Pangasinan State University

Social Sciences Department

Bayambang, Pangasinan

Educational Supervision

Supervision can be defined as a creative and dynamic expert technical service to improve the overall
teaching learning process in particular and overall education system in general. Educational supervision
means an all out effort of the school officials directed towards providing leadership to teachers and
other educational workers for the improvement of institution.

John A. Bartky defines Supervision as “Good Supervision is

always concerned with the development of the teacher,
the growth of the pupil and the improvement of the
teaching learning process”.

According to Kimball Wills, “Supervision is assistance in the

development of a better teaching learning situation”.

H.R. Douglass defines “Supervision is the effort to

stimulate, coordinate and guide the continued growth of
teachers, both individually and collectively, in better
understanding and more effective performance of all the functions of instruction, so that they will be
better able to stimulate and direct each student’s continued growth towards a rich and intelligent
participation in society”.

Nature of Educational Supervision:

• A democratic process: Educational supervision is based on participative leadership. The supervisor

encourages a freedom to express and dignity among the teachers. The supervisor creates democratic
setting which encourages cooperative behavior among both teacher and students. The supervisor must
have democratic ideals to make the supervision more participative.

• A continuous process: Educational supervision is a never ending

process. The continuity has to be maintained to achieve the goals
and objectives of education. Regular supervision makes the teacher
updated and effective. It stimulates the continuous growth of
teachers and development of pupils.

• Scientific Process: Supervision is a scientific process as it follows a

systematic and scientific procedure. Supervision has its own
objectives and methodology to materialize the objectives.
Supervisor is very clear about his duties and responsibilities.

• Educational Supervision is Professional in Nature: Supervision is a professional activity. It is based on

expert technical service. Supervision can only be performed by the technical experts.
• Educational Supervision is creative in nature: supervision is a creative and dynamic expert technical
service.

• Result oriented process: it provides leadership with expert knowledge and superior skills. It gives
coordination, direction and guidance to teaches’ activities.

• Process of motivation: Supervision works as an effective

process of motivation for the teachers. It can motivate the
teachers to develop true professionalism among the teachers.

• Coordinated effort: Supervision is a coordinated effort

among the people related to educational administration and
teaching. There is a need of coordination to make the
supervision effective and successful.

Objectives of Educational Supervision: Educational Supervision is carried out with certain objectives.

• To improve the teaching skills of teachers.

• To acquaint the teachers with new pedagogical approaches.
• To improve the learning environment in the school.
• To diagnose the problems faced in the process of teaching learning.
• To develop interpersonal relationships among the stakeholders.
• To integrate the elements of educational system.
• To promote cooperative educational effort in a friendly atmosphere.

Characteristics of Effective Supervision:

a. The effective supervision is directly related to the level of human interaction that can be established
and maintained.

b. Effective supervision is adoptive and flexible. The aims and methods of the supervisor are determined
by the conditions inherent in a particular situation and by the nature of the specific problems involved.

c. Effective supervision is cooperative. Consideration of a professional problem by all persons involved is

an essential ingredient of effective supervision.

d. Effective supervision is scientific. Successful

supervisors take a personal interest in their
associates with whom they work and at the same
time they deal with the professional problems in
an objective and impersonal way.

e. Effective supervision is intelligently conceived:

The complete success of supervision depends upon a substantial knowledge of both modern educational
processes and developments psychological and emotional attributes of the people.
f. Effective supervision has a positive motivating effect: Good supervision should encourage the teachers
to improve their teaching practices instead of discourage them.

g. Effective supervision is both analytical and integrative: supervisor has to analyze the factors
responsible to make supervision effective.

h. Effective supervision is both projective and reflective.

Supervision and its various aspects:

Educational supervision is a wider concept. It is an integral part of quality education. Supervision works
as a quality control technique in educational institutions. Hence the supervisor has the responsibility of
ensuring effective functioning of the institution. The whole supervisory process comprises many specific
activities and techniques. Considering the nature and scope of supervision, the following aspects of
supervision can be identified.

• Aspects of teaching process: This aspect of supervision is related to the supervisor’s knowledge and
skills of modern teaching methods and techniques. The primary responsibility of a supervisor is to look
after the needs and aspirations of teachers. Through the process of supervision, teachers need to be
motivated towards to the teaching process. The teachers are expected to perform their best practices to
make the teaching highly effective. It is the duty of the supervisor to provide sufficient knowledge of
curriculum, teaching process, evaluation and
assessment etc to the teacher community. Hence
supervisor should work as a mentor for the
teachers. He should try to inculcate the values
among teachers instead of finding faults. So,
supervisor is expected to be responsible for the
advancement in teaching processes in the
institutions.

• Aspects of Learning Process: Another aspect of

supervision is the Supervisors responsibility towards to the development of learners and learning
processes. Supervisor must have the sufficient knowledge of psychological aspects of learners. Learners’
needs and aspirations is an important factor that makes the learning effective. Knowledge of individual
differences is another aspect of learning. Supervisor should motivate the teachers to accommodate all
categories of learners i.e. gifted, average and slow learners in the classroom environment.

• Aspects of Institution: Supervisor works under certain institutional norms and procedures. If
necessary, effective procedure of functioning can be devised with the support of the authority.
Supervisor need to be conscious about the goals and objectives of the institution. Supervisor has to
ensure the work is done appropriately and within the time frame. The successful supervision is based on
the factor of democratic behaviour of the supervisor. In a democratic institution, the process of
supervision needs to be based on human relation. Educational supervision is based on participative
leadership. The supervisor encourages a freedom to express and dignity among the teachers. The
supervisor creates democratic setting which encourages cooperative behavior among personnel. The
supervisor must have democratic ideals to make the supervision more participative. Supervision should
give priority on institution development instead of individual growth.
• Personal aspects of supervision: Personal aspect is the most important aspect of supervision.
Supervision should stimulate good human relations through creating mutual respect and confidence.
Supervisor should recognition of individual differences among teachers as well as students. He should
possess tolerance of opposing viewpoints. Supervisor need to be co-operative thinking, planning and
evaluating skills. Supervisor should have power of self confidence and a feeling of security. Through the
personal qualities he creates situations that foster a feeling of mutual respect among teachers and co-
workers. Supervisor should develop the power of self-evaluation

Functions of Educational Supervision:

The book “Educational Supervision in Principles and Practice” written by Hanne J. Hicks mentioned the
following points as function of educational supervision-

1. Supervision should be kept adaptable and flexible in terms of:

• The local situation
• The experience of teachers
• The particular problems of the teachers
• The personalities and attitudes of teachers
• Available instructional materials.

2. Supervision should improve instruction through-

• Making teachers and pupils feel comfortable
• Encouraging teaches to consider newer methods and practices
• Encouraging teachers to innovate
• Making available and interpreting improved instructional materials and resources.
• Encouraging self-evaluation on the part of the teacher.
• Discovering and encouraging special strengths of teachers.
• Helping teachers to see the value of immediate and long range planning.

3. Supervision should stimulate good human relations

through–
• Creating mutual respect and confidence
• Recognition of individual differences among teachers
• Tolerance of opposing viewpoints
• Co-operative thinking, planning and evaluating
• Encouraging maximum growth in areas of greatest
strength.

4. Supervision should develop the power of self-

confidence and a feeling of security through-
• Providing adequate materials
• Providing recognition and commendation for constructive efforts
• Providing opportunity for leadership
• Contributing to a sense of personal achievement and pride
• Creating situations that foster a feeling of mutual respect among teachers and co-workers
• Sharing of knowledge of current school policies
• Encouraging teachers to share common problems.
5. Supervision should develop the power of self-evaluation through–
• Freedom in seeking help
• Cooperative planning of objectives
• Stimulating the desire for growth on the job
• Cultivating an objective attitude
• Providing knowledge of total school situation and conditions

6. Supervision should promote the growth of both pupils and teachers through-
• Providing a continuous challenge
• Exhibiting attribute of growth
• Providing recognition for evidences of growth
• Encouraging self-evaluation
• Providing resources of all types
• Providing the experiences that make for growth
• Encouraging teachers to accept professional responsibilities outside the classroom
• Encouragement of creative activities
• Encouraging experimentation

7. Supervision should contribute to the building of high morale through

• Teacher participation in information of building policy
• Joint consideration of major physical changes such as school uniform, ICT facilities
• Adequate attention to physical wellbeing of teachers
8. Supervision should provide an effective and well-planned in-service programme through-
• Continuous series of meetings related to interpreting curricular guides.
• Meeting designed to meet the felt needs of specific groups
• Making use of instructional materials and techniques in demonstrations by successful
teachers
• Teacher participation in planning in-service teachers

9. Supervision should stimulate and provide

opportunities for all to reach their maximum
potentialities through-
• Becoming acquainted with the teacher and
coming to know her background
• Recognition of teachers’ talents.
• Conferences outside the classroom

10. Supervision should encourage to attend

national, state and local meetings, workshops.

11. Supervision should encourage creative teaching learning through-

• Encouraging classroom experimentations
• Recognizing special talents of teachers
• Assisting in locating stimulating professional references.
• Sharing noteworthy ideas of teachers

12. Supervision should contribute to a common understanding of objectives through-

• Cooperate efforts in formulating school purposes
• Frequent opportunities to study and re-evaluate purposes and outcomes
• Provisions of effective communication system throughout the school system
• Provisions for constant interpretation of school policies throughout the system

13. Supervision in its evaluative process, should–

• Consider the purposes of learning activities and instructional method.
• Take into account all attributes of strength or weakness on the part of the teacher as well as total
effectiveness

• Consider evaluation as a point of departure for improvement

• Utilize self-evaluation by teachers as much as possible in the total evaluative process.

14. Supervision should promote democratic way of life through-

• Respect for individual
• Provisions for effective group decisions
• Demonstrating democracy in all its processes.

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Types of Supervision

I. The Corrective Supervision “Fault finding” is another name for this type of supervision. The inspecting
officer or supervisor visits schools with the intent of locating faults and mistakes with the methods of
teaching, progress of students, maintenance of records etc. The supervisor is more concerned with the
finding of inefficiencies rather than in giving able guidance. He makes a note of all the errors and reports
it saying that they have to be rectified. Suggestions are not given as to how to do it. As a guide his work
is limited but as a critic his work is more predominant.

II. The Preventive Supervision

The supervisor anticipates any mistakes the teachers may commit and helps the teacher avoid them.
The experienced supervisor knows what type of mistakes and errors the teachers usually commit and
takes measures to educate and guide the teachers about the methods to avoid them. This type of
inspection helps the teachers to meet situation with confidence as they foresee the problems
beforehand and act as his friend and guide.

III. The Coercive Supervision

This is an authoritarian concept wherein the supervisor
has the authority to make momentous decisions.
Nobody ever questions the validity and feasibility of
such decisions. Teachers are to carry out the orders
and instructions of the coercive supervisor. Such
supervisors believe that the most effective means of
making the teachers work is by compelling them to teach scheduled subject matter in pre-determined
ways.

IV. The Creative Supervision

Creative supervision encourages the teachers to feel free to think for themselves in matters pertaining
to objectives, curriculum, organization and content, methods of teaching and evaluation. The teachers
develop their own techniques and they are encouraged to exchange views with the supervisor and co-
workers. This provides opportunity for the teachers to grow through the exercise of their talents and
abilities under expert and professional guidance and encouragement.

V. The Clinical Supervision

Gold hammer and Cogan borrowed the term “clinical supervision” from the medical profession, where it
has been used for decades to describe a process for perfecting the specialized knowledge and skills of
practitioners. Essentially, clinical supervision in education involves a teacher receiving information from
a colleague who has observed the teacher's performance and who serves as both a mirror and a
sounding board to enable the teacher to critically examine and possibly alter his or her own professional
practice. Although classroom observations are often conducted by university supervisors or principals,
clinical supervision is increasingly used successfully by mentor teachers, peer coaches, and teacher
colleagues who believe that a fresh perspective will help to improve classroom success.

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