Influence Of Headteachers’ Instructional Supervision Practices On Pupils’ Performance At Kenya Certificate Of Primary Education In Khwisero Sub County, Kenya

Abstract

Supervision is viewed as a co-operative venture in which supervisors and teachers engage in dialogue for the purpose of improving instruction for student improved learning and success. In developed countries, supervision of instruction is better organized and well-coordinated than in developing countries. The main objective of the study was to investigate the influence of head teachers‟ instructional supervision practices on pupils‟ performance at KCPE in public primary schools in Khwisero Sub County, Kakamega County. Descriptive survey design was used in this study. The design is considered suitable because it enabled the researcher to collect information about the attitudes, opinions and habits of the respondents in order to establish the current situation. The target population for this study consisted of all primary school teachers in Khwisero Sub County, to include 62 head teachers and 496 teachers of Khwisero Sub County. The research instrument to be used for the study was questionnaires. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software and Microsoft Excel were used to analyze the quantitative data. The qualitative data from the structured questionnaire was used to enhance more understanding in the description of the quantitative figures guided by the objectives of the study. It was established among the teachers that most of the head teacher checked professional records for example the lessons plan and schemes of work on monthly basis. On the frequency to which the schemes of work and lesson plans were updated, majority of the teachers indicated they were done very often while a third posited they were checked rarely. This is a good indication that the head teachers were keen on checking the progress of the teachers. Most head teachers indicated that they checked them very often as opposed to those who cited never or rarely. The items the head teachers checked included the teachers‟ attendance to classes, textbook coverage and whether the teachers marked pupils‟ books. The head teachers indicated that they assisted them in supervision work by overseeing their effectiveness and made their supervision easier as opposed to a quarter of the head teacher who indicated that they helped them to be up to date with teachers‟ activities. Majority of the head teachers and teachers indicated that they checked pupils‟ lesson notes most of the head teachers and they did it on weekly and monthly basis. Both the teachers and head teachers indicated that classroom observations were done on monthly and on weekly basis by the head teachers. On the query if the teachers were provided with instructional resources or the head teachers provided instructional resources indicated that not all were adequate. The head teachers for public schools should supervise their teachers‟ lesson notes, lesson plans and schemes of work regularly to enhance pupils‟ performance in the classroom. The head teachers should ensure that the learning process goes according to plan by checking pupils„notebooks and through conducting impromptu instructional supervision on both PTA and TSC teachers in order to make them adhere to class attendance. The head teacher should gather all instructional resources from the Ministry of Education, the community and other sources to make sure they are adequate and make learning process more productive and effective. They should ensure the instructional resources are fully and effectively used. School heads should ensure that they check teachers‟ professional documents by coming up with strategies that teacher submit their records on weekly bases to keep close track of instructional process in their schools.