Teachers’ perceptions towards principals’ instructional supervisory role in selected secondary schools

Abstract

Effective instructional supervision plays a crucial role in enhancing teaching quality and student learning. However, teachers’ perceptions towards supervision vary, some view it as supportive while others see it as fault finding. This study examines teachers’ perceptions towards principals’ instructional supervisory practices to identify areas of improvement. The Administrative theory of supervision and a concurrent triangulation mixed approach guided the study. Purposive and simple random sampling were utilized to sample 127 teachers and 10 principals. A survey and an interview guide were employed to gather data which was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. An independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were utilized to test the mean differences in teachers’ perceptions. Findings indicate that while most teachers recognize supervision as beneficial for professional development, a significant number perceive supervision as authoritarian. The results unveiled that teachers’ gender, age and education qualification did not significantly influence their perceptions [t(98)=1.468, p>0.05, F(4, 95)=0.556, and F(4, 95)=0.174, p>0.05]. The study concludes that fostering a positive supervisory environment can enhance teachers’ confidence, improve instructional strategies, and ultimately lead to better student outcomes.