Transforming Teachers’ Instructional Practices Through Clinical Supervision: An Action Research Study

Abstract

The current research being reported on, employed a Clinical Supervision (CS) model as a conceptual framework to design and implement CS interventions to develop teachers’ pedagogical and instructional skills, with three teachers in two secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago over a six-month period.  Data collection methods included: classroom observations, questionnaires, interviews and journals. The findings showed that the CS intervention that focused on building a collaborative and collegial relationship with the teachers, to develop their skills, attitudes and competencies, enabled them to learn and improve their pedagogical and instructional practices within the complex classroom environments. Teachers indicated that the collaborative process allowed them to reflect and improve their practice with assistance and guidance from their supervisors, whom they regarded as mentors. The study is significant as it validates CS as a viable and sustainable teacher CPD strategy.