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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate and report the degree to which administrators trained in Essential Elements of Effective Instruction and Clinical Supervision practice the supervising techniques of Script-Taping, Reinforcement Conferencing, Instructional Conferencing and Coaching. Other issues addressed were administrator and teacher perceptions of the supervising techniques, inhibiting factors based upon group membership, and the effect of selected demographic variables (type of training, years of experience and years of working together) on implementation of supervising techniques.
This study incorporated a nonexperimental correlational research design involving 28 groups of building administrators and teachers. Each group consisted of one building administrator and three teachers from the same building. These groups were selected from 14 of the 16 school districts in Wayne County, Michigan that had staff who completed training in EEEI and conferencing programs. A Likert-type forced choice structured interview consisting of 20 questions was administered by the researcher to 28 building administrators and 84 teachers.
Major conclusions include: (1) Most teachers and administrators use Script-Taping either always or frequently and rated the use of Reinforcement and Instructional Conferencing and Coaching as either very effective or moderately effective; (2) Teacher and administrator understanding of Script-Taping techniques and Reinforcement Conferencing procedures was most often selected as factors that promote their effective use; (3) Most teachers and administrators reported that other methods of recording classroom observations are more effective; (4) Teachers reported that identification and labeling of the principles of learning is difficult to do; (5) Both teachers and administrators selected lack of administration training and/or participation in conducting Reinforcement Conferences as the single most inhibiting factor in Reinforcement Conferences; (6) Years of Coaching experience and career position are both significant independent variables in exploring the variation on Implementation of Reinforcement Conferencing.
Based on the findings of the study, Madeline Hunter's EEEI and Clinical Supervision program is an effective way to strengthen the relationship between the teacher and administrator as needed to improve the supervision process for the ultimate goal of improving instruction. Additional training may be needed for both administrators and teachers to implement the Instructional Conferencing and Coaching techniques segments.
