Reaching Toward an Evidence Base for Reflective Supervision

Abstract

Over the more than 3 decades that it has taken “zero to three” to become a field—actually the coming together of many fields—reflective supervision has evolved as the centerpiece in the attainment of high-quality, effective practice. However, there is little research evidence to support reflective supervision or practice as being central to the field’s worldview. Despite the relative absence of research to support it, the field is nevertheless actively teaching about and practicing reflective supervision. This article provides a brief history of reflective supervision in the early childhood field and shares ideas to begin building an evidence base for reflective supervision. of how reflective supervision has become such a central tenet of the infant–family field. It discusses recent attempts to begin creating an evidence base to establish reflective supervision’s efficacy and identifies next steps the field can take to draw attention to and make the case for its funding and use across all settings for infants, toddlers, and families. The History of Reflective Supervision and of the Field