Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceptions of counseling behaviors in performance feedback and receptivity to innovation. Methodology. The study required the administration of two questionnaires to a sample of teacher participants, and one questionnaire to a sample of reading coach participants, in the Reading Lions Project in middle-sized school districts in California. Correlational research was used to answer three research questions. Correlation matrices were generated to show the internal consistency for questions within each of the counseling behaviors of empathy, genuineness, and regard, and for questions related to receptivity to innovation. The Wald chi-square statistic was used to show the effects of individual ordinal explanatory variables: Each rating of counseling behavior was correlated with each rating of receptivity to innovation. Using ordinal logistic regression analysis, this study examined if a relationship existed between the ratings of the counseling behaviors of empathy, genuineness, and regard in performance feedback and the ratings of receptivity to innovation. Findings. A significant relationship at the .01 level was found to exist between counseling behavior in performance feedback and receptivity to innovation. A relationship between the coaches' self-described counseling behaviors in performance feedback and teachers' receptivity to innovation was inconclusive. A relationship between the coaches' and the teachers' perception of counseling behaviors in performance feedback was inconclusive. Conclusions and recommendations. The results of this study suggest that counseling behaviors in performance feedback have a positive effect on receptivity to innovation. It is recommended that schools examine the current performance feedback methods used by coaches, mentors, and consultants. Studies in supervision should be continued and would be enhanced by the development in greater variety of instruments designed to measure receptivity to innovation.