Testing the effects of observational learning theory on teaching behavior and collegiality
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to test the effects of the supervisory process based on observational learning. It was expected that teachers who received supervisors' suggestions which were modeled for them would implement a significantly greater number of suggestions than teachers who received suggestions verbally from their supervisors. The study analyzed teachers' rate of implementation of supervisors' suggestions, the types of suggestions implemented, and the methods of implementation. This study also sought to determine if teacher-supervisor collegiality increased as a result of the use of observational learning in supervision. New York City licensed elementary principals and assistant principals administered either the experimental supervisory process, based on Bandura's theory of observational learning, or the traditional supervisory process to teachers in their schools. After they administered the treatment, the supervisors revisited the teachers' classes and recorded whether or not their suggestions were implemented by each teacher. For the implemented suggestions, they also recorded the method of implementation, imitative or adaptive. Data on collegiality were collected through teachers' responses on a questionnaire, the Profile of Collegiality. Chi-square analyses were computed to determine significant relationships in the implementation of suggestions and use of the supervisory process based on observational learning. The results indicated that teachers who received supervisory suggestions which were modeled for them implemented a greater number of suggestions than those teachers who received supervisory suggestions through verbal communication. In addition, teachers who received suggestions that were modeled for them implemented more behaviors in an adaptive method than those teachers who received suggestions verbally. There was no relationship found between type of supervisory process and type of teaching behaviors implemented, simple or complex behaviors. An analysis of variance computed for scores on collegiality indicated that there was no significant difference between teachers' feelings of collegiality in the traditional or experimental groups. The findings of this study demonstrate the positive effects of using observational learning in supervision to increase teachers' implementation of supervisors' suggested teaching behaviors.
Subject Area
School administration|Elementary education
Recommended Citation
Lavin, Kathleen Therese, "Testing the effects of observational learning theory on teaching behavior and collegiality" (1992). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI9304518.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI9304518
