Kreinbucher, Charles E.
(2017)
An Exploration of the Micropolitics of Instructional Supervision.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Instructional supervision has been one of the most researched, and debated topics in
education in the last several decades. It continues to be a topic of relevance, especially in
Pennsylvania, where the 2013-2014 school year began with the introduction of the teacher
supervision and evaluation framework, Act 82 of 2012 (PSBA, 2013). Instructional supervision
is a political phenomenon and social construct, and at any time, conceptually and practically, it is
a function of internal and external politics, serving as an advantage to some and a disadvantage
for others (Blasé & Blasé, 2002). The forms that supervision takes, the frequency, approaches,
goals, values or beliefs are reflected by those leading the organization. The use of a
micropolitical lens holds great potential for understanding the critical processes and nuances of
the supervisory practices. The purpose of this exploration were to describe the current
supervision practices of elementary principals, examine the micropolitical strategies, values and
use of power relationships, determine the micropolitical leadership approach of the respondents,
and discover the changes in practice as a result of Pennsylvania Act 82 or 2012.
This study was an exploration, involving survey and 11 follow up interviews. The survey
was designed in a manner to quantify the Blasé and Anderson Micropolitical Leadership Matrix
(1995). The respondents, elementary principals in Western Pennsylvania, were mapped to a
AN EXPLORATION OF THE MICROPOLITICS OF INSTRUCTIONAL
SUPERVISION
Charles E. Kreinbucher, Ed.D
University of Pittsburgh, 2016
iv
quadrant of the matrix. Responses were analyzed and follow up semi-structured interviews were
conducted. From these data, several findings were determined.
The findings indicate that principals reported that they lean towards an open style and
transformational approach. The concepts of instructional supervision and evaluation are
approached synonymously, and efforts to grow teachers is through the clinical supervision model
and practice of walkthroughs. Finally, Pennsylvania Act 82 of 2012 is reported to have had a
positive impact in technical approaches, yet core philosophy has not changed.
Share
| Citation/Export: |
|
| Social Networking: |
|
Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
| Title | Member | Email Address | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Tananis, Dr. Cynthia | tananis@pitt.edu | | |
|
| Date: |
31 January 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
31 October 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
31 January 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
25 January 2017 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
183 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Education > Administrative and Policy Studies |
| Degree: |
EdD - Doctor of Education |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Micropolitics
Supervision
Instructional supervision
Adversarial leadership
Authoritarian leadership
Facilitative leadership
Democratic leadership |
| Date Deposited: |
31 Jan 2017 18:50 |
| Last Modified: |
01 Feb 2017 06:15 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30842 |
Metrics
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
![[feed]](/images/feed-icon-32x32.png){kind=icon}