Scheduled for Pedagogy Free Communications I, Wednesday, April 10, 2002, 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM, San Diego Convention Center: Room 7B


Comparing Supervisory Effectiveness to PETE Preservice Teachers' Learning Styles

Stephen C. Coulon and Jennifer L. Libby, Springfield College, Springfield, MA

Effective supervision of preservice teachers during practicum experiences and student teaching is an essential component of Physical Education Teacher Education Programs (PETE). However, supervisory assignments are often done logistically instead of focusing on learner needs. The purpose of this study was to measure supervisory effectiveness based on preservice teachers with different learning styles. Preservice teachers (N=48) enrolled in a first year instructional strategies course completed the Learning Style Inventory (Kolb, 1993). They were then randomly assigned to twelve teaching groups based on their identified learning style (i.e., diverging, assimulating, converging, accommodating). Each group consisted of four students each with a different preferred learning style. All groups taught three sequential lessons focusing on fundamental skill themes and movement concepts (Graham, Holt-Hale & Parker, 2001) to 8 to 12 preschool age students. All instruction occurred at the same site across three days a week with four groups teaching each day. Each group was randomly assigned to one of four supervisory styles: directive control, directive informational, collaborative and nondirective (Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon, 1998). Supervisory conferences occurred before and immediately after each taught lesson. Each conference was videotaped and assessed for adherence to the given supervisory style. Each student completed an open-ended questionnaire addressing the supervisory conferencing style they were involved with. In addition, each group of learning styles was interviewed separately by the researchers and asked to reflect on instructional success, supervisory conferencing, and overall reflections of the experience. Questionnaire data were analyzed by actively searching for patterns across each supervisory and learning style. Audiotapes from the group interviews were transcribed verbatim, read and listened to multiple times by the researchers, and coded for common themes using a constant comparison method of data analysis. Results indicated that certain learning styles favored specific supervisory styles, but the collaborative style was identified as most effective across styles. Further research is needed to compare supervisory preference to instructional effectiveness.
Keyword(s): professional preparation, research

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