Field‐experience reading interns profile the effective/ineffective university supervisor

Abstract

A review of the teacher education literature suggests that, with one exception, the area of early field‐based education is still virtually unstudied. This study explores the role of the university supervisor, a role that has come under sharp criticism of late, in early field‐based reading education programs. It examines reading interns’ perceptions of what it is that distinguishes effective from ineffective university supervision during two required field‐based reading methods courses. Subjects were Early Childhood Education majors drawn from students enrolled in several sections of two field‐based reading methods courses. The materials used were two questionnaires composed of open‐ended questions designed specifically to tap students’ perceptions of the university supervisor's role in their field experiences. Responses obtained from 83 completed questionnaires fell into three areas: the attitude of the university supervisor, the supervisor's handling of the observation process, and the manner of feedback utilized by the supervisor.