Mentors’ Supervisory Practices, Teachers’ Professional Development and Instructional Capability

This research examines the connection between supervisory practices of mentors, professional growth of teachers, and instructional competence among 391 teachers of the Iloilo City Schools Division, Philippines. Adopting a cross-sectional research design, the research sought to investigate how effective professional development and mentorship affect teachers' instructional practices. Data were gathered using a formal questionnaire, measuring three primary variables: supervisory practices of mentors, teachers' involvement in professional development, and instructional capability as reported by themselves. Descriptive statistics showed that teachers overall rated both mentorship and professional development opportunities as moderately high, and instructional capability was also given a positive rating. Pearson correlation analysis also indicated positive, significant relationships among mentors' supervisory practice and professional development (r =.62), between mentors' supervisory practice and instructional capability (r =.55), and between professional development and instructional capability (r =.69). Multiple regression analysis also demonstrated that professional development emerged as the strongest predictor of instructional capability (β =.43, p <.001). Combined, supervisory practices of mentors and professional development accounted for 44% of the variance in instructional ability. These results indicate that mentorship and ongoing professional development are critical to enhancing instructional effectiveness of teachers. The findings emphasize the need for formal mentoring programs and readily available, pertinent professional learning experiences in supporting instructional development. The research offers recommendations for policymakers and school officials to improve teacher development approaches, eventually leading to improved learning outcomes in the area.