A decision-making orientation applied to student teaching supervision

This paper discusses some contemporary views and practices in the supervision of student teach-ers in preservice training programs. The specula-tive propositions discussed here ave ee i-rectly influenced by concept rawn fro deci-sion theory(Shavelso, ~ Î an are buttressed by recent developments in computer applica-tions (Semmel, 1975). They center around two major issues: (a) the field supervisors ’ selec-tion of training techniques for achievin behav-ioral changes in their trainees and (b) the deci-sions of student teachers in selectin and validat-in effective teach’,nmg me,hods with the-r pupils. fun a~e~tai assumption is t student 4.,each-ers are capable o ’ dev-’oping personally ~ ~ i ~ t instructional cornpetencies through the process of inquiry, which encourages systematic decision making. The conclusion discusses the feasibility of using an inquiry process to tr in student teach-ers to e effective cision makers. SOME o PROBLEMS Most preservice teacher.training programs on fi id supervisors and cooperating public school teachers. In theo~ ~ the unct~.on the supervisory is to o~~~~~ ~ F~si~ec per-formsnce and c proiwide feedback for ±he ~u~~os of shaping ~~~~~~~ ~ 4.,e;m.--h-ing ~o~~c~~~~i~~. in practice, h--wever, ~~~~ § ~~~~~ ~ av- ~~~~t~ ~ ~-1 n meeting the ~~~~~~i~~ ~ demands’MD-ie, ’ bv ~~eir role definitions. The frequency and ~eg~ia ~ ity of field observations by program supervisors is diminished by the relatively large numbers of assigned trainees, ho are often placed in dis-The authors are indebted to Dorothy S. Semmel for valuable criticism and constructive suggestions. persed and/or remote locations. Given the limited number of supervisory visits available to each student teacher, it is unlikely that systematic training can be delivered using contemporar