Title: Metaphoric Perceptions of Private Schools Employee Teachers about 

Concepts of
Supervision and Supervisor
Author/s: Salih Paşa MEMİŞOĞLU and Ayça KAYA
Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions of private school employee teachers about the
concepts of supervision and supervisor via metaphors. Within this context similarities and differences of the
perceptions of private school employee teachers have been revealed; suggestions about review and reevaluation of
the concepts supervision and supervisor have been presented on a scientific basis.
Research methodology: Pattern of phenomenology from qualitative researches is used in this
study. Phenomenology includes the periods of sensation, interpretation and transition to mind of
experiences by people (Patton, 2001).
Data gathering procedure: In preparation of the data collection tool, studies that used
metaphors (Saban, 2008, 2009; Töremen and Döş,2009; Deniş Çeliker and Akar, 2010; Yılmaz,
2011; Tekin and Yılmaz, 2012; Polat, Apak and Akdağ, 2013;Akan, Yalçın and Yıldırım, 2014;
Oyman and Şentürk, 2015) have been examined In this study, considering the examined studies,
it was expected from the participants to complete expressions like; “Supervision is like…
Because…” and “Supervisor is like… Because…” in order to determine their perceptions about
concepts“Supervision” and “Supervisor”. Based on snowball sampling method some private
school employee teachers were contacted and a date has been set for the implementation.
Participants were asked to express their opinions with only one metaphor and their reason to
choose this metaphor while considering these statements. Because metaphors are not sufficient
enough in emergence of the descriptive power all by itself, the question “why” should be added
alongside with them. (Yıldırım and Şimşek, 2011). Approximate 15 minutes’ duration was
given to participants to write down their metaphors about the concepts of “Supervision” and
“Supervisor”. Sentences of participants were the main source of the study
Results: According to the findings of this study; private school employee teachers have
produced 75 different metaphors for the concept of supervision. In addition to this, metaphors
are examined under positive and negative categories. Positive metaphors have the ratio of 83%
while negative metaphors have the ratio of 17%.
Conclusions: Metaphors produced by private school employee teachers about supervision
concept are gathered under 7categories. Most frequently repeated one of these categories is
correction and development. This category is followed respectively with categories of situation
determination, penalizing, evaluation, obligation, sustentation and intentionality according to
frequency of metaphors.