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An inquiry into the use of clinical supervision with student teachers
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Type
Thesis
Author
Ng, Maureen
Supervisor
Chen, Ai Yen
Abstract
This study investigated the use of Goldhammer's five-phase clinical supervision model with student teachers at the Institute of Education, Singapore. The purpose was to study the clinical supervision process and how it functions with student teachers within the teaching practice context. The unique features of the clinical supervision approach that were examined were the collegial approach, the supervision cycle, gathering and analysis of classroom observation data, non-directive supervision and teacher self-evaluation.
The naturalistic inquiry methodology was adopted. Clinical supervision was implemented by the college supervisor with the student teachers in the natural setting of the ten-week student teaching practice. The researcher was a participant observer using the inquiry techniques of the human instrument, qualitative data collection methods, inductive data analysis and case reporting. The inquiry process was inductive, involved shifting focus and research questions that were emergent.
The main findings of the study are that (1) clinical supervision was favoured by the student teachers and the five-phase model was used with some success with most of them; (2) effective clinical supervision requires both the philosophical orientation and technical skills of the approach; (3) the trusting teacher-supervisor relationship is of critical importance to effective use of clinical supervision; (4) the five-phase supervision cycle may not be practicable for every lesson observation within the present teaching practice context at the Institute; (5) teacher self-awareness could be improved through the collection and analysis of classroom observation data; (6) no clear patterns were generated on the development of self-supervision skills in the student teachers ; (7) the competing interests of evaluation and the helping function may hamper the use of clinical supervision.
The investigation has also raised two issues related to the implementation of clinical supervision at the Institute: (1) Are the personal characteristics, abilities, attitudes and cultural orientations of the student teachers and supervisors congruent with the clinical supervision method? (2) Does the institutional setting provide adequate support for the use of clinical supervision through its programme goals, instructional climate and reward systems for supervisors?
The naturalistic inquiry methodology was adopted. Clinical supervision was implemented by the college supervisor with the student teachers in the natural setting of the ten-week student teaching practice. The researcher was a participant observer using the inquiry techniques of the human instrument, qualitative data collection methods, inductive data analysis and case reporting. The inquiry process was inductive, involved shifting focus and research questions that were emergent.
The main findings of the study are that (1) clinical supervision was favoured by the student teachers and the five-phase model was used with some success with most of them; (2) effective clinical supervision requires both the philosophical orientation and technical skills of the approach; (3) the trusting teacher-supervisor relationship is of critical importance to effective use of clinical supervision; (4) the five-phase supervision cycle may not be practicable for every lesson observation within the present teaching practice context at the Institute; (5) teacher self-awareness could be improved through the collection and analysis of classroom observation data; (6) no clear patterns were generated on the development of self-supervision skills in the student teachers ; (7) the competing interests of evaluation and the helping function may hamper the use of clinical supervision.
The investigation has also raised two issues related to the implementation of clinical supervision at the Institute: (1) Are the personal characteristics, abilities, attitudes and cultural orientations of the student teachers and supervisors congruent with the clinical supervision method? (2) Does the institutional setting provide adequate support for the use of clinical supervision through its programme goals, instructional climate and reward systems for supervisors?
Date Issued
1987
Call Number
LB2157 Ng
Date Submitted
1987