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Revisited
[PP: 59-66]
Abdollah Atefinia
Faculty of Humanities, Urmia University
Urmia, Iran
Parviz Alavinia
(Corresponding Author)
Faculty of Humanities, Urmia University
Urmia, Iran
ABSTRACT
Though not a novel topic, supervision and its contribution to teachers‟ professional development
has been given renewed attention in recent years. The constructive/destructive role supervision might
play in teachers‟ instructional path has been addressed by a plethora of investigations, and the
frequency and effect of different kinds of comments and feedback on teachers‟ conduct has also been
explored in previous research. However, the findings of research on supervisory feedback and their
effect still seem to be blurred. Informed by this need for further research into the issue, the researchers
in the current study strived to investigate the proportion of comments given by supervisors to language
teachers. In so doing, the researchers analyzed an existing corpus of supervisory report on 30 EFL
supervisees, at a Language school in Gonbad-e-Kavoos, Iran. The sample was composed of 16 males
and 14 females. The results gained through Kruskal-Wallis test revealed no significant differences
among the groups of supervised teachers concerning the frequency of criticisms and suggestions;
however, the frequency of compliments offered to the teachers with different levels of experience
differed from one another. In fact, the frequency of criticisms, suggestions and compliments correlated
with the years of teachers‟ experience. The implications of the findings are discussed throughout the
paper.
Keywords: Compliments, Criticisms, Supervisee, Supervisory Feedback, Suggestions
ARTICLE The paper received on Reviewed on Accepted after revisions on
INFO 09/06/2019 20/07/2019 27/09/2019
Suggested citation:
Atefinia, A. & Alavinia, P. (2019). Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments, Criticisms and
Suggestions Revisited. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(3). 59-66.
supervising teachers get professional courses Iranian EFL context. Needless to say, to be
on language teacher supervision, their new able to practice effective supervision, we
jobs as language teacher supervisors might urgently need to investigate and compare the
be still affected by the entrenched teachers and supervisors‟ perceptions of the
supervisory beliefs developed during their supervision models currently being used and
career as teachers. This will, in fact, make modifications accordingly. One of the
perpetuate traditions at the expense of most complicated and challenging issues in
reflective and informed decisions. language teacher supervision in Iran is the
Besides, supervision has type of comments given by supervisors in
unfortunately come to be associated with terms of compliments, criticisms and
evaluation (Richards & Farrell, 2005; suggestions in the current supervision
Stoelinga, 2011) which, according to Bailey practices in the country and to what extent
(2009, p. 5) has given it colorful nicknames supervisors make a balance between these
including „the reluctant profession‟ (Mosher areas not to discourage teachers by
& Purpel, 1972), and „a private cold war‟ increasing the critical load of the comments.
(Blumberg, 1980). All these terms imply In fact, it seems that the supervision process
some degree of tension and pressure does not affect the teaching process
between supervisors and supervisees. Thus, effectively. The outcomes of supervision
while teacher supervision intends to promote should be at the service of teaching, and this
teacher professional growth (Nolan & truncates the continuum which starts from
Hoover, 2011), most teachers are not supervision and ends in teaching.
convinced of its benefits, and as a result, do Thus, informed by this need for
not want to be supervised (Acheson & Gall, further research into different kinds of
2011). supervisory feedback and their
Though there is barely a consensus ramifications, the researchers in the current
among the researchers as to what study embarked on pinpointing the
characterizes successful and constructive proportion of different kinds of feedback in
supervision, Murdoch‟s (1998) taxonomy of written comments provided by the
effective supervision which encompasses ten supervisors in the context of language
key characteristics might prove illuminating institutes in Iran. In so doing, the potential
in this regard. Among the key features of role of experience was also explored to see
efficacious supervision, Murdoch refers to whether years of teaching experience has
issues like providing encouragement for the anything to do with the kinds of comments
supervisee, collecting data from the lesson to received by teachers.
be analyzed by both supervisor and 2. Literature Review
supervisee, restraining feedback to only Teacher supervision has seen many
some certain agreed upon areas of focus, different models and approaches from
creating linkages between classroom prescriptive and directive ones to more
teaching and ELT at large, limiting collaborative and reflective ones. However,
criticisms and suggestions prior to the literature on this fledgling field of
supervision, taking into account the unique teacher supervision indicates a trend from
atmosphere and features of the class being evaluative and directive supervisory styles
observed, tailoring the depth and level of towards more developmental and reflective
feedback to supervisee‟s experience and ones as it is evident from the many
capability, strengthening decent practices by taxonomies of and approaches to supervision
giving positive feedback, using the lesson as practices.
a groundwork for establishing proper The present study mainly draws on
relationship and negotiation with the Goldberry‟s (1988) framework which is one
supervisee, analyzing the data in a of the earliest supervision models.
collaborative way to instill confidence and Goldsberry (1988) introduced three models
reflective practice in the observed teacher. of educational supervision. The nominal
Despite its importance and supervision is intended to maintain “a façade
complexity, language teacher supervision in that supervision is being practiced” (p. 2).
Iran remains one of the mostly This model is just to maintain the status quo,
underexplored research areas. To the best of protect insiders, meet the official
the present researchers‟ knowledge, few prerequisites, keep in touch with authorities,
investigations, if any, have embarked on the and appear accountable. Goldsberry calls
current supervision model and its this model of supervision a “void posing as
characteristics and determining factors in the supervision” and “lip-service supervision”
Cite this article as: Atefinia, A. & Alavinia, P. (2019). Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments,
Criticisms and Suggestions Revisited. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(3). 59-
66.
Page | 60
Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments …. Abdollah Atefinia & Parviz Alavinia
(p. 4). He adds “when there is inadequate dairies, self-reports, and portfolios, get
time to do the job, when the supervisor lacks feedback from students, parents and
the preparation or skill to do it well, nominal colleagues, or even discuss unseen and
supervision is preferred to trying to do too unobserved lessons, still their observing the
much in too little time and thus doing it teachers‟ lessons live in the classroom is
badly” (p. 5). Then, he concludes “until obviously a fundamental part of fair
supervisors are provided with adequate language teacher supervision.
preparation and time to do the job, nominal As probe into supervision is still in
supervision is all the organization can its infancy, the few studies reported here
expect” (p. 5). epitomize the current orientation of research
The prescriptive model, on the other which is mainly after exploring the attitudes
hand, rests upon the contention that “the of supervisees regarding the efficacy of
supervisor needs to correct deficiencies in supervision or the role supervision might
teaching and has a primary purpose of play in teachers‟ professional development.
surfacing these flaws and correcting them” In their attempt targeted toward finding the
(Goldsberry, 1988, p. 2). Its main objectives proportion of different kinds of comments
include promoting unvarying practices, provided in supervisory feedback, Moradi,
improving advantages of expertise, Sepehrifar and Parhizkar Khadiv (2014)
identifying weaknesses and deficiencies, analyzed EFL teachers‟ perspectives. To
checking for standard practices, and conduct the study, the attitudes of 34
prescribing needed changes. This model of teachers were gathered through
supervision has heavily affected the questionnaire and semi-structured interview.
language teaching profession (Freeman, The findings altogether revealed an adverse
1982, 1989; Gebhard, 1984; Wallace, 1991). outlook toward the process of supervision,
Goldsberry believes this model might be judging supervision as ineffective and aimed
used to serve three purposes of creating at providing criticisms rather than
uniformity, orienting and guiding the less constructive suggestions. Furthermore, the
experienced teachers, and ameliorating poor participants believed that teachers typically
practice of teaching. wear masks on observation sessions and try
The reflective model, which is to please the supervisor by playing the role
unfortunately used less often than the of a hard-working teacher.
previous two models, assumes that “teachers In another study on teachers‟
need skilled support to refine their own attitudes toward supervision, Kahyalar and
efforts” (Goldsberry, 1988, p. 2). Its main Yazıcı (2016) tapped into teachers and
purpose, as argued by Goldsberry, is “the supervisors‟ perspectives garnered via
stimulation of guided reflection based upon recordings and interview. At the culmination
disciplined inquiry into the ends and means of research, they came up with a discrepancy
of teaching” (p. 7). According to between the teaching areas mentioned by the
Goldsberry, prescriptive approaches present trainee teachers and the ones mentioned by
the standards which strengthen the common the supervisor in her feedback about the
points among teaching practices, while a observed lesson, and concluded that there
reflective approach concentrates on values, are mismatches between the way teachers
goals, learners, skills and settings which and supervisors see observation and its
identify the practices of good teachers from efficacy.
each other. In much the same way, Aldaihani
According to Wallace (1991), the (2017) compared teachers‟ perspectives
existing supervisory approaches in education concerning the efficacy and importance of
range from classic prescriptive to classic supervision to those voiced by departmental
collaborative approaches. According to heads. In accordance with the results
Bailey (2009), the general trend in the obtained through structured interview, it was
language teacher supervision is away from found that even though supervision was
prescriptive approaches towards more positively approached by participants, a gap
collaborative ones. According to Bailey was encountered between the actual and
(2009), “there are many ways to realize the ideal supervisory practices.
language teacher supervisor‟s role” (p. 17). Striving to explore the possible
Having adopted their favorite model contribution of supervision sessions
of teacher supervision, language teacher conducted by school managers to teachers‟
supervisors will need to collect information development and growth, Yousaf, Usman
on teachers‟ performance. Although and Islam (2018) conducted surveys with
supervisors can read teachers‟ journals, both school principals and teachers in
Pakistan. The findings revealed that acquired during their work rather than
supervision by principals led to improved through professional preparation and
performance and further development of internship.
teachers. In view of the paucity of research on
Furthermore, in an attempt which supervision, in general, and different
greatly resembled the current study in terms components of supervisors‟ feedback and
of objectives, Amini and Gholami (2018) their effect, in particular, the researchers in
investigated the effect of rotatory teacher the current study opted for analyzing the
supervision by experienced teachers on their distribution of different types of comments,
colleagues‟ professional development. Like i.e. compliments, criticisms and suggestions
the present study, they adopted the tripartite in the supervisors‟ written feedback. In line
classification of compliments, criticisms and with the objectives of the current study, the
suggestions as the leading framework for following research questions were
their analysis. The findings of their research formulated:
pointed toward the higher rate of RQ1: What are the proportions of
compliments as opposed to criticisms and compliments, criticisms and suggestions
suggestions. given by supervisors in their written
Moreover, in another recent study feedback?
conducted by Brandon, Hollweck, Donlevy RQ2: Is there a significant difference in the
and Whalen (2018) the principal challenges amount of different kinds of feedback with
facing teaching supervision in the Canadian regard to teachers‟ experience?
educational system were explored. To 3. Method
collect data, they made use of interviews, 3.1 Design
focus groups, observations and field notes. Being part of a larger-scale study, the
The main challenges pinpointed were related current probe followed a mixed methods
to management, complexity and learning design of research. However, the phase of
issues. In addition, some recommendations research reported here relied mainly on the
were offered by the participants to foster existing corpus on supervisors‟ comments
supervision career, including the use of on language teachers‟ performance. This
shared and collective approaches to research corpus came from one of the most
supervision, adopting multiple pathways for renowned language schools in Gonbad-e-
effective supervision, and casting a broader Kavoos, Iran. The teaching staff included 30
look at the process of supervision. full-time ELT instructors holding BA, MA
The concise body of literature on and PhD with both TEFL and non-TEFL
teacher supervision presented here further educational backgrounds.
reveals the dire need for more in-depth 3.2 Participants
research into the concept. Though a deep- The study sample was composed of 30
seated concept in teacher education studies, EFL teachers (both males and females). The
teacher supervision seems not to have participants were selected from among the
received the attention it deserves. The cohort of EFL teachers at a language school
insufficient heed paid to the issue might be in Gonbad-e-Kavoos, Iran. The participants
evident in claims made by researchers like held different degrees ranging from BA to
Alfonso, Firth, and Neville (cited in Bailey, PhD and included both TEFL and non-TEFL
2009) who are of the view that literature on teachers in terms of academic background.
language teacher supervision is rather „thin‟. To conduct the study, the existing record of
Furthermore, research findings concerning these teachers‟ supervisory feedback was
the essential characteristics of successful used as the corpus based on which the
supervision as well as role of supervision in analyses were conducted. In order to probe
teachers‟ professional development appear the possible effects of the teachers‟ years of
to be inconclusive and at times experience on the proportion of different
contradictory. In this regard, Daresh (2001, kinds of comments and feedback, the
p. 3), for instance, maintains that so far “no participants were selected from among those
real consensus has ever been reached teachers with below three (N = 10), over five
concerning what supervision should be or (N = 10) and over 10 years of teaching
what educational supervisors should do.” experience (N = 10). Table 1 below
Because of this thin theoretical basis, the demonstrates the entire demographic
supervision profession has not been able to information about the participants.
define the skills necessary for the job and
most of the skills used by supervisors are
Cite this article as: Atefinia, A. & Alavinia, P. (2019). Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments,
Criticisms and Suggestions Revisited. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(3). 59-
66.
Page | 62
Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments …. Abdollah Atefinia & Parviz Alavinia
Cite this article as: Atefinia, A. & Alavinia, P. (2019). Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments,
Criticisms and Suggestions Revisited. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(3). 59-
66.
Page | 64
Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments …. Abdollah Atefinia & Parviz Alavinia
colleagues with handy tips for professional research is needed, both in Iran and other
development. countries, to enrich the empirical
Along with changes to English background required for decision-making
language teaching, language teacher about suitable methods of organizing
supervision in Iran has experienced changes language teacher supervision. After all, it is
during the last decades. In many English hoped that through the current research
language schools, announced observations some contribution has been made to the
and postobservation briefing sessions have existing literature on the issue. Nevertheless,
replaced unplanned observations and coming up with more conclusive findings
inspections. With the appearance of report necessitates more in-depth research into the
forms, evaluation criteria and checklists, concept with larger number of teachers,
more transparency in the observation and supervisors and other stakeholders.
evaluation process is seen. In addition, in
order to encourage teachers‟ reflection and References
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Cite this article as: Atefinia, A. & Alavinia, P. (2019). Supervisory Feedback: The Weight of Compliments,
Criticisms and Suggestions Revisited. International Journal of English Language & Translation Studies. 7(3). 59-
66.
Page | 66