Lesson supervision from the perspectives of the supervisor and the supervised: Evaluation and differences of opinions of school principals and teachers

This study aims to examine the perceptions and expectations of school principals and teachers regarding lesson supervision. The research covers multiple dimensions of the supervision process, including its perceived necessity, operational focus, intended functions, preferred supervisors and competency expectations, supervision frequency, applied supervision techniques, implementation challenges, and its contribution to teachers' professional development. A descriptive research design was adopted, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires administered to 50 school principals and 133 teachers working in public schools affiliated with the Ministry of National Education during the 2023–2024 academic year, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews conducted with 8 teachers and 8 school principals, and were analyzed using content analysis. The findings indicate that a majority of both teachers (70%) and school principals (82%) consider lesson supervision necessary; however, their perceptions of its current focus differ substantially. While principals generally conceptualize supervision as a guidance-oriented and developmental process, teachers tend to perceive it as predominantly control-based and pressure-inducing. Despite these differences, both groups agree that ideal supervision should prioritize guidance and professional growth, whereas current practices are viewed as formal, document-centered, and distant from this developmental ideal. The results further reveal differences in views on who should conduct supervision. Principals consider supervision a natural extension of their managerial duties, whereas teachers favor self-evaluation, branch-based evaluation, and involvement of subject specialists. Additionally, principals hold more positive perceptions of their supervisory competence, while teachers frequently deem principals insufficient in terms of subject knowledge, objectivity, and pedagogical guidance. A large portion of teachers evaluate the supervision process as stressful, minimally developmental, and not meaningfully contributing to their professional progress. Overall, the findings highlight a clear gap between the existing supervision practices in Türkiye and the guidance-and-growth-oriented supervision model perceived as ideal by both groups. The study suggests the need for clearer supervision standards, strengthened in-service training for supervisors, branch-based and feedback-focused supervision models, and more participatory approaches that prioritize teachers' professional development.