Murray, Elizabeth Rose. Exploring the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology's school psychology group supervision program through grounded theory. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/t3-5n5e-2g34
DescriptionThis study explored the perspectives of key stakeholders in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology's (GSAPP) school psychology training program regarding their group supervision experiences. The American Psychological Association (APA) and the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) revere supervision as essential to the practice of school psychology and the professional development of school psychologists (McIntosh & Phelps, 2000). The Principal Investigator used Grounded Theory to explore student and supervisor perspectives of the program's group supervision program through a one on one interview between the Principal Investigator and participant. The PI interviewed 22 students and four supervisors using a semi-structured interview protocol consisting of 19 question items. Strauss and Corbin's (1990) qualitative approach was employed in coding interview content across a three-step process of categorical analysis: open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. The PI used Scott and Howell's (2008) conditional relationship guide to form categories during open and axial coding phases. During the last phases of coding, selective coding, the PI referred to the reflective coding matrix (Scott & Howell, 2008) to integrate all of the interpretive categories of the analysis to explain the story line and evoke theory. Through using these two interpretive instruments, important questions were addressed in relation to the structure of the central phenomenon and the nature of the dynamic process (Scott & Howell, 2008). Interview data provided valuable qualitative evidence of student and supervisor experience and perceptions of the supervision program in the following areas: supervisor prior experience and current involvement factors; purpose and importance factors, structural factors, experience and processes in group supervision, evaluative factors, impact factors, and points for programmatic consideration. These data serve as a preliminary evaluation of the group supervision program and may inform necessary programmatic modification or amendment of current practices. Recommendations are made for the stakeholders to consider.