Abstract

Since the supervisor’s behavior influences the productivity of the group, it may also affect the level of fulfillment of the organization’s goals. It is an undeniable fact that education supervisors assume outstanding roles in the healthy functioning of the education system and in determining whether the goals set have been attained or not. Just as teachers are important in the success of students in schools, likewise, supervisors’ guidance of teachers professionally is equally important in teachers’ success. The objective of the study is to determine student (candidate) teachers’ perceptions about education supervisors through metaphors. The qualitative research method was used in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data. Data were collected by asking the study group to complete the sentence: “The educational supervisor is like … because …” in writing. The data were analyzed using the method of content analysis. The metaphors produced by the participants were classified into 9 themes taking into consideration the student teachers’ explanations of their supervisors as frightening, guiding, controlling, evaluating, criticizing, ineffective, and inconsistent. After the analysis, it was found out that student teachers perceived education supervisors as individuals who exhibit: 1) positive (guiding, developing, protecting, evaluating and controlling) behaviors and 2) negative (frightening, criticizing, ineffective and inconsistent) behaviors. When these two aggregate results, that is, positive and negative were evaluated together, it was observed that education supervisor was perceived both as an individual who is feared and always looks for negative aspects, and as an individual who develops, protects, guides, forms, and supports.
 
Key words:  Provincial education supervisor, student teacher, metaphor, primary education.