Open AccessIntroducing tools of reflective learning into peer supervision groups in a social work agency
Author(s) -
Maria Dempsey,
M. Murphy,
Carmel Halton
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of practice teaching in social work and health/the journal of practice teaching in social work and health/the journal of practice teaching and learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1746-6113
pISSN - 1460-6690
DOI - 10.1921/jpts.v8i2.368
Subject(s) - reflective practice , focus group , social work , agency (philosophy) , action research , peer group , psychology , irish , chart , reflection (computer programming) , medical education , identification (biology) , peer learning , mindfulness , pedagogy , sociology , social psychology , medicine , political science , computer science , psychotherapist , philosophy , statistics , mathematics , botany , anthropology , law , biology , programming language , social science , linguistics
This article describes an action research project carried out by the authors in conjunction with a group of Irish hospital based social workers. The aim of the research was to investigate the introduction of reflective learning tools into peer supervision groups. Twenty-one social workers engaged with the research process. Data was collected from nine focus groups over a twelve month period. Findings chart the development of practitioners’ understandings of reflection. Engagement with the tools of reflective learning in peer supervision groups led to increased awareness and mindfulness (as described by Langer [1989]) in practice. Some of the challenges of peer supervision group processes are also explicated leading to the identification of further research questions.