The Impact of Formal Course Work on Teachers' and School Administrators' Perceptions of Supervision

Abstract

There is a growing expectation, reflected in current policy and in system imperatives that teachers' professional development will occur primarily in their schools. There is strong advocacy for a form of supervision which espouses collaboration in school settings. This collaborative supervision sees administrators, in cooperation with teachers, establishing processes which encourage teachers' professional development. To do so requires an understanding of collaborative supervisory processes and skills in employing these. Ålthough both teachers and administrators require these skills and understandings in order to fulfil these roles, they have received little preparation to do so. This paper explores, through phenomenological interviewing, the impact of a semester‐long collaborative professional development subject on the perceptions and practices of four teachers in relation to their supervisory roles. The personal learning of the two lecturers who teach this subject is also explored.