Challenges Facing Principals in Instructional Supervision in Public Secondary Schools in Machakos County, Kenya

Abstract

Studies have shown that instruction supervision in most countries has failed to meet its objectives of enhancing the implementation of school programmes. Supervision has been reduced to a bureaucratic legacy of fault finding. In a number of schools, supervision has even been referred to as a ritual in which supervisors and teachers participate in according to well-established scripts without much consequence. The aimed at determining challenges facing school principals in instructional supervision in public secondary schools in Machakos County. The study objectives were; to find out how teachers’ perception influences instruction supervision, to establish how principals’ preparedness influences instruction supervision in public secondary schools, to examine how approaches used by principals influence instructional supervision in public secondary schools and to establish how availability of support resources influence instruction supervision in public secondary schools. The study used leadership theory. Descriptive research design was adopted. The study targeted 330 public secondary schools in Machakos County meaning that the target population comprised 330 principals and 2,650 teachers. A sample size of 66 principals and 264 teachers were selected using stratified and systematic sampling techniques. Both principals and teachers’ questionnaires were used. The information gathered was coded with aid of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). Quantitative data was analysed by descriptive statistics such as frequencies, mean and percentages while qualitative data was analysed thematically and presented through pros and narrations form. The finding revealed that teachers’ perception toward instruction supervision was fair. The study results revealed majority of principals had received in-service training. Principals have necessary training skills and knowledge required in carrying out instructional supervision. The results also revealed that principals carry out various supervision practices using different approaches such as document review, classroom observation and students’ feedback, principal patrol during lesson time and authoritarian approach. Additionally, the research findings revealed that instructional supervision resources are not available and only few available at school manual such as journals, instruction supervision bulletins and internet publications. The study recommends that government should provide necessary resources required to carry out instructional supervision process, the principals should also maintain good standards of works this is to help to meet the set goals for their schools.