Professional Experience Placement

Although the discussion in this paper about scaffolding student learning by Spouse (1998) is now over 15 years old, it has become a seminal work that underpins much of the more recent literature about the need to educationally prepare clinical supervisors for their role; the value of reciprocity and the integration of knowledge in waiting to knowledge for use. This notion as described by Spouse (1998) is the transference of  unfamiliar knowledge or vocabulary to describe phenomena of the integration of this information or experience into being familiar. The author explains this process of students being scaffolded in their learning using Vygotsky’s zones of proximal development which is traversed by the student with guidance from their mentor.

Furthermore, Spouse (1998) explains the importance of clinical supervisors in the development of student learning and movement through this zone. The author describes through a short case study the process whereby the clinical supervisors actively seek learning opportunities for students, while constantly checking in to help the learners see the relevance of their knowledge in waiting, to the situation. Spouse (1998) also mentions the situation where student learning is arrested by lack of support by mentors who cannot scaffold them through the zone. These students lack the capacity for progression until remedial assistance from other supervisors or staff is available to support their learning. Spouse (1998) concludes by mentioning the value of reciprocity in the clinical environment as students bring contemporary knowledge that enables transfer of formal knowledge in exchange for opportunities to integrate this to knowledge in use.

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