Using Live Supervision in Field Education: Preparing Social Work Students for Clinical Practice

Abstract

This article presents a qualitative study exploring respondents’ perceptions of live supervision as the primary field instruction method for MSW students participating in an internship that emphasized family therapy. Participants were specifically asked in what ways live supervision supported and facilitated learning clinical practice. Identifying live supervision as important for bridging the pedagogical gap between teaching theory and practice learning stood out as an important metatheme of the study, not previously discussed in the literature. Important emergent categories included learning-in-action pedagogy, feedback loop for integrative learning, the safety net in parallel observation, transparency in the supervision process, and building capacity for entering the workforce. Incorporating the principles of adult learning theory, live supervision offers an important contribution to social work field education.