A study of influential and effective supervisory roles as perceived by the senior high school teachers of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Condon, Raymond Joseph (1972) A study of influential and effective supervisory roles as perceived by the senior high school teachers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

The function of persons occupying supervisory roles is to provide leadership to educational workers, for the purpose of improving the teaching-learning situation. Because of the importance of this function and because of the variety of positions that supervisors may occupy, it is important to consider how influential and effective the persons in these supervisory roles are in helping teachers to improve their work in the school or classroom. -- The objective of this study was to determine teachers’ perceptions of the effectiveness of influential supervisory roles in serving to improve teachers’ behaviour with respect to the content, processes or outcomes of their work. It was hypothesized that teachers’ perceptions of the influence and effectiveness of supervisory roles would be significantly related to such school and teacher variables as type of board, size of school, population of town, population of area served, sex, professional preparation and experience of the teacher. It was further hypothesized that the influence and effectiveness of the supervisor would decrease as the physical distance between supervisor and teacher increased. -- Each of 300 teachers selected randomly from a population of 1102 senior high school teachers in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador rated the supervisory roles in his/her school system on influence and effectiveness. The ten roles perceived to be most effective were those of principal, vice-principal, subject department head, ‘other teacher’, guidance counselor, district superintendent, board supervisor, coordinating principal, board specialist and personnel associated with the Faculty of Education, Memorial University. As hypothesized, teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of these roles varied with type of board, size of school, population of town, population of area served, sex, professional preparation and training of the teacher. Over eighty per cent selected persons occupying the ten roles listed above as the most effective supervisors. -- The implications of this study are very clear. Teachers regard those supervisors as influential and effective in improving classroom instruction who are closely associated with the teaching role. Persons in roles far removed from the teacher will not likely affect the behaviour of teachers regardless of their supervisory skills.

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