ABSTRACT
The main thrust of this study is to evaluate the
supervisory practices in public primary schools. The study was guided by four
research questions and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of
significance. As a descriptive survey, a sample of 400 respondents were used
for data collection. The data collected was statistically analyzed using mean and
standard deviation for the research questions and t-test statistics for testing
the null hypotheses. The findings of the analysis showed among other things
that the supervisors in public primary schools use different supervisory
practices, the supervisory practices of supervisors in public primary schools
are very effective, the supervisory practices of external supervisors are more
felt in public primary schools than those of internal supervisors. Gender is
not a significant factor in determining the supervisory practices of school
supervisors in public primary schools. Based on these findings, it was among
others recommended that supervision should endeavour to perform their roles
according to the specified guidelines on supervision of schools by the Anambra
State Universal Basic Education Board.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE I
DECLARATION PAGE
II
CERTIFICATE PAGE
III
DEDICATION IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V
TABLE OF
CONTENTS VI
LIST OF TABLES IX
LIST OF
APPENDICES X
ABSTRACT XI
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to
the Study 1
Statement of the
Problem 6
Purpose of the
Study 7
Significance of
the Study 8
Scope of the
Study 9
Research
Questions 9
Hypotheses 10
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework 12
Concept
of Programme Evaluation
12
Concept
of Supervision 17
Theoretical Framework 19
Classical
Organizational Theory 19
Social
Learning Theory 22
Theoretical Studies 23
Evaluation
Models 23
Types of
Evaluation 26
Historical
Development of Supervision in Nigeria
30
Who is an
Instructional Supervisor? 33
The Classroom
Teacher as an Instructional Leader and Supervisor 36
Qualities of a
Supervisor 40
Purpose of
Supervision 42
Supervisory
Practices in Schools 44
Review of Empirical Studies 49
Summary of Related Literature 52
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHOD
Research Design 54
Area of the
Study 54
Population of the
Study 54
Sample and
Sampling Technique 55
Instrument for
Data Collection 55
Validation of
the Instrument 56
Reliability of
the Instrument 56
Method of Data
Collection 57
Method of Data
Analysis 57
CHAPTER FOUR:
PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
Research
Question 1
58
Research
Question 2
59
Research
Question 3 61
Research
Question 4 63
Hypothesis 1 65
Hypothesis 2 65
Summary of
Findings 66
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS,
CONCLUSIONS
AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of
Findings 67
Conclusions 68
Implications of
the Findings 69
Recommendations 70
Limitations of
the Study 71
Suggestions for
Further Studies 72
Summary of the
Study 72
REFERENCES 74
APPENDICES 78
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Deviation responses on the supervisory
practices used by supervisors
in primary schools 58
Table 4.2: Mean and standard deviation responses on
the evaluation of
supervisory practices
used by internal and external supervisors in
public primary school 60
Table 4.3: Mean and standard deviation responses on
the evaluation of
supervisory practices as
perceived by male and female supervisors 62
Table 4.4: Mean and standard deviation responses on
how the supervisory practices
used by internal
supervisors differ from those used by the external
supervisors 64
Table 4.5: T-test statistics on supervisory practices
used by internal and
external supervisors 65
Table 4.6: T-test statistics on the effectiveness of
supervisory practices used by male
and female supervisors in
primary schools 66
LIST
OF APPENDICES
Appendix
A: Letter to the
Respondents 78
Appendix
B: Statistical Tools
Used for Data Analysis 83
Appendix
C: Calculation of
T-Test 84
Appendix
D: Population of the
Study and Public Primary Schools in Ogidi
Education Zone 85
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Educating
the individual for self-reliance and productive citizenship is a major concern
of the Nigeria educational system. At every level of the nations education
strata, the quest for productive citizenship has become a critical factor such
that without it, the nation’s developmental objectives would seem to be
ineffective. The National Policy on Education 4th edition (F.R.N
2004) see a situation where every citizen of the nation is offered life-long
education; education that will be centered on the learner for maximum
self-development and fulfillment; education that will be related to the
community's needs amongst others. It also referred to primary education as the
education given to institutions for children aged 6 - 11 years plus and that
the rest of the education system is built upon it. Therefore the primary level
is the key to successes or failure of the whole system. The goal of the primary
education as stated in the National Policy on Education (F.R.N. 2004) is as
follows:
a. permanent literacy and numeracy, and
ability to communicate effectively;
b. lay
a
sound basis for scientific and reflective thinking;
c. give citizenship education as a basis
for effective participation and contribution to the life of the society;
d. mould the character and develop sound
attitude and morals in the child,
e. develop in the child the ability to
adapt to the child's changing environment,
f. give the child opportunities for
developing manipulative skills that will enable the child function effectively
in the society within the limits of the child's capacity; and
g. provide the child with basic tools for
further educational advancement, including preparation for trades and crafts of
the locality.
The
document went further to say that these goals will form the basis of primary education
in all the States of the Federation. In pursuance of the goals, primary
education was made tuition free, universal and compulsory. This really brought
about a great increase in the school population all over the Federation. The
surging population of pupils all over the Federation made it necessary to
employ more people to teach in primary schools in order to meet up. Many of the
people recruited were not well qualified to teach.
The
Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) Awka, (2004) reveals
that from 2001, 2002 and 2003 that 3,040,3662 and 4,722 pupils entered for
First School Leaving Certificate Examination respectively. The result showed
that pupils pass better when their continuous assessment scores which are
moderated by the class teacher are combined with their examination scores. When
they were judged with examination scores only that is externally conducted
examination, they performed very poorly. Teachers are blamed for low
performance of pupils in these examinations. Therefore, it is necessary for the
supervisors to improve supervisory practices in the primary schools to improve pupils’
performance.
Furthermore,
most crucial and outstanding aspects of supervision is evaluation which
involves a systematic and critical appraisal of the techniques to determine how
far desired objectives have been attained. This is done cognizant of the fact
that the effective supervision is committed to significant and lasting teacher
growth and productivity. It is worthwhile to note that the supervisor play
major role in the teaching and learning situation in primary schools. The head
teachers in primary school system carry out the internal supervisory tasks,
hence they are the internal supervisors. Then, the external supervisors, who are
male and female supervisors from Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board,
visit the schools to help and direct the teachers. Pursuant to this, a supervisor
consistently asks: To what extent has my objective been achieved? This is the
cardinal question that underscores the process of evaluation.
For
this situation to be objectively addressed, programme evaluation should emphasize
the following:
a. Evaluation should be diagnostic.
b. Causes of poor performance should be
identified through evaluation.
c. Evaluation should improving results
(Eya & Leonard, 2012). To cope with the stated challenges, an efficient
supervisor, instead of adopting a haphazard approach, uses a number of
evaluation practices to determine the effectiveness and adequate learning programme.
These practices include:
a. Direct observation during classroom
visits.
b. Conferences
c. Evaluation through learner behaviour.
d. Student's appraisal.
e. Teacher self evaluation. (Eze, 2001).
One
of the major practices of evaluation is direct observation. By this approach
the supervisor appraises the teacher using specific parameters which include
subject mastery, use of language, logical presentation, class control,
effective use of relevant instructional materials and level of student
participation. Having scored the teacher as the lesson progressed, the
supervisor (internal and external) is able, at the end of each teaching session
to effectively evaluate the teachers performance, and subsequently determine
how far the objective of supervision is being achieved.
The
use of conferences is one of the techniques adopted in furtherance of the
democratization of supervision. By the use of this evaluation process, the
supervisor holds post-teaching session discussions with the teacher. There are
direct questions and answers and in the process, the supervisor is given
insight into the ways and the wherefores of the teacher’s behaviour during the
lesson period.
Learner
behaviour is generally accepted as an index of teaching effectiveness or
otherwise. This derives largely from the contention that education in a very
strict sense involves a positive change in behaviourof the educand. In
consonance with these contentions, the supervisor evaluates teacher's
performance indirectly by assessing learner behaviour directly. In this process
which invariably amounts to seeking direction by indirections, learner
behaviour determines the teacher's effectiveness.
In
the same vein, teacher - performance can also be evaluated by the supervisor
indirectly by asking the pupils to rate his performance using pre-determined
and well - explained set of criteria. Opponents of pupils assessment of
teachers may scoff at the idea, arguing that learners are largely ignorant and
inexperienced, hence cannot objectively and effectively assess the teacher.
However, practical experiences within the classroom have shown that learners
are not as daft and ignorant as was previously and in fact erroneously
believed. Experienced principals, headmasters, or supervisors have at least on a
few occasions encountered pupils who in sympathy or even exasperation say:
"This teacher has the "stuff" but he does not know how to put it
across. Such pupils must have watched the tortuous attempts being made by a
teacher who has a mastery of the subject are abut lacks the methodological
wherewithal to deliver the goods. The point of emphasis therefore is that
pupils are veritable agents for evaluating teachers’ performances. Hence, a
good supervisor should not fight shy of using pupils’ ratings at least to
complement other evaluative practices in the search for teacher effectiveness.
Perhaps
one of the most controversial of teacher evaluation strategies is teacher- self
- evaluation. By this approach the teacher’s performance may be video-taped.
After a teaching session, the teacher and the supervisor watch a replay of the
recording. The teacher may then be questioned and in the process, evaluates
himself based on his actual performance which he has been privileged to watch. In
this situation, while the teacher is directly committed to self-criticism, the
supervisor is to guide, motivate, direct, prod and sensitize the teacher to
identify and appreciate his pedagogical strengths and weaknesses. Support for
this novel approach has been maintained by scholars and supervisors alike. Handal
(2011) in the wise, affirms that:
The
role of the supervisor in (teacher) self-evaluation is to encourage and provide
opportunities for teachers to identify their own strengths and weaknesses and
to render all valuable assistance in evaluating their own professional growth
and progress.
With
the relevant knowledge, the supervisor is expected to have mastered a number of
guiding principles which provide basis for adapting, refining and developing
teaching approaches. Moreover, to be able to supervise effectively, he should
be conversant with various teaching techniques and materials available for
classroom use in order to cope with the individual differences of the teacher.
To express support for improved systems of teacher supervision and evaluation, the
government has to help schools ensure effective fair and meaningful supervising
practices to improve their capacity to enhance the learning of the pupils and
teachers’ job.
There
is consensus that we need to improve overall pupils’ achievement in the system.
To help teachers successfully fulfill their role in this endeavor, effective
teacher supervision and evaluation practices that inform teacher professional
development and improve instruction are essential, however disagreement over
what those systems should measure remains, and some researcher caution against
relying on pupils’ test scores as a valid metric (Barky, 2010).
The
supervisor should be geared towards the following supervisory practices to help
in addressing issues in primary schools:-
- maintaining a uniform standard in all
the schools.
- visiting and evaluating the entire
teaching and learning situation.
- evaluating and implementing changes
in the curriculum.
- interpreting the educational problems
and programmes to the public.
- developing in-service programmes for
teachers.
- providing orientation sessions for
new teachers.
- developing and revising instructional
materials to keep abreast of current developments (ASUBEB, 2004).
Therefore,
because of these lapses in our primary schools, how can teachers work be
evaluated to improve on their performances with supervisory practices guideline
from the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board?
Statement of the Problem
There
is a feeling among the general public that the performance of pupils in the
First School Leaving Certificate Examination is falling. Eze (2001) comments
that the home, church and school are disappointed in the products from schools.
He further states that some of the pupils who passed out from Basic Six could
not spell or write their names correctly. It is also generally observed that
pupils who passed out from Basic Six and employed as clerks could not spell or
write names correctly on the receipts. Then he asked the teachers and
supervisors, where their first love for their job was? In fact, with the above
statement, it is seen that the performance of pupils in their internal and
external examinations are generally poor.
Also,
the questions by Eze (2001) to teachers and supervisors, showed that: May be
pupils are not properly taught, teachers are not properly supervised and supervisors
are not using supervisory practices guidelines by the Anambra State Universal
Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) Awka. Since effective supervisory practices
bring about improvement in teaching and learning, the problem that this study
addresses is: How effective are supervisory practices of teaching and learning
in primary school? Also to what extent do supervisors follow the guidelines for
supervisory practices provided by the Anambra State Universal Basic Education
Board (ASUBEB) Awka?
Purpose of the Study
The
main purpose of this study is to evaluate the supervisory practices in Public
Primary Schools in Ogidi Education Zone of Anambra State. Specifically the study would find out the following:
1. The
supervisory practices used by supervisors in public primary school.
2. Evaluate
the supervisory practices used by internal and external supervisors in public
primary schools.
3. The effectiveness
of supervisory practices used in public primary schools as perceived by male
and female supervisors.
4. How supervisory
practices used by internal supervisors differ from those used by external
supervisors.
Significance of the Study
This
study would be of immense significance to pupils, teachers, school principals, supervisors,
policy makers, and future scholars. The findings of this study would be of
immense benefit to pupils. This is because when the teachers are well
supervised by the supervisors, using supervisory practices, teaching and
learning in primary schools would be enhanced. Then our children will perform better.
The
outcome of the study would enable supervisors to be aware of supervisory practices
and appreciate the relevance of effective use of them with specified guidelines
kept by Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB). The data
generated by this study would enable supervisors to re-examine their
supervisory practices with a bid to improving on them or otherwise. It would also
enable them to continue to search for the most modern means of supervisory
practices to improve in their teaching.
The
findings of this study would enable teachers to be aware of their responsibilities
as it relates to teaching and learning. The study would also make teachers to
positively perceive the functions of supervisors and be able to co-operate with them during supervisory
exercises. It would enable the head teachers (Internal Supervisors) emulate those
supervisory practices used by external supervisors to achieve desired results. The
findings of this study would provide policy makers with the much-needed data
which to formulate dynamic and better policies on supervision. It would also
enable them to gather enough information on the practices used by supervisors
in primary schools. With such data, policy makers would map out better
practices and guidelines on school supervision, as there are so many
supervisory practices being used by supervisors in primary schools.
The
findings of this study would help government provide supervisors with all the
necessary logistics that would boast their productivity. It would also helps
them to organize seminars, workshops and symposia for supervisors on the modern
supervisory practices and techniques.
Finally,
the findings of this study should be an eye opener to researchers who might want
to embark on a similar study in future.
Scope of the Study
This study is
delimited to evaluate the supervisory practices of supervisors in public
primary schools in Ogidi education zone of Anambra State. All the public
primary schools in Ogidi education zone are covered in the study. The focus is
to evaluate the supervisory practices of supervisors in public primary schools
in the zone. The content scope includes supervisory practices of both internal
and external supervisors and its effectiveness, the difference between the
supervisory practices of the internal and external supervisors and the
perception of male and female supervisors in the schools.
Research Questions
This study was
guided by the following research questions:
1. What supervisory practices do
supervisors use in primary schools?
2. How evaluative are supervisory practices used by internal
and external supervisors in public primary schools
3. How evaluative are the supervisory practices used in primary
schools as perceived by male and female supervisors?
4. How do evaluation of the supervisory practices used by
internal supervisors differ from those used by the external supervisors?
Hypotheses
1. There is no significance difference between supervisory
practices employed by internal and external supervisors in public primary
schools.
2. There is no significance difference between male and female
supervisors on evaluation of supervisory practices used in public primary
schools.
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