Defines "paradigm" as a profound change in the thoughts, perceptions, and values forming a particular vision of reality. Identifies six paradigm shifts in teacher supervision: from control to empowerment, from separate to integrated functions, from sameness to diversity, from occasional assistance to continuous support networks, from…

Discourse or conversation analysis represents a new direction for understanding the nature of social interaction during the supervisory (or peer) instructional conference. Discourse analysis may be a key to mechanisms involved in institutional management and individual improvement. Supervisors cannot assume that successful conferences necessarily…

Without a definition of good teaching, the supervisor's efforts to help teachers improve will probably be fragmented, and teacher improvement may not occur. This article examines three definitions of good teaching, presents and defends a certain definition, and suggests supervisory applications. Good teachers are proficient in the kinds of…

Presents abstracts of 11 doctoral dissertations on supervision topics published in 1984. Topics include supervising tasks and competencies, supervisors' characteristics and preparation, and approaches to supervision. (MLH)

Outlines a modern rationale for educational practice that links clinical supervision and knowledge generation to educators' professional orientation. Traces the roots of clinical supervision for teacher-scholars, explicates a professional knowledge base, examines reflection as a primary inquiry process, and provides scenarios for teaching and…

Applies Donald Schon's concept of the "reflective practitioner" to Robert Goldhammer's clinical supervision cycle (pre-observation conference, observation, analysis and strategy, supervision conference, and postconference analysis), stressing personal growth purposes for teacher and supervisor alike. Explores a clinical supervisor's…

Clinical supervision represents a drastically different form of professional development for both teacher and supervisor. A Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) study of 332 educators reveals the need for prolonged training and a supervised internship for those who intend to practice clinical supervision. (MLF)

Despite a profusion of recent "Journal of Curriculum and Supervision" articles discussing clinical supervision and reflective practice, no article has grounded these subjects in the observable events--classroom action and conference interaction--common to the clinical supervision approach. This paper presents a case study showing a…

Discusses how the tension and anxiety generated in the supervisory process undermines the potential of teacher supervision as a mutually beneficial and enriching experience. Reviews current supervisory approaches that attempt to redress this imbalance and outlines some problems with these approaches. Explores a collaborative model that tries to…

Argues for the abolition of teacher supervision, drawing on research into teaching realities and complexities; research about teachers' feelings, attitudes, and experiences regarding supervision; and studies on the failure of supervision to effect any improvements in teaching once teachers have been tenured. Supervision as currently practiced will…

Using transcriptions of audio- and videotaped conferences from local schools and individual settings, this article examines the claim that face-threatening acts committed during supervisor-teacher interactions, particularly the postobservation instructional conference, determine the politeness levels of both supervisor and teacher. The case study…

Discusses a study of three-way supervisory conferences. Despite an asymmetrical power relationship between the university supervisor and student teacher, the two parties played complementary roles, with the former providing more input requiring reflection and evaluation and the latter providing more input pertaining to classroom practicalities and…

Clinical supervision should not be construed as "delivery of services" to targeted audiences of teachers deemed inexperienced, inefficient, or incompetent. Supervision should instead empower and emancipate teachers by creating conditions under which they can examine classroom actions in terms of the historical, social, and cultural…

Many current problems in teacher supervision arise from epistemological errors. Research-based models wrongly assume that supervision is a deterministic process. Therefore, the theoretical perspective should be rejected in favor of a practical one, which would emphasize "reflection-in-action" directed toward specific real problems. (MCG)

Listed are several unanswered questions in relation to the field of teacher supervision, in particular, the effect on teacher behavior. Sections are devoted to measurement of the teacher supervision problem as well as the present attitude of teachers and the need for change in teacher education. (SI)