What do Early Years Education and Care Staff value in professional supervision? A Q-methodological Study.

The statutory requirement for staff supervision, as set out in the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (2012), does not stipulate a specific model to be followed. This leaves early years settings with a wide range of theories and models with which to consult. The literature suggests that the term ‘supervision’ can have different meanings for different professional groups. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of what early years educators and carers would value in their supervision. A research methodology was sought which minimised the potential for researcher bias and maximised the opportunity for early years workers to give their personal view. Q methodology was employed to explore how 30 early years workers ranked statements of potential features of supervision. The Q set of 54 statements was developed through a focus group with early years staff and consultation with supervision literature. The participants were asked to sort statements from ‘most disagree’ (aspect I would least value) to ‘most agree’ (aspect I would value highly). The majority of participants in this study were not receiving supervision at the time of the research. Factor analysis was used to identify viewpoints which were common to a group of participants. In the results section each of the three emerging viewpoints are presented as a Q sort arrangement and also a written description produced by interpreting the factor analysis results using factor arrays and ‘crib sheets’. The emergent viewpoints are discussed along with the implications for early years settings and other professionals supporting early education. The role of the Educational Psychologist in working systemically with early years settings will also be considered in light of the findings.