Bridging Theory and Practice: Supervisors’ Professional Knowledge and Feedback Styles in Post-Observation Briefings in Iranian English Language Institutes.

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 TEFL Department, Humanity Faculty, Chabahar Maritime University, Chabahar, Iran

2 Management and Humanities Faculty Chabahar Maritime University, Chabahar, IRAN

10.22034/elt.2026.73164.2878

Abstract

The supervision process in the Iranian EFL context has mainly been conducted in a directive style, neglecting the need for collaboration and teachers' professional development. Although literature has emphasized the need for professional development of supervisors, the relationship between such an activity and providing constructive feedback for teachers still needs clarification. This convergent parallel mixed-methods case study explored patterns of co-occurrence between supervisors’ self-reported updating bands and predominant feedback styles in 36 briefing sessions with teachers across English language institutes in Tehran. Through thematic analysis of audio-recorded briefings and log files on updates of supervisors, the research has found that there is a certain association between the process of professional updating and the feedback style used by supervisors. It appears that greater engagement with professional development material correlates with a collaborative supervision style, while less engagement seems to correlate with a more directive and corrective style of feedback. The potential for change in supervisory culture through professional development is demonstrated by such associations. The study discusses context-bound observations from the English language institutes and calls for larger-scale research to validate the observed patterns.

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References

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