Instrument for observing supervisor behavior in educational programs for mentally retarded children

A structured behavior-observation instrument for studying supervision was developed. The main dimensions of the instrument were: mode of communication, function, content, tone, location, and target. Results showed that the instrument had high reliability when used with five administrators working in four schools for severely mentally retarded children. Preliminary results suggested that the supervisors generally spend more time on administrative than professional- or teaching-related content and more time in the office than in other parts of the school. Also, they made statements to others more than they asked questions or listened and engaged in little goal-setting, coaching, or feedback with staff members.