A Comparative Study of Two School Districts in the Lowcountry of South Carolina: Assessing School Leaders' Perceptions of Current Practice
This study sought to determine the degree to which a body of successful supervision attributes actually exists in practice. Specifically, this investigation sought to determine: 1. To what extent are the twelve dimensions of supervisory practice from the 1989 ASCD Study currently being practiced among selected instructional leaders in two lowcountry school districts? 2. To what extent do administrators report that the twelve dimensions of supervisory practice from the 1989 Study should be practiced? 3. Are THERE differences in percentages between what is CURRENTLY PRACTICED AND what should BE PRACTICED? (Statistical significance vs. Effect Size) Seven dimensions were found to have significant meaning and five were found not to have significant meaning. The seven with significant meaning are: Community Relations, Planning & Change, Communication, Curriculum, Instructional Programs,Research and Program Evaluation and Motivating and Organizing. The five with no statistical meaning are Staff Development, Service to Teachers, Observation and Conferencing, Problem Solving and Decision Making, and Personal Development. There were three dimensions where 95% of participants identified the dimension as a function of supervision as it currently exists and 95% reported that it should be practiced. Those dimensions are: Staff Development, Planning and Change and Problem Solving and Decision Making. Three dimensions were identified as having a medium effect size. They are Curriculum, Planning and Change, Research and Program Evaluation. There were nine dimensions identified as having a small effect size. They are Communication, Motivation and Organizing, Instructional Program, Observation and Conferencing, Community Relations, Staff Development, Personal Development, Service to Teachers and Problem Solving and Decision Making. There were three dimensions where 95% of participants identified the dimension as a function of supervision as it currently exists and 95% reported that it should be practiced. Those dimensions are: Staff Development, Planning & Change and Problem Solving and Decision Making.
Education, Educational Administration and Supervision
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations