The Leaders role in impacting instruction through classroom observation

The leader 's role in impacting instruction through classroom observation

February 2007

CHAPTER TWO

Literature Review

The primary objective of any educational institution is to maximize student learning by providing facilities , resources and personnel necessary to facilitate this process . Student learning is , therefore of top priority and administrators within the school have to effectively coordinate programs to ensure that learning takes place . Therefore the learner , the principal , the teacher , educational coordinators within the government , learners and the broader community have to collaborate in ensure that the stated objective of

the educational institutions are achieved . Whatever is planned at the administrative level , however , is only executed in the classroom by the teachers who are working to achieve set objectives . When decision makers within the hierarchy of the educational system need to assess the effectiveness of policies it is to the classroom teacher they end up turning

To determine if instructional practice is fulfilling policy mandates supervisors must therefore examine actual classroom practice and this means that teacher supervision and observation becomes necessary . The principals within the schools have been mandated with this task of supervising and evaluating instruction . Among the alternative methods of evaluation available to principals are actual classroom observations of teaching . In a survey of 62 schools in Illinois Kersten Israel (2005 note that pre-observations , actual classroom observations and pos-tobservations are the most popular approaches used by principals in evaluating the extent to which educational goals are being achieve . The role of the principal in impacting instruction by carrying out classroom observation of teacher practice is therefore a necessary feature of any effective educational program

Quinn (2002 ) observes that because principals are not always present in the classroom , they only influence student achievement indirectly by working through the teaching staff . Supervision of teachers is therefore essential and exists to improve instruction . State and district policies prescribe observation of teacher 's classroom instructions so that data can be collected to evaluate teachers for administrative purposes (Holland Garman , 2001 ,

. 98 . Principals visit classrooms in to observe and document teaching as it actually occurs . The purpose of such evaluation is summative rather than formative . The dominant form of supervision that has been used for over 20 years now is clinical observation (Holland Garman , 2001 . Performance is based on observable , job-related behavior including teacher 's implementation of discipline procedures and performance of teacher 's students (Holland Garman , 2001 ,

. 103

In a qualitative survey among secondary and primary school principals in New Guinea schools it was observed that principals visiting classrooms to see that instructional time is used for learning and practicing new skills and concepts is necessary (Lahui-Ako , 2001 ,

. 248 . Most respondents expressed their disappointment in the principals for not performing this important task . Respondents also argued for principals to visit classrooms more frequently in to check that teachers are carrying out the objectives they are required to

Additionally it is believed that the principals can help in improving the positive learning climate within the classroom by providing...