The role of the educational supervisor in United States public schools from 1970 to 2000 as reflected in the supervision literature.

摘要

This study is an educational historical analysis examining the roles of educational supervisors, in public schools of the United States, from 1970 through 2000, as reflected in the supervision literature. The intents of this study were to ascertain whether or not the roles of those men and women charged with educational supervisory functions have changed significantly over the course of a thirty-year span. In addition, the study examined what models of supervision were available to instructional supervisors during that same period of time, as well as what significant events, movements, and literature may have had an impact on the supervisor's role.;Historical research methods were used to search for patterns or trends in materials that were published from 1970 to 2000. These materials may have included, but were not necessarily limited to, such things as textbooks for educational supervision, books written as resource guides for scholars and practitioners, and journal articles.;The thirty-year span of information about instructional supervision was organized into three time segments: Supervision in the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s. A close examination of the literature published during each of the three decades was conducted and conclusions were drawn about how certain major issues, literature, and movements of that period of time may have affected the way supervisors regarded their supervisory roles in the public schools.;The study concluded that the roles of the educational supervisor did not change dramatically from 1970 to 2000, as reflected in the supervision literature. Throughout this thirty-year period, supervisors in public schools spent the bulk of their time as teacher evaluators, curriculum specialists, human relations and human resources specialists, change agents, and problem solvers. What changed more significantly, however, was the "what" and "how" supervisors carried out the role within the larger context of the educational setting. The study also concluded that the variety of models of supervision available to instructional supervisors, as well as the amount of scholarly literature published on educational supervision grew dramatically since the 1970s.