Supervision in signed language interpreting: Benefits for the field and practitioners

Item

Title
Supervision in signed language interpreting: Benefits for the field and practitioners
Creator
Jenna Curtis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Interpreting Studies
Project Type
thesis
Date
11/30/2017
Abstract
The fields of medicine and mental health have a long history of conducting and researching case conferencing and supervision; however, to date, there has been no research into how or if signed language interpreters are participating in supervision and what benefits they experience as a result. For the purposes of this research, supervision is defined as an intentional interaction between two or more practitioners, the goal of which is to engage in reflective practice, ensure quality services for consumers, and support the wellbeing of the practitioner. The study included survey responses from 113 signed language interpreters about their experiences attending supervision sessions that use the demand control schema (DC-S) framework. Results revealed a profile for the type of practitioner who has participated in supervision. The majority of respondents of the survey had been involved in an ongoing supervision group that was facilitated in a participatory or co-operative manner. Benefits of supervision revealed from this research can be categorized as enriched learning (formative), increased professional standards and accountability (normative), and support for the wellbeing of the practitioner (restorative). Some of the most frequently cited benefits in these categories included: relationships with colleagues, new perspectives, professional development, more options for responding to work demands, a better understanding of decision-making, and support. These findings indicate that current issues in the areas of education, standards and ethics, and work-related stress for practitioners within the signed language interpreting field may be addressed through the use of professional peer supervision groups. Recommendations include establishing an infrastructure for the provision of professional peer supervision, a requirement of supervision as a component of credentialing interpreters, and further research on supervision.
Committee Member
Amanda R. Smith, Elisa Maroney, Robyn Dean
Rights
Western Oregon University Library has determined, as of 6/26/2018, this item is in copyright, which is held by the author. Users may use the item in accordance with copyright limitations and exceptions, including fair use. For other uses, please ask permission from the author at the email address listed above.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Language
eng
Date Available
12/7/2017
Type
Text
Identifier
theses/42