Effects of Principals’ Instructional Supervisory Practices on Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Studies have globally, regionally and nationally demonstrated that principals do not practice effectively various supervisory practices. Despite the continued efforts by the Kenyan government to institute policies to mitigate this problem, students’ performance in Machakos remain low over the last five years. The purpose of this study was therefore to investigate the relationship between principals’ instructional supervisory practices and students’ performance in public secondary schools in Machakos County. Descriptive survey design was adopted, simple random sampling and stratified sampling were used to select target population of 8 sub county QASOs, 47 principals and 395 teachers of public secondary schools within Machakos County, Kenya. Both descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test) were used in the analysis of quantitative data. Qualitative data was analysed thematically and through narration. Questionnaires and interview guides were employed in data collection process. The study established that, principals did not enhance mentoring, classroom observation and peer teaching among teachers. The study recommends that the government should enhance termly inservice training programmes to train teachers on the use of various supervisory practices among teachers.