In Preparation for the Principalship: Initiates′ Problems in Conducting Instructional Conferences

This was an exploratory study of problems encountered by aspiring administrators or instructional supervisors as they conducted instructional improvement conferences with teachers for the first time. Twenty‐nine initiates from the University of Colorado preparation programme were monitored routinely over two semesters. After class instruction, monitoring and practice, initiates completed two formal observation cycles. Analysis of data gathered and conference tapes showed that only 10 per cent of the initiates demonstrated adequate conferencing abilities. Identified problems included under‐analysis,poorly focused strategising, lack of reflective discussion, and failure to pursue the conference objective. Reasons are explored and related recommendations for the preparation of initiates to practise direct instructional assistance to teachers are given.