| The study tested the effects of two systems of supervision--product specification and process specification--to the success of beginning teachers of vocational agriculture. Product specification is based on supervision-by-objectives, a student-centered emphasis. Process specification is based on management of the teacher and his/her activities, a teacher-centered emphasis. It was hypothesized that supervisory techniques based on product specifications would be perceived to be more effective.;The study used an experimental, posttest-only control group design. Data consisted of measures from each of the following groups: 28 secondary school supervisors, 28 teachers, and 384 students in 18 comprehensive high schools and ten vocational technical schools in Pennsylvania.;Findings indicated significant differences in student perceptions of teaching style as measured by the Student Perception of Teacher Style Survey. Additionally, analysis of the subscales of the three supervisory questionnaires indicated significant differences in teacher perceptions in the following areas of supervision: goal commitment, decision-making procedures, emphasis on objectives, challenge, control over resources, knowledge of results and intrinsic rewards.;Findings indicated no significant differences in (1) student achievement test scores, (2) supervisor effectiveness scores as rated by teachers on the Likert Profile of a School Survey for school supervisors, (3) supervisor behavior ratings as perceived by teachers on the Supervisory Behavior Description Questionnaire for supervisors, (4) supervisor effectiveness ratings regarding goals and objectives as perceived by teachers on the Job Objective Questionnaire, and (5) supervisor effectiveness scores obtained by self-rating using the three instruments. |
