Page 222 - DEDU503_EDUCATIONAL_MANAGEMENT_ENGLISH

Educational Management

Notes his profession.” Teacher’s feelings about supervision differ because of various ways in which
supervisors have interpreted their role.
Commonly the term supervision means “to superintend, or to guide and to stimulate the activities
of others with a view to their improvement.” In education, supervision carries the same general
concept, but is usually applied to the activities of teaching-the supervision of instruction.
Instruction implies that “there are persons to be educated, teachers to carry on education and there
are materials and methods by which education may be accomplished.” Since society maintains
schools in order that youth may be educated for participation in the society, the educational
organisation organizes supervision to maintain, change and improve the provision and actualisation
of learning opportunities for students.
Definition of Supervision

Supervision of instruction may be defined as, “the effort to stimulate, coordinate and guide the
continued growth of the teachers in school, both individually and collectively.” According to Barton
and Burckner, “Supervision is an expert technical service primarily aimed at studying and improving
cooperatively all factors which affect the child’s growth and development.”
It the words of Dicky, “Supervision is a planned programme for improvement of instruction.” Wiles
defines modern supervision as “assistance in the development of a better teaching-learning situation.”
In the words of Moorar, “Supervision is directly concerned with studying and improving the
conditions which surround the learning and growth of pupils and teachers.”
“Supervision,” according to Barr and Burton “is the foundation on which all programmes for
improvement of teaching must be built.”
Asams and Dicky define educational supervision as, “The function of educational supervision is the
improvement of instruction.”
In the words of Flyer, “At its best supervision is the most noble and dynamic of all endeavours.”
Thus the term supervision has been defined by different educationists in different ways. But all
agree that the improvement of instruction is a cooperative process in which all the teachers participate
and the supervisor is an educational leader who acts as a stimulator, guide and consultant to the
teachers in their effort to improve instruction.

17.2 Need of Supervision

The following are the needs of supervision :
(1) For providing expert technical assistance : Education is a complex and difficult activity because
it deals with living persons. It is carried on through minute divisions of a variety of curricula
by a large number of teachers of different abilities. In recent times, education has largely
expended. All these require expert assistance in supervision.
(2) For the growth of teachers : In spite of better professional training, teachers still need continuous
and improved training on the job in a realistic situation.
(3) For helping teachers to prepare for teaching : Teachers have to perform diverse activities and
face a heavy load of work. They cannot devote much time to a thorough preparation of teaching.
Supervision can very well help to lighten the burden of teachers in this respect.

(4) For keeping teachers up-to-date : With continuous social change there is going on development
in educational theory and practice. Creative suggestions derived from critical analysis and
discussion of research finding are indispensable for growth. Supervision can provide this service.

(5) For providing democratic professional leadership : In can make creative contribution. It can
also unify the efforts of all the persons engaged in the educative process.

216 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY