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Unit 17: Educational Supervision: Meaning, Nature and Types

principal and supervisor have the responsibility for seeing that conditions of leadership and Notes
environment make it possible for the teacher to release himself/ herself for more effective
learning.” With these views in mind the educational workers strive to accomplish the product
of education of contemplated standard mutually decided upon by all the concerned persons.
Supervision has continuously to assess the extent to which the aims are being fulfilled and how
far the resulting product of education has reached the desired level. It has to discover the
strength and weakness of this product and what still remains to be done in the light of assessment
made. Supervision should next proceed to adopt remedial measures whenever and wherever
needed. Educational practices should constantly upgrade the educational product.
Effective improvement of the educational product can follow only correct and reliable evaluation.
This involves a critical analysis of the aims and objectives in terms of pupil behaviour, setting
up of appropriate and objective criteria of appraisal and adapting the means of evaluation to
available resources. Supervision has to draw heavily upon the modern techniques of
measurement such as rating scales, checklists, interview, objective testing. etc. Sound evaluation
will guide us to the right, remedial measures for improving the educational product; and
adoption of these is an important function of supervision.
(8) Improving Supervision : It may sound strange to some readers when we say that another
important function of supervision is to improve itself. The significance of this statement will be
clear if we remember that supervision sets forth its own purposes and procedures and so it
essential constantly to evaluate whether and how far it is fulfilling its appointee tasks. This
would involve appraisal of its results or outcomes, modification of its techniques and methods
and improvement of the supervisory personal in the light of this assessment and the experiences
gained during the process of supervision. As before, we have co-operatively to define the
purposes of supervision, set up criteria and adopt appropriate ways and means of its
measurement. This must be followed by suitable remedial measures.
Modern supervision directs attention towards the fundamentals of education within its general
aims and specific objectives. It tries to improve the total teaching-learning situation. It encourages
teachers to participate in the group’s efforts to improve the product of education. Principles of
democracy and scientific methods have much to contribute to its philosophy and procedures.
More and more use should be made of the objective and diagnostic techniques as well as of an
evolutionary and experimental approach. Much will depend upon individual effort. “The mature
individual will not only serve as a leader in group enterprise, not only make contributions to
group discussion and decision; he will often engage in purely individual effort.” Modern
supervision, therefore, emphasises that effort should be made by teachers and supervisors
towards self-evaluation, self-direction, self-guidance and self-supervision.
(9) Improving Morale of Teachers : Morale refers to a specific mental state of an individual. It is
an attitude towords the achievement of a goal. If the individual feels and says that he can
achieve the goal, it is inferred that his morale is high. If he says that he can not achieve that, his
morale is said to be low. Similarly, if a person perceives his present performance, achievement
or status as unsatisfactory and experiences within himself feelings of anxiety, tension, depression,
he is also said to be having low morale. Its opposite, on the other hand, indicates high morale.
Feelings of hopefulness indicate high morale; feelings of helplessness reflect low morale. Morale
is considered as a psychological state of the mind which develops as a consequence of the way
the individual perceives his present achievement and the progress he is making. Various factors,
psychological, sociological, economic and ecological, affect the morale of people. But, more
important to understand for an educational supervisor is the role of morale in teaching-learning
situation, and the ways it can be improved. A teacher whose morale is low does great harm to
the students who are taught by him. His low morale is associated with frustration and tension
which produce in him feelings of anger and aggression resulting into his undesirable behaviours
such as criticising authorities, policies and programmes, not teaching, showing temper-tentrums,

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