Degree Name

EdD (Doctor of Education)

Program

Educational Leadership

Date of Award

August 1987

Abstract

The problem of this study was to determine if differences existed in the perceptions of selected public school instructional supervisors regarding the amount of actual and ideal time allocated for identified supervisory roles. The study was conducted during the 1986-87 school year in Virginia. A questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was field tested through a six-week pilot study with 100 instructional supervisors in Virginia. Upon validation of the instrument, it was mailed to a randomly selected sample of 363 instructional supervisors in Virginia. A total of 220 respondents (60.6%) returned the questionnaire. Significant differences were found in perceived allocation of actual and ideal time for curriculum development, staff development, program evaluation, providing resources, disseminating information, instructional leadership, and performing administrative duties. Significant differences were also found between supervisory titles and allocation of actual and ideal time for program evaluation and performing administrative duties. In addition, significant differences were found between the perceptions of males and females regarding the amount of actual and ideal time they allocated for program evaluation. Conclusions were based on the findings in this study. It was concluded that instructional supervisors in Virginia are not spending as much time on the selected supervisory roles as they would like. They are spending too much time performing administrative duties. It was also concluded that younger supervisors (30-39) spend more time for staff development, providing resources, and providing instructional leadership than older supervisors. In addition, instructional supervisors with doctorates spend more time for curriculum development, staff development, disseminating information, and instructional leadership than supervisors with other degrees. Furthermore, female supervisors spend more time for curriculum development, staff development, program evaluation, and instructional leadership than male supervisors. Yet, a graduate degree in supervision and a supervisor's gender did not have much influence on the allocation of actual and ideal time for some supervisory roles. Other conclusions relating to the demographic data variables and the allocation of actual and ideal time for the seven identified supervisory roles were drawn.

Document Type

Dissertation - unrestricted

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