Module 3

I. Title:
Fundamental Principles of School Administration and Supervision
II. Lesson Overview:
Consistent with the study of administration and supervision it is imperative to know
the fundamental principles as it serves as a doctrine that governs the various type of
human endeavor.
III. Learning Objectives:
At the end of this module the students should be able to:
1. Enumerate the principles of Administration and supervision ;
2. Discuss the Fundamental principles of administration and Supervision;
3. Define and Explain the uses of principles in administration and supervision;
4. Compare and contrast the characteristics or practices of an autocratic and a
democratic administrator or supervisor.
IV. Module Requirements
1. Take the Assessment
2. Submit the assessment result
V. Discussion/Lesson Proper
A. For the learner:
Welcome to our subject “Basic School Administration and Management.”
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace
and time. You will be given the opportunity to process the contents of the
learning resources while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

 What I Need to Know : This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to
learn in the module.
 What I know : This part is composed of a 5 to 10 item activity/
Pre-assessment questions in order
to check what you already know about the
lesson you are going to take.
 What it is : This section provides a brief discussion of the
lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concept and skills.
 What I have learned : This includes questions or fill in the
blanks sentences/paragraphs to process
what you learned from the lesson.
 Assessment : This is another 5-item task which aims
to evaluate your level of mastery in
achieving the learning competency.

What I need to know

1. Know the Basis of Administrative and Supervisory Principles.

2. Uses of Principles in School Administration and supervision.
3. General Principles of Administration and supervision of Supervision.
4. Characteristics or Practices of Autocratic and a Democratic Administrator or Supervisor.

ACTIVITY 1: PRE-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

What I know/Pre Assessment:

1. What is the basis of school administrative and Supervisory principles?

2. What are the different uses of the principles in School Administration and Supervision?
2. Compare and contrast the difference between Autocratic and a Democratic Administrator
and Supervisor.
4. How do autocratic administrator differ from democratic administrator?
5. When do we say that democratic administration and supervision is consistent with the
democratic philosophy?

What It is

Basis of Administrative and Supervisory Principles

In the field of administration and supervision, principles is accepted as a fundamental
truth. Principles may be considered a law, a doctrine, a policy, or a deep-seated belief which
governs the conduct of various types of human endeavor. For the administrator or supervisor, a
principle, when it is understood and accepted, serves in important ways to guide his reflective
thinking and his choice of activities. In administration and supervision, as accepted principle
becomes part of one’s general philosophy which serves to determine and evaluate his
educational objectives, attitudes, practices and outcomes.
The sound principle is formulated from carefully observed facts or objectively measured
results which are common to a series of similar experiences. The guiding value of principles
depends not only upon the soundness of its origin, but also upon the individual’s acceptance,
understanding, and ability to apply the principles.
Diversity of educational practices in the field calls for a sound administrative and
supervisory philosophy to coordinate all activities of the school in order to realize its
fundamental objectives. Sound administrative and supervisory principles can harmonize all
school activities into an instrumentality for yielding results. A sound administrative and
supervisory philosophy contemplates the socializing of the individual through self-controlled
participation in the democratic organization of the school. In this philosophy we must find the
principles of educational administration and supervision, for those principles are but the
interpretation of that philosophy in terms of school administration and supervision. With a
unity of educational philosophy, it is likely that diversity in school practices will largely work
towards the accomplishment of a common purpose.
The central thought of our philosophy is in brief, socialization through democracy. In a
true democracy every person is a participating unit. In such a way his personal qualifications
and status permit. Differences in participation are based upon differences of capacity rather
than of rights, for rights vary with capacity.

Uses of Principles in School Administration and Supervision

 School administration and supervision, to be effective, must be based upon modern
principles of education. The application of the principles of school administration and
supervision may be stated as follows:
1. Principles are means by which the administrator and supervisor proceed from one
situation to another. They are important in the exercise of administrative and
supervisory activities.
2. Principles are instrumental in improving teaching and learning. Improving in instruction
and promotion of better learning are the fundamental aims of school administration and
supervision.
3. Principles makes for enormous economy of time and effort in choosing techniques to be
used. Principles governs the operation of administrative and supervisory techniques.
4. Principle eliminate much of the blundering trial-and-error effort in a practical piece of
work. They give direction or point of destination.
5. Principles greatly aid in the discovery of new techniques. They are hypotheses that
direct the search for new techniques in school administration and supervision.
6. Principles are needed to guide the choice and sequence of the appropriate techniques
at hand but in no way do they support the fundamental rule of techniques in carrying on
the processes and activities which make up the work of administration and supervision.
7. Principles aid in the evaluation of techniques, for they furnish a broader basis by which
to judge the techniques used in the school administration and supervision.
8. Principles define the items which must be scrutinized in evaluating results. This implies
an understanding of the fundamental principles and functions of school administration
and supervision.
9. Principles are used to evaluate the success of administrative and supervisory programs.
Administration and Supervision are directed and evaluated in terms of principles.
10. Principles lead the administrators and supervisors to further activities for they are
dynamic and not static.
Principles change with the discovery of new facts, with changes in social and moral
values, and with changes in teaching-learning situations.

ACTIVITY 2: SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

1. What are Uses of Principles in School Administration and Supervision?
2. In the field of administration and supervision, what principle?

General Principles of Administration and Supervision

The following general principles summarizes the implications of our Philosophy for
administration and supervision. They do not represent new ideas or concepts, but rather
present-day thoughts and practices as guided by this philosophy.
1. School administration and supervision must be democratic. If the administration and
supervision are to be democratic, some reconstruction in thinking and practice must be
made. Democracy in education does not imply the administrators and supervisors
abdicate their positions to permit teachers, parents and students to run the school
system. It does not imply that administrators and supervisors must furnish a democratic
type of leadership which is measured in terms of the amount and quality of leadership
which they in turn foster in others.
Democratic school administration and supervision recognize individual differences,
respect personality and extend consideration to all. It is the aim of democracy to give
the fullest measure of freedom to the individual to develop his maximum capacities so
long as the development does not interfere with the welfare and rights of others.
Democratic administration and supervision make it possible for each individual to make
distinctive contribution to the work of the school. Democratic socialization, as the
controlling objective of education challenges the administrator and supervisor for a total
reconstruction of education.
Many school officials still think of administration and supervision in terms of
authoritarian efficiency in the operation of the school system. They think that efficiency
cannot be obtained under democratic administration and supervision. Efficiency in
democratic administration and supervision means keeping open the channels of co-
operative interaction so that the best minds among human beings will emerge. The
democratic administrator or supervisor who brings continuous optimal unity of diversity
of ideas which the interactive process reveals is efficient. In other words, administration
and supervision is best which directs, encourages, promotes, and protects the highest
interactive process.
Some of the characteristics or practices of an autocratic and a democratic
administrator or supervisor are hereby presented by Koopman, Miel, and Minser for
Comparison:

Autocratic Democratic
1. Thinks he can sit by himself and 1. Realizes the potential power in
see all angles of a problem. thirty or fifty brains
2. Does not know how to use the 2. Knows how to utilize that power.
experience of others. 3. Knows how to delegate duties
3. Cannot bear to let any of the 4. Frees himself from routine details
strings of management slip from in order to turn his energy to
his fingers. creative leadership.
4. Is so tied to routine details that he 5. Is quick to recognize and praise an
seldom tackles in larger job. idea that comes from someone
5. Is jealous of ideas; reacts in one of else.
several ways when someone else 6. Refers to the group all matters
makes a proposal that concern the group.
6. Makes decision that should have 7. Maintains the position of friendly,
been made by the group helpful, adviser both on personal
7. Adopts a paternalistic attitude and professional matters.
towards the group- “ I know best” 8. Wishes to be respected as a fair
8. Expect hero-worship, giggles with and just individual as he respects
delight at his attempts at humor, others.
and so forth. 9. Consciously practices democratic
9. Does not admit even to himself techniques
that he is autocratic 10. Is more concerned with the
10. Sacrifices everything- teachers, growth of individuals involved
students, progress- to the end of a than with freedom from
smooth-running system. annoyances
11. Is greedy for publicity 11. Pushes others into the foreground
so that they taste success
12. Believes that as many as
individuals as possible should
have opportunities to take
responsibility and exercises
leadership
 Democratic school administration and supervision observe the following basic
principles.
a. Democratic school administration and supervision respect the authority of truth and
happiness rather than that of autocratic leaders. These respect the authority derived
from below rather than the one imposed from above.
b. Democratic school administration and supervision call for the way of living within
the school that is indicated by the concept of democracy. To improve man’s ability
to live and work with his fellowmen is still the most challenging goal in
administration and supervision.
c. Democratic school administration and supervision demand that participation should
not be limited to line-and-staff officers but should also be extended to the classroom
teachers and the students body. Theoretically, the broader the participation, the
better the administration and supervision.
d. Democratic school administration and supervision involve leadership and
considerateness as well as general participation. This calls for dynamic leadership
where both administrator and supervisor must be expert in social engineering. Their
function is to point the way to the improvement of the schools in terms of changes
necessary to meet demonstrated and felt need.
e. Democratic school administration and supervision call s for continuous evaluation,
re-thinking, and redirection of effort. This principles emphasizes the fact that
conditions are constantly changing, That thinking changes with changing conditions,
and that, consequently, any organization set up today may need to be turned down
tomorrow to make place for a new organization suited to new conditions.
f. Democratic school administration and supervision demands that the execution of
the major or minor policies should be in the hands of the administrator with such
assistance from the staff personnel as is necessary. This based on the principle that
after the policies have been determined by pooling the best thinking of all
concerned, their education must be trusted to the administrative officer.
g. Democratic school administration and supervision demand that the administrator or
supervisor must have to forfeit the power and authority that are his by his right of
training and experiences and by endowment from the people. The power and
authority must come from below.
2. School administration and supervision must be co-operative. Cooperation is practically
synonymous with group action. This principle is closely related to the democratic
principle of administration and supervision. A democratic principle cannot function in an
undemocratic set-up. Education must be essentially cooperative process growing out of
the needs and aspirations of each member of the group, must not apply only to the
teachers but also to the students as well. Administration and supervision is a co-
operative undertaking in which everyone participates to the best of his ability through
the interactive process on the belief that those who must abide by administrative and
supervisory policies should participate in making them. As the democratic function of
education is to improve learning for every individual, administration and supervision
must be directed towards that end. The administrator and supervisor is supposed to
lead his personnel toward a certain definite goal. Results are accomplished when unity
in action, co-ordination in movement, and harmony in thinking prevail. The
administrator’s or supervisor’s concern should be to eliminate misunderstanding which
is not conducive to co-operation. There is strength in co-operation, and progress results
from the combined efforts of all. The success of administration and supervision depends
upon the cooperation among administrators, supervisors, teachers, parents and pupils.
 Barr and Burton suggested that cooperative understanding between teachers,
principals, and supervisors can be accomplished by using the following basic principles:
a. Through the recognition of the distinctive contribution of each to the improvement of
instruction
b. Through a clear definition of responsibilities
c. Through the realization that not only teachers but principals and supervisors as well are
listeners in the study observation of classroom problems.
d. Through the general encouragement and conservation of contributions from teachers as
well as from the heads of departments, principals, and supervisors.
e. Through the organization, evaluation, and coordination of the efforts of those
concerned with the improvement of instruction.
Cooperative School Administration and supervision observe the following
practices:
(1) Cooperative administration and supervision are highly socialized functions
and imply willingness to work together. Much can be accomplished by
cooperation than by single-handed worker. The experiences of all is richer
than the experience of any. The administrator or supervisor regards his co-
workers whose opinions are considered and sought on all matters of vital
importance to the group. Cooperation means bringing together diverse
talents to work for common good.
(2) Cooperative administration and supervision stimulate initiative, self-reliance,
and individual responsibility on the part of all persons in the discharge of
their duties.
(3) Cooperative administration and supervision provide opportunity for growth
development. Democratic administration and supervision recognize that
leadership is a function of every individual and that authorities to be derived
from group planning, group execution, and group evaluation.
(4) Cooperative administration and supervision provide opportunity for growth
development Teachers are encourage to experiment and to discover for
themselves the teaching techniques and device that may prove most
effective in their particular teaching-learning situation.
(5) Cooperative administration and supervision promote understanding between
administrations, supervisors, and classroom teachers. When administrators
and supervisor understand teachers, and teachers understand administrators
or supervisors, and both group work together, both make greater and more
effective efforts in the interest of the students.
(6) Cooperative administration and supervision observe a code of professional
ethics that is real, practical, and vital. Cooperation can be easily established
on ethical basis. It can be said that the whole trend in modern industry and
business is toward more and more thinking, planning, and organization
carried on by cooperating groups of self-directed workers and less through
administration dictum or fiat.
3. School administration and supervision to be effective must be scientific. Scientific
administration and supervision stem from the idea that the improvement of instruction
maybe based upon measurable and controllable data. Both administration and
supervision make use of scientific principle that the solution of problem should be based
on facts.
 Scientific administration and supervision observe the following practices:
a. Scientific administration and supervision are based upon observable facts. The best way
to determine whether a thing is present or not is to look and see. The Principle of “Look
and see” has been far-reaching in its consequence both in school administration and
supervision.
b. Scientific administration and supervision employ the method of analysis in the
comprehension of complex administrative and supervisory problems by breaking them
into comprehensive units.
c. Scientific administration and supervision employ hypothesis in guiding the thinking
process. Administration and supervision have employed this natural tendency of the
mind to generalize from the experiences at hand as a means for the systematic study of
relationship of all factors effecting teaching and learning.
d. Scientific administration and supervision are free from emotional bias. The mind of
administrator and supervisor are free from ordinary entanglements and flexible enough
to entertain new ideas.
e. Scientific administration and supervision employ objective measurement and
quantitative methods in the treatment of data. Normative survey method, cooperative
casual method, and case method are scientific procedures of great value to the school
administrator and supervisor.
4. School administration and supervision must be based on accepted educational
philosophy. A philosophy is a background of theory, knowledge and beliefs which
explains and justifies a selected way of life.
Instructional leadership call also for the consistent application of philosophy of
education which holds two fundamental functions: the perpetuation, recreation, and
improvement of society and the enrichment of individual lives.
5. School administration and supervision must be creative. The term creative means
initiating, suggesting, devising, inventing. Experimenting, or producing something new.
Creative administration or supervision denotes and encourages growth. It brings new
and original way ways of doing things into the program of supervising, teaching, and
learning.
Democratic procedure makes it clear that democratic life in any field will develop
creativeness. Democratic administration and supervision which provide ample
opportunity for group discussion and formulation of policies and plans inevitably
stimulate creative expression from the group.
It can be concluded that creative administration and supervision observe the
following practices:
a. Creative administration and supervision provide opportunity for the teachers and
the pupils to grow through the exercise of their talents and abilities under expert
professional guidance and encouragement.
b. Creative administration and supervision are from the control and tradition and
actuated by the spirit of inquiry
c. Creative administration and supervision need scientific mindedness, social-
mindedness and a recognition of the importance of human element.
d. Creative administration and supervision provide opportunity for a conference or a
meeting between the administrator and supervisor, and the teacher. Exchange of
ideas between he teachers and supervisor, or between the administrator and the
supervisor, will promote an attitude of cooperation and friendliness.
6. Administration and supervision must be evaluated in the light of their results. Just as
teachers and pupils have profited directly and indirectly from the instruction of more
 accurate methods of evaluating educational growth, there is every reason to believe
that administrators and supervisors too would profit by the introduction of similar
means of evaluating their own work as school leaders.
The purposes for which effectiveness of administrative or supervisory leadership
may be evaluated are the following:
a. The ultimate purpose of school administration or supervision is to promote
pupil-growth; hence eventually the improvement of society.
b. The second general purpose of administration and supervision is to
formulate and carry out co-operatively educational policies and plans
designed to achieve the ultimate goal.
c. The third general purpose of administration and supervision is to supply
leadership in securing continuity and constant readaptation of the
educational program over a period of years from level to level within the
system, and from one area of learning experience s and content to another.
d. The immediate purpose of administration and supervision is to develop
cooperatively favorable settings for teaching and learning.
7. Responsibility and control in matters of school administration and supervision must run
parallel throughout the system. This principle of parallelism of duties is the particular
sphere to which the school administrator or supervisor is assigned and for any form of
democratic practice.
8. School administration must be distinguished from supervision. Administration and
supervision have different meanings and functions. They are not synonymous terms.
Misconception regarding this difference undoubtedly causes more misunderstanding
and possibly more neglect of duty than can be attributed to any other cause. When the
duty is not clearly defined, it is easy to overlook it or top realize only part of it, or even
to deem it unimportant because it is not given clear and complete interpretation.
9. School administration and supervision must be preventive and constructive. Any help
that an administrator or supervisor can give to the teachers so that they may avoid
mistakes is commendable.
10. School administration and supervision must be centered on child growth and
development.
11. School administration and supervision must be flexible. Administrative and supervisory
program must be flexible enough to adapt itself to the type school organization and to
the needs of each particular supervisory teaching-learning situation.

Flexibility as used in the school administration and supervision may cover the
following:
a. Flexibility of school building- the adaptability of the subjects as to the needs and interest
of the pupils and to the rapid changing conditions of the community and the country in
general.
b. Flexibility of objectives and teaching procedures- the adaptability of aims and methods
to meet the conditions of different schools, teaching personnel, students population and
communities.
c. Flexibility of instructional materials and devices- the adaptability differences of the
pupils and the varied training and experiences of the teaching personnel
d. Flexibility of school requirements and standard norm- the adaptability of procedures to
fit the individualities of the pupils, teachers, supervisors, and administrators.
 The principle of Flexibility in school administration and supervision observes
the following practices:
(1) Flexible school administration and supervision adapt activities to meet individual
differences of teachers in training, experiences, and abilities. Because of these the
school administrators and supervisors should avoid over-emphasis of standard norms,
goals and prescriptive measures.
(2) Flexible school administration and supervision adjust the types and length of classroom
visit to the particular purposes and needs of the teaching-learning situations. The
administrators and supervisors should give special attention to the new and experienced
teachers.
(3) Flexible school administration and supervision encourage and assist teachers to use
flexible assignments and methods.
(4) Flexible school administration and supervision adapt itself to the need of each particular
teaching learning situation.
(5) Flexible administration and supervision encourage pupils to suggest ways they would
like to work and to give them opportunity to plan, work and evaluate their own activity.
(6) Flexible administration and supervision meet the needs and desires of teachers.

ACTIVITY 3: SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE

Discuss briefly the following exercise using the rubric bellow.

A. Based on the characteristics or practices of autocratic and a democratic administrator
or supervisor how are these two types differ from each other?
B. One of the general principles of administration and Supervision is Flexible. In the
discharge of duties and responsibilities, When can a school administrator or supervisor
apply flexibility? Cite an example as to how it is applied?
Rubrics:
Content 50%
Organization of Ideas 30%
Grammar Usage 20%
TOTAL 100%

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The Need for a Democratic Administration and Efficient Supervision

If public education is to be cornerstone of the Democratic order, its is essential that the
public system be administered and supervised on a democratic basis. The success of any school
system depends upon democratic administration and efficient supervision. The complexity of
school organization arising from changing social conditions, increase in school population and
teaching personnel (who are mostly none professionally trained), changes in theories and
methods of techniques brought about by recent scientific investigations and researches and
changes in curricula because of the need and demands of the time, call for a democratic
administration and supervision which can only valid and perhaps, most efficient method of
securing educational ends in democracy.
The acceptance of democratic theories of administration and supervision is widespread.
It is difficult to find any treatment of administration and supervision in a text book that does
not point to democratic practices and procedures.
As democratic theories of school administration and supervision are being
implemented, it is important that we do not insist on democratic procedures just because we
think we should be democratic Participation arising only from a sense of compulsion is
participation from which individuals may be continuously expected to seek a rational escape.
A democratic type of administration and supervision is consistent with the democratic
philosophy of life which the Philippines has adapted. If democracy is to function to the fullest, it
must be practiced at every opportunity, especially in the school system.
Democracy in school administration and supervision can be achieved only as the
personnel understand and practice democratic methods. Democracy is of the spirit as the
organization. Without the will to do their best, there is no merit in organization per se. Greater
emphasis upon purpose and less upon specific personnel interest is essential in this result.
VI. Module Evaluation/Assessment

ACTIVITY 4: SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE/APPLICATION

What I have learned

1. Why do you think one may wonder whether our highly centralized school
system in this country is compatible with the concept of democracy as applied
to school administration?
2. What are the principle of Flexibility in school administration and supervision?

ACTIVITY 5: Evaluation/Assessment

Assessment

VII. Instruction/Submission of Answer

A. Multiple choice:
Direction: Write true if these statement is true if false change the statement.
1. In applying administrative and supervisory principles the democratic spirit must be
observed.
2. Administration and supervision must be judged by its functions rather than by its aims
and objectives
3. Results in supervision should never be measured in terms of community improvement
in its relation to the school.
4. The success of any school system depends upon democratic administration and efficient
supervision.
5. Sound administrative and supervisory principles can harmonize all school activities and make
 them instruments for achieving results.
Submit your answer sheet thru this email add: [email protected]

VIII. Additional resources

PowerPoint Presentations

IX. References:

School Administration and Supervision

By:
HERMAN C. GREGORIO, Ph.D.
School Administration and Management
By: S.K. Kochhar