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According to the educational system in Kuwait, each school should have a general supervisor of scholastic activities, programmes and projects, who is a teacher at the same time so that they can follow up their school‟s activities, programmes and projects along with providing technical support, development and assessment, etc.

5.8.1. Definition of Supervision Process

Supervision is a term widely used in many aspects of life and usually indicates directing, monitoring or guiding others and motivating their activity to improve their performance. Terminologically, supervision means the existence of a professional relationship between a supervisor and subordinates created by the organization‟s authority and accepted by both parties. Supervision carries the same general concept of supervision in education but it is usually applied to education related aspects of activity. It might be suitable here to present what specialists have written about the nature and function of supervision in connection with achieving educational objectives. Technical supervision of scholastic projects, programmes and activities is intended to develop informative and educational programmes suiting students‟ needs, and provide tools and means that enable students to learn and gain experiences and interact with situation in a more effective and easier manner.

5.8.2. Functions of General Supervisor of Scholastic Activities, Programmes and Projects

i.

Vision of Education Goals:

Tasks assigned to the general supervisor of scholastic activities include provision of assistance to supervisors of scholastic activities and projects in order to clearly recognize the real

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objectives of education and recommend distinct role undertaken by school in achieving these goals because education today involves care for many aspects in addition to mental cognitive aspect including physical, aesthetic, emotional and moral aspects.

ii.

Linking Subjects to Scholastic Activities and Projects:

Tasks assigned to the general supervisor of scholastic activities and projects include enabling the teacher to view their subject in the right position in order to study subject aids and scholastic activities.

iii.

Prevailing Supervision Pattern:

The role of the general supervisor of scholastic activities is to serve as a link between all supervision and guidance authorities to facilitate the mission of teachers supervising scholastic activities where the general supervisor shall explain all the importance and effective role of activities in achieving educational objectives. The relationship between the general supervisor of scholastic activities and teachers is a democratic, informed one based on collaborative work between both parties. Democratic supervision emphasizes respect for the teacher‟s personality, provides them with opportunity for self-development, gives them freedom of thinking in their own way and allows them to participate in directing scholastic activities, determining policies and discussing objectives, plans, methods and means of scholastic activity improvement (Ali, 2007b).

iv.

Teacher‟s Attitude:

The role of general supervisor of scholastic activities is to stir up enthusiasm and competition in practising scholastic activities among teachers and to support teachers‟ positive attitude in practising scholastic activities because the teacher‟s attitude shall determine the activity position to curriculum in terms of planning, implementation, acceptance and utilization.

v.

Development of Students‟ Abilities and Tendencies:

General supervision aims to help teachers clearly recognize students‟ needs, abilities and tendencies and to use their best efforts to satisfy these needs.

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vi

. Optimal Benefiting from Teachers:

General supervision aims to verify the work that suits every teacher, assign such work to them and encourage them for advancement achievement. A general supervisor of scholastic activities and projects can detect teachers‟ excellence in specific fields through cooperation with technical supervisors, section heads and technical inspectors of school subjects, on the one hand, and with school management on the other hand, through observing teachers during the school day throughout the school year.

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. Scholastic Activities and Projects Planning:

The general supervisor participates in establishing the overall plan of scholastic activity created by the scholastic activities council in the school as sound planning is critical for success of work in scholastic activity.

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. Provision of Material and Human Capabilities:

Key functions assigned to the general supervisor of scholastic activities include the provision of all material and spatial capabilities and adequate time for performing the activities through cooperation with school management and responsible authorities in governmental and private organizations and institutions.

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. Assessment Process:

There is no doubt that any action plan that does not contain techniques and means for assessing work results thereof is lacking and useless in improving and developing scholastic work or activity. There are multiple techniques and means that the general supervisor of scholastic activities can utilize to assess the results of students‟ works in any scholastic activity, programme or project including observation lists, records, cards, reports, questionnaires, competition results and other techniques and methods (Yousef, 2009).

5.8.3. Criteria to be Considered in Selecting General Supervisor of Scholastic Activities, Programmes and Projects in School

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There are certain criteria and standards that a successful general supervisor of scholastic activities, programmes and projects should have, importantly the following:

i. To be an excellent teacher in terms of commitment, dedication and contribution in work;

ii. To have a spirit of understanding and friendliness towards supervisors of groups of scholastic activities and projects, school management, supervisory authorities and students;

iii. To have complete knowledge of the types and objectives of scholastic activities and projects;

iv. To be intelligent and enthusiastic in work. Scholastic activity success is correlated with the supervisor's traits and abilities. Intelligence is an essential requirement for understanding supervisors and students and ideal leadership in a democratic way to select effective work approach, provide innovative ideas and suggest useful proposals; v. To have a joyful spirit, encourage activity supervisors and members, and follow up

the activity programmes in an atmosphere of controlled freedom;

vi. Their behaviours should be acceptable, resolute and relevant; supervisor should be tolerant with group members with no slackness; determine and explain roles; and sociable and tactful with reasonable ability to deal with school and local communities; vii. General supervisor of scholastic activities should have initiative and leadership spirit; capable of creation and innovation; and provide a climate that helps supervisors and students provide creative participation, initiative and innovation; and

viii. To be constantly striving to achieve renewable objectives (Barrak, 2001).

5.8.4. The Importance of Scholastic Activities and Projects:

The educational guide issued by the Ministry of Education of the State of Kuwait, it indicates the importance of scholastic activities and projects as follows:

Scholastic activities and projects are intended to achieve several objectives in the following fields:

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i. Development of the students‟ abilities and tendencies: Scholastic activities and projects provide opportunities for students‟ mental and physical abilities to benefit, and highlight, develop and direct their tendencies. They also provide talented students with effective methods for scientific thinking in hands-on and experimental activity situations to benefit from modern technologies; encourage students to practice continuing and self-learning over lifespan in all life fields;

ii. The importance of principles of moral and religious education: culture and religious activity provides opportunity for training students in moderate behaviour in their relationships and dealings; encourage them to recognize the Arabian heritage to develop desirable trends towards students‟ pride in their religion; and lend them behavioural patterns through various values and principles (Al-Sherida & Ali, 2001). iii. Treatment of students‟ psychological and social problems: Through scholastic

activities and project situations, certain psychological and social problems can be treated, such as introversion, shyness and lack of self-confidence;

iv. Development of sporting spirit and physical and motor fitness: This can be achieved through practising different sporting and motor activities and projects, and participating in friendly games intended to develop motor skills related to the ways of practice of sporting games, for which class periods allocated for sporting education do not allow training;

v. Habituate students to benefit from their spare time: This takes place through familiarization with a variety of scholastic activities and projects that can be actually practised, protecting students from deviations and taking recreation for themselves; vi. Linking school life with surrounding social life: This takes place through activities

intended to recognize social institutions in the surrounding environment (Yousef, 2009).

vii. Training students to like social values: such as cooperative work, respect of working people and appreciation of manual work. Actual practice of scientific and hands-on activities undoubtedly illustrates for students the value of manual work in production

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and its correlation with theoretical sciences and technology;

viii. Contribution to democratic upbringing of students: This occurs through opportunities made available for practising activities and projects that would train students in leadership and subordination, respect of order and law, and acquisition of ability to discuss viewpoints without fanaticism;

ix. Promotion of artistic values: This is achieved by going out to the environment, practising different arts. Through artistic activities and projects, students are trained in balancing, analysis, criticism and appreciation of art works including music, acting and plastic arts (Ali, 2007a).

x. Benefit from spare time: This takes place through providing a learner with opportunity to benefit from spare time, realizing goodness, benefit and advantage through developing their creative abilities and talents under direction by supervisors with different experiences;

xi. Consideration of individual differences: among students in general and innovators in particular through several scholastic activities and projects in which individual differences are taken into account upon designing the same;

xii. Development of mental abilities: through learning a scientific thinking approach, development of creativity and innovation spirit and self-learning skills through different applications of different scholastic activities and programmes based on the principle of learning through trial and error; and

Deepening belonging to the homeland of Kuwait: an Arab Gulf State that respects international law and belongs to the international community such as the Arab League and the UN (Barrak, 2001).

Second: In the Scope of Curricula:

i. Emphasize and establish school subjects in an applied scientific manner as scholastic activities and projects which are considered as natural medium for linking school subjects and integrating the student‟s educational experiences they acquire;

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deemed an important part of curriculum;

iii. Implant and support information and knowledge included in the school curricula and establish school subjects in a scientific applied manner;

iv. Support scientific and applied aspects of knowledge theoretically acquired by the learner in different topics;

v. Develop learners‟ abilities of creativity and make room for expressing such experiences in a practical manner; and

vi. Activate education and learning processes through activities and projects performed by the learner in connection with the school curriculum (Ahmad, 2006).

Following the presentation and analysis of several educational aspects and dimensions of the education system in the State of Kuwait and relevant secondary themes of scholastic activities, programmes and projects, it is important to make a comparison with the education system of another Arabic country with a relatively similar curriculum and educational system to Kuwait. Therefore, the researcher chose the education system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because KSA is a country close to Kuwait in terms of geographical borders as well as social, educational, religious and demographic traditions and values.

Thus, I will briefly address certain educational aspects and dimensions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian the following section.

In document CURRICULUM VITAE. Santiago Carbó Valverde (página 145-169)