Exploring the Role of Clinical Supervision in Teacher Development Bede McCormack, LaGuardia Community College and Laura Baecher, Hunter College Participatory Workshop in Pedagogical Research John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY January 13 th,

Study Overview Identify supervision practices in pre-service K-12 teacher education that lead to higher levels of teacher candidate preparation. Investigation carried out at the researchers’ respective education programs. IRB: Multi-campus, expedited Study analyzed current supervision practices in early and late-stage school-based fieldwork Criteria for supervisor selection Supervisor training and workload Relationships between supervisory practices such as the frequency, duration, format, and timing of supervision, and teacher candidate outcomes.

Study Goals 1. To identify and codify current supervision practices in early and late-stage K-12 school-based fieldwork, including criteria for selection of supervisors, as well as supervisor training and workload, and 2. To explore the relationships between supervisory practices and teacher candidate learning outcomes in terms of standardized measures of readiness to teach (edTPA, Praxis) and local program criteria (measures of knowledge, skills, and dispositions). 3.By investigating supervision practices at the Associates, Bachelors, and Masters levels, our aim was to identify core practices that could be implemented at any level of supervised fieldwork.

Research Questions 1.How do teacher education institutions provide clinical supervision? What are the hiring practices and challenges of recruiting faculty to serve as clinical supervisors What training, professional development, oversight, or mentoring is provided to supervisors? 2.What are the practices employed by clinical supervisors in supporting their candidates’ learning to teach? How do supervisors work with teacher candidates in terms of developmental and evaluative supervision? 3.What is the impact of clinical supervision on the teacher candidate?

Research Design Participants: Supervisors and their pre- and in-service teacher candidates from three levels of CUNY teacher education: AA, BA, and MA Data Collection: Data collected via: Questionnaires targeting supervisor and teacher candidate readiness, support, and perceptions Content-analysis of institutional data for supervisor selection patterns and candidate outcomes Focus groups made up of current supervisors and their pre- and in-service teacher candidates

Supervisor Survey: Key Points Statements targeting various aspects of supervisors’ readiness, support, and practice related to their work as supervisors. Do you discuss the practice of clinical supervision with clinical supervisor colleagues? Are your institution's expectations of you as supervisor clear? Statements regarding ways in which supervisors support their teacher candidates. Do you provide teacher candidates with timely substantive and detailed oral and written feedback? Statements regarding supervisors’ perceptions of teacher candidates’ readiness for meeting their clinical experience requirements. Do college courses sufficiently prepare teacher candidates to successfully complete their clinical experience requirements?

Teacher Candidate Survey: Key Points Statements regarding how teacher candidates’ colleges supported them in meeting their clinical experience requirements: Did topics covered in your college courses prepare you to effectively perform your duties as a fieldwork student, student teacher, or practicum teacher? Have the clinical experience requirements from semester to semester been clearly designed to build on each other and support you in becoming a confident, effective teacher? Statements regarding how candidates’ college-based clinical supervisors supported them in their professional development as teacher candidates: Did your clinical supervisor provide you with timely, substantive and detailed oral and written post-observation feedback? Did your clinical supervisor's observation feedback help you improve your understanding of how your lesson planning, classroom management, and teaching specialty can better impact student learning?

Data Analysis Goals: Develop a taxonomy of supervisory practices to represent a continuum of practice across institutions of teacher education Identify correlations and mismatches between supervisors’ and candidates’ perceptions of the clinical experience Identify patterns of supervision within those levels and programs Measure candidate outcomes such as certification examination scores and program measures of knowledge, skills and dispositions in relation to supervisory practices

Supervisors: Need more institutional support Little sense of specific institutional expectations Disconnect between candidates’ course content and clinical experience Favorable view of supervisor support of candidates Candidates: Sufficient institutional support Supervisor expectations often not clear Disconnect between courses and experience Insufficient supervisor support Survey Results

Experienced: General feeling they can recognize “good” teaching Candid about identifying candidates’ weaknesses and explaining more effective methods Resistant to reflecting on own supervision practice Novice: Less judgmental Resist identifying and correcting candidates’ weaknesses Try to promote candidate reflection about their teaching Open to reflecting on own supervision practice Focus Group Results: Supervisors

Experienced: General feeling of confidence about teaching practice Somewhat open to supervisor’s comments, resistance to correction Willing to reflect on own supervision practice Novice: Less confident about teaching practice Expect supervisor to comment and “correct” Expect detailed written comments Open to reflect on own supervision practice Focus Group Results: Candidates

This study identified mismatches in expectations at the institutional, supervisor, and candidate levels Highlights importance of dialogue between stakeholders to agree on clearly articulated expectations The study also identified distinct attitudes towards the clinical experience by both supervisors and candidates Highlights importance of Promoting a culture of reflective practice among both supervisors and candidates Recognizing that supervisor experience can influence supervisory practice Recognizing that candidate experience can influence reaction to supervisor comments and reactions Candidate uptake from clinical experience is very hard to measure as it may not fully manifest itself for years after the experience itself. Key is for both supervisors and candidates to be open and reflective to each other and to their experiences together in the classroom. Analysis and Recommendations

Thank you!