences to a continuum-based model of clinical supervision, and to compare the feedback preferences of all participants to actual supervisory practices.</p> <p>Supervisory feedback preferences and perceptions were obtained by using a 31-item Supervisory Feedback Preferences and Perceptions Questionnaire (SFPPQ) developed for this study. Supervisory practices relevant to feedback were examined and described by collecting written feedback from participating supervisors at three different points within a six-week period of supervisory interaction. Participants included 37 speech-language pathology graduate students and 10 supervisors from two ASHA-accredited university training programs.</p> <p>Results revealed that both supervisors and student clinicians prefer verbal, in-person feedback, which is provided immediately and consistently after each treatment session. Additional preferences supported the continuum-based model of clinical supervision; however, actual practices did not reflect adherence to this model. Findings regarding supervisory practices revealed that supervisors gave mainly direct feedback to their supervisees and that this feedback did not change over time, unlike that suggested by the continuum model. Although no link was found between level of supervisory experience and nature of feedback given, clinicians with advanced experience levels received a higher percentage of direct feedback. This finding again contradicts the recommended model of supervision.</p> <p>This research expands and extends the limited amount of supervision literature, delineates areas for future research, and discusses implications for future clinical and supervisory training. These implications include information related to specialized supervisory training and styles of adult learning.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
MS (Master of Science)
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis - unrestricted
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Communicative Disorders
Year dc:date.issued
2000

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Gurley, Janet Michelle

Subjects

dc:subject × 7

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • Copyright by the authors.

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/8
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-1040

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
East Tennessee State University
Base URL
dc.etsu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Gurley, Janet Michelle. Supervisory Feedback in Speech-Language Pathology: Preferences and Practices.. Thesis - unrestricted thesis, 2000. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/8