Clinical supervision of speech-language pathology students: Comparison of two models of feedback

Abstract

Clinical practicum is a critical component of the education of speech-language pathologists. Various models of clinical supervision have been proposed but there have been few systematic studies comparing models. In this study, 19 speech-language pathology students were randomly assigned to two groups, one with immediate verbal feedback in a group format and the other with delayed written feedback in an individual format. Both had the same clinical supervisor and clinical placement. Student feedback on a questionnaire indicated perceived advantages and disadvantages with both supervision methods. Both groups showed significantly better performance in treatment skills, interpersonal skills and evaluation skills in an end-block evaluation than at mid-block. However, students in the immediate verbal feedback group achieved significantly higher ratings on the clinic evaluation form than students in the delayed written feedback group. Students in the immediate verbal feedback group also scored higher on a self-rated questionnaire modified from Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) than those in the other group, both in the first and last clinical sessions. Further directions for studies of clinical supervision and clinical education are identified.