CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Owing to the challenges that faced directorate of inspection, principals were entrusted with the task of instructional supervision within the schools. Several Commissions of education have discussed and made recommendations on improvement and maintenance of quality education. The commissions recommended that instructional supervision be undertaken in the schools by trained qualified and experienced personnel. The principals of schools were mandated amidst many other responsibilities to carry out instructional supervision in their schools. Principals have been legitimately entrusted with the task of managing schools in order to achieve the educational goals. Instructional supervision requires that principals focus mainly on the teaching staff who implement curriculum directly through instruction. Principals therefore ought
to give instructional supervision special place in their discharge of duties.
Supervision in schools is very important and as a result only those teachers, who are trained, qualified, experienced and of high professional integrity are promoted as principals. The instructional supervisory activities of the principal enable every child to reach their individual academic success. The purpose of instructional supervision is to improve the quality of teaching through improved skills of teachers which in turn improves students’ academic performance. As the agents of the Quality Assurance Standards Officers (QASO) principals have been assigned
instructional supervisory activities. The activities involve improving teaching and learning; developing supervisory strategies; executing strategies for improvement; maintaining the school system; improving curriculum and library materials; evaluating students’ progress and timetabling (Okumbe, 2003).
The principals play the role of supervisor from time to time by checking the teachers’ classroom work and assessing their overall performance based on students’ academic achievement. Principals are also charged with the duty of promoting the academic and professional status of teachers by availing them with current curriculum materials and in-service courses. The principals are expected to provide the right motivation and stimulation for staff and students to enhance academic achievement. They are to use supervisor-teacher friendly methods
moving away from the traditional method of control and authoritarianism (Wenzare, 2012). The traditional methods of inspection instill fear to teachers and lower their moral (Republic of Kenya,1965). Principals therefore ought to be sources of inspiration for teachers and their students.
Instructional supervisory skill of the principal is key to the improvement of quality
education in any school and leads to enabling students perform well in their academics .Highlight of the instructional supervision has been made by many stake holders who are increasingly holding the principals accountable for the results of their students (Zepda, 2003). Poor performance is being registered in schools and yet principals are in schools expected to make a difference in student’s academic performance through instructional supervision. While there have been many studies carried out on Instructional supervision a little has been done on the
relationship between the variable and students academic achievement. The stakeholders are more and more becoming conscious of the need for the schools to be accountable of the results of the students they are teaching. This is exerting pressure on the principals to improve teaching in their schools. This pressure helps the principals to be keen on carrying out effective instructional supervision to improve students’ academic performance. Principals have to pay attention to the instructional leadership activities that bring about effective instructions which lead to academic success of the students. Principals have to relate administrative tasks and processes by a well established program of supervision which helps to knit together the various activities towards achievement of school goals. Glickman et al (2010) description of supervision as a “glue” of a successful school holds true. As a result of its binding activity it acts as a sensory system and lifeblood of the school.
Researchers have focused on variables relating to the principals and their roles of
instructional supervision. Some others have researched on instructional supervision activities and improvement of teachers’ class instruction. However studies on this field have failed to bring in the variable of the students who are recipients of principal’s instructional supervisory activities.
Without bringing in student’s academic achievement the study will not be complete because teaching is only a means to an end which is student’s academic achievement. Student’s academic achievement is crucial when discussing the instructional supervision because it provides a reflection of the quality of the activities that have been offered. Poor academic achievement of students raises concern as to whether instructional supervision has positive influence on the
student’s academic achievement. This study therefore examines principals’ instructional supervisory roles and its influence in student’s academic achievement.
Statement of the Problem
Although the Ministry of Education is focused on improving the supervision of instruction in schools much still needs to be done. Informal discussion among people in Abakaliki Education Zone and related research findings suggest that poor students’ performance in Secondary schools is as a result of ineffective supervision of teachers by principals. This assumption from the stakeholders that students in secondary schools in Abakaliki Education Zone perform poorly as a result of ineffective supervision of principals is not verified. Yet the fact that many students perform poorly in their examinations is a reality. The purpose of instructional supervision is to support teachers develop their professional skills and techniques in order to help students learn better and perform well. Instructional supervision in schools as earlier stated is aimed at improving teacher instruction and hence students academic performance. The goal of this practice as laid down by the Ministry of education is to enhance quality of education and thus make students succeed in their studies.
Poor academic achievement raises concerns as to whether principal’s instructional
supervisory skills are effective in schools. Principals are expected to provide effective supervision of instruction services by motivating, stimulating and consulting with teachers in order to improve student’s academic achievement. The Ministry of Education through Ebonyi state secondary education board(SEB)in liaison with Association of principals of Secondary schools do organize workshops and in-service training for principals in order to equip them as instructional supervisors. With these interventions in place it would seem reasonable and indeed necessary, to ask why students should perform poorly in their academic performance in public secondary schools in Abakaliki Zone.