Navigating the formative-summative tension in principal supervision: a systematic review of frameworks, trust-building, and accountability

Abstract

Principal supervision in educational leadership has historically been perceived as an evaluative process, primarily focused on ensuring compliance and accountability within schools. However, contemporary scholarship highlights its potential as a developmental process that can nurture leaders and build leadership capacity. A central challenge in realizing this potential is the inherent tension between the formative (coaching and development) and summative (evaluation and accountability) functions of principal supervision. This systematic review synthesizes literature from the past 15 years to explore how principal supervisors and school leaders navigate this evaluator-coach dilemma. Adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, this review analyzes theoretical frameworks, structural strategies, and relational practices that mitigate role conflict across 22 empirical studies. Findings indicate that while the tension cannot be entirely eliminated, it can be effectively managed through role separation, reduced span of control, the cultivation of psychological safety, and the use of inquiry-based reflective conversations. The review concludes by proposing a Synthesized Model of Principal Supervision, offering implications for district-level policy and recommendations for establishing supervisory environments that transcend compliance to foster genuine educational transformation.