ABSTRACT
This study appraised the supervisory practices of primary school Head teachers in Ohafia Education Zone of Abia State. Four Specific purposes of study, four research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Survey research design was adopted for the study. A structure questionnaire was developed for data collection. The population of the study consist of 263 Head teachers and 3,995 classroom teachers. The entire population of Head teachers was used while 399 teachers were sampled from the total population. The research instrument was face validated by experts in educational administration and planning and other experts from measurement and evaluation. The instrument was distributed and data obtained were analyzed using mean and standard deviation while the two null hypotheses were analyzed using t-test. The major finding of the study shows that Head teachers appraise teachers’ activities through visitation. The finding also revealed that demonstration of reaching methodology is carried out by supervisors to be adopted by teachers as technique of teaching for gaining learners attention. Recommendations were made for further improvement of the study.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
It is widely agreed that education is an interment of social, economic and political development. No country in the world can witness development without sound education. These facts explain why education is always an important sector that government must not overlook. The sudden explosion of pupils population coupled with attendant increased complexity of school organization and the introduction of the new school basic system of 9-3-4 system of education in the country has indeed necessitate a greater attention of supervision than ever before.
Supervision is a way of stimulating, guiding, improving, refreshing, encouraging and overseeing certain group with the hope of seeking their cooperation in order for supervisors to be successful in their task of supervision. Onasanya (2008) defined supervision as the essential practice of monitoring the performance of school staff noting the merit and demerit and using befitting and amicable techniques to ameliorate the flaws while still improving on the merit thereby increasing the standard of schools and achieving educational goals. If qualitative education is a thing seriously desired in schools, then standard of education can be highly improved,
supervision must therefore be accorded high priority. This could be achieved through appraisal of supervisory activities carried out by school supervisors.
Kiefer (2009) viewed appraisal as the process of examining a subject and rating it based on its important and feature determinant of how much or how well functions may have been carried out to ascertain the success or failure of such work through value judgment. Appraisal of school supervision seems to be necessary because it will enable owners of schools to study the structure, academic and administrative setting of the schools system. Supervision itself should not be overlooked because it is concerned with the overall improvement of the teaching/learning process. In particular, at the primary level supervision becomes imperative because of the foundational importance at that level of education. Primary education forms the crux of whatever a child will learn in future. This makes it a concern for all educators to have a qualitative and good supervision of these children at primary school level and for improving teacher’s instruction.
For any work assigned, there must be effective supervision for excellent result. Supervision is an essential part of any organizational set up, Wilhens in Ossai (1998) asserts that supervision of instruction is imperative and crucial for an effective primary school system. The aim of supervision of instruction is the improvement of the total teaching and learning processes. Supervision seeks to ensure quality control, encouraging and helping teachers. Therefore, supervision of instruction is concerned with ways and means of helping and stimulating teachers to teach effectively and pupils to learn appropriately. It enables the school system to achieve the aims and objectives, for which it has been enacted, Ogunsaju and Fagbamiye (1983).
It is regarded in the school system that only external supervisors are qualified to supervise instructions and regarded as supervisors or inspectors of education; forgetting that the internal supervisors do the bulk of the job, so that when the external ones come, it becomes easier. Internal supervision is conducted by those within an organization. In the school system (secondary and primary) internal supervisors include: The Head teacher (headmaster/headmistress/principal), The Assistant head teacher (vice-principals), Heads of departments (Junior/Senior), Teacher guidance counselor or those delegated by the Head teacher to carry out the supervision practices.
Supervisory role of primary school Head teachers are concerned with critical examination and evaluation of primary school system as a
place of learning. Through inspection or supervision, necessary and relevant advice may be given for the improvement of the school. Such advice is usually registered in a report. Supervision practices of school Head also include constant and continuous process of personal guidance based on frequent supervision to a school to give concrete and constructive advice and encouragement to teachers and students to improve the learning and teaching situation in the school. On such visits, attention is paid to one or more aspects of the school and its organization. Example of supervisory role of school Heads include assessment of teaching and learning, assistance in development of needed teaching competencies, examines continuously school instructional goals and assesses teacher’s performance in meeting such goals on regular bases. However, schools Heads require knowledge to effectively carry out supervisory role in school system.
Supervisors are expected to possess relevant knowledge and skills to carry out or perform these roles (Nwaogu, 1980). Ezeocha (1990) upholds that internal supervisor will consequently be “professionally strangled”, if he fails to avail himself with training skills designed to equip him with the equality of an instructional leader. Writing on training programme Eru, in Ossai (1998), maintains that even the best of teachers, if they do not remain abreast with professional advances, they lose their currency and
consequently their effectiveness. Wood (1981) has observed that training keeps educators aware of new knowledge and technology in their areas of specialization. A supervisor who must be functional should recall that human resources need be preserved, renewed and cultivated, Desina and Rhodes (1980). In support of the above, Knezevic in Ossai (1998) observed that teachers are not finished products even after completion of preparatory programme which terminates with Bachelors or Masters Degrees. The opinion is supported by Robberts in Ossai (1998) when he asserts that pre-service is inadequate due to the saying that training programme would compensate for the deficiencies in pre-service training if the teachers are to meet any reasonable success in their work. Moreover, in-service training will encourage old teachers in moving ahead, in developing new understanding in trying out ideas and skills Akubue, (1983).