Institutional factors influencing head teachers’ performance of instructional supervision in public primary schools, Getembe Division, Kisii County, Kenya

Abstract

Education is a fundamental right of all children regardless of their social, religious cultural or economic status. The purpose of this study was to determine institutional factors influencing head teachers’ performance of instructional supervision in public primary schools, Getembe Division, Kisii County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were to establish how training (in supervisory skills) influence head teachers’ performance in instructional supervision in public primary schools, to determine the extent to which head teachers’ workload influence their performance in instructional supervision, to establish how frequency of instructional supervision by head teachers’ influences teachers performance and to determine the extent to which staffing level influences the performance of head teachers in instructional supervision. This study adopted descriptive survey research design. The target population in this study was 23 head teachers and 566 teachers of Getembe Division. The sample size for this study included 23 head teachers and 170 teachers adding to 193 respondents in public primary schools. Data pertaining to the institutional factors influencing head teachers’ performance of instructional supervision in Getembe Division was collected using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics used to analyze quantitative data through frequencies and percentages in formats of tables, bar graphs and charts to answer the research objectives and questions in relation to the research topic. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that training is one of the institutional factors that influence head teachers’ performance of instructional supervision. The head teachers have not been adequately trained in instructional supervision and therefore have a negative influence on their performance. This in effect influences the performance of the pupils in the public primary schools in Getembe Division. It can also be concluded that workload is a factor that influences head teachers performance in instructional supervision.Therefore, the head teachers need to delegate some of the tasks to their deputies and senior teachers in order to be effective in instructional supervision. From the study findings, it can be concluded that frequency of supervision by head teachers and staffing level in public primary schools are also factors that influences instructional supervision and is therefore likely to have a negative influence on their performance in Getembe Division. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are made; that the Devolved Government and other stakeholders should put more emphasis on regular supervisory training on head teachers to improve their performance; Head teachers need to delegate some of the some of the tasks to the deputies and senior teachers to have ample time for instructional supervision in the public primary schools; The head teachers should take it as a prime role of improving their instructional supervision by increasing the frequency of supervision in their various stations.