Influence of Head Teachers’ Instructional Supervision Practices on Pupils’ Performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in Murang’a South Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Instructional supervision is a type of school based supervision carried out by the school staff (head teacher) aimed at providing guidance support and continuous assessment to teachers for their professional development and improvement in teaching and learning process. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of head teachers’ instructional supervisory practices on pupils’ performance in Kenya Certificate of Primary Education in Murang’a South Sub-county. Objectives of the study were to determine the influence of; head teachers’ checking of professional documents, head teachers’ classroom observation, provision of instructional materials by head teachers’ on pupils’ performance as well assessing how head teachers’ involvement in academic clinics programs affects pupils’ academic performance. The study employed a descriptive survey research design where the target population consisted of 804 teachers and 67 head teachers of the public primary schools in Murang’a South Sub County. Simple random sampling was used to select 13 head teachers and Proportional stratified sampling was used to select 80 teachers. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages while data was presented using tables, pie charts and bar graphs. From the study it was established that; checking of teachers professional records had no effect on pupils performance in the national exam, head teachers class observation had an effect on pupils performance in the national exam, provision of adequate teaching/learning materials to teachers and pupils had effect on pupils performance in the national exam and discussing pupils performances with parents and teachers and guiding and motivating pupils had an effect on pupils performance in the national exam. From the study, it was concluded that Preparation of professional document influence quality of education standards and schools where teachers prepare their professional documents post good performance in national examinations and the teaching/learning materials promote and encourage effective teaching and learning and lack of them in teaching and learning process cause poor learning which hinder achievement of the set objectives of a lesson contributing to poor performance in national exams. This study recommends that: Head teachers should ensure that teachers prepare their professional documents, Head teachers should enhance the practice of classroom observation as instruction supervisory and head teachers and school committees assisted by the government should provide adequate teaching and learning resources.