Drawing on Dewey's critique of the way educators, historically, have tried to promulgate definitive prescriptions for educational practice, this article examines implications of the use of science for supervisory practice and for the field of supervision as a whole. A content analysis of Dewey's "The Sources of a Science of Education"…

The field of supervision has perennially struggled to define itself and, hence, find a niche within the larger field of education and, more narrowly, even within the field of instructional leadership. A sort of an odd, almost contradictory state exists, one in which precludes, in my opinion, the field of supervision from gaining traction as a…

As a field of study, supervision has gone through a tumultuous history and continues to struggle for visibility. Its principles related to teaching and learning are often discussed, yet the term supervision has been controversial more than once. For a variety of reasons, historically and conceptually, supervision has traveled incognito under…

The purpose of this article is to chronicle the views of eight prominent professors of supervision regarding the state of instructional supervision. A confluence of factors has influenced the evolution of supervision as a practice and incipient field. Issues involving its very definition, its scope and methods, its status as a field, and its…

Supervision as a field, in the main, remains susceptible and thus vulnerable to various forces, ideological and otherwise, that constrain its ability to play a significant role in instructional improvement and thus in educational leadership. Adherence to inspectional and faultfinding supervision under the guise of standards-based and other…

This paper reports on the status of instructional supervision within the current New York City school reform movement. Reports from interviews with New York City public school teachers demonstrate the prevalence of directive, checklist and narrative approaches to supervision, raising serious questions for the future of instructional supervision.…

There are three approaches to educational supervision: the applied science approach, the interpretive-practical approach, and the critical/emancipatory approach. From a Taoist perspective, conflicting supervision theories or proposals should be welcomed, not resisted. By accepting a diversity of views to inform practice, a balance or centeredness…

The paucity of historical research in supervision can be attributed to marginalization of historical inquiry, lack of clarity about supervisory duties, a positivistic model of social research, and unfavorable images of supervision and supervisors. Research needs include accounts of early 20th-century practicing supervisors, educational biographies…

The reflections of an assistant principal portray the dilemmas of the supervisory role and the shift from a bureaucratic to a collegial culture. A basic conflict between the necessity to evaluate and the desire to be of genuine help to teachers is outlined. (SLD)

The development of public school supervisors has been varied and complex. Examined are the factors that led supervisors, in the early twentieth century, to move away from autocratic and bureaucratic methods and adopt more professional standards. (SI)

Using case studies, examines five alternative supervisory approaches based in both theory and practice: mentoring, peer coaching, portfolios for differentiated supervision, peer assessment, and action research. Collaborative relationships, shared decision making, reflective listening and practice, and enabling administrative leadership were…

Supervision based on collaboration, participative decision making, and reflective practice is the hallmark of a viable school improvement program that is designed to promote teaching and learning. Action research has gradually emerged as an important form of instructional supervision to engage teachers in reflective practice about their teaching…