Investigation of effective supervisory practices in a multicultural context

grantor: University of TorontoThis quantitative study investigates perceptions of the effectiveness of supervisory practices and the impact of cultural background, experience and age on supervision, from the perspective of the Toronto Catholic District School Board's adult ESL instructors. The study serves as a quality assurance study, and the data are used as a basis for research with the objective to broaden the knowledge of supervision within specific contexts. Survey questions explored issues such as need for support, observation visits, evaluation, feedback, instructor involvement, qualities of supervisors, communication, and methods of achieving positive change. Data indicate that most fundamental to the thesis of this study is instructors' active involvement. As hypothesized, supervisors who are open to collaborative processes and respect the instructor scored high. The findings also point to instructors' cultural background as a variable worth consideration. Situational approach emerged as an approach that best responds to diverse needs in multicultural contexts.M.A