Influence of headteachers’ instructional supervisory practices on pupils’ performance at Kenya certificate of primary education in Ololulunga division, Narok county

Abstract

The study sought to determine the influence of headteachers’ instructional supervisory role on pupils’ performance in KCPE in Ololulunga Division. The objectives that guided the study were to determine the extent to which checking of professional records by headteachers influences pupils performance in KCPE, to establish the extent to which headteachers’ classroom visitations influenced pupils’ performance in KCPE ,to assess the extent to which provision of teaching and learning resources by headteachers influenced pupils’ performance in KCPE and to examine the extent to which headteachers’ checking of pupils notebooks influenced pupil’s performance in KCPE in Ololulunga Division. The target population for the study was the 70 headteachers, 480 teachers and 960 pupils in all primary schools in the division totaling 1,510. The simple random sampling method was used to pick the teacher population and the purposeful sampling was used to pick headteachers. Simple random sampling was used to sample teachers and pupils for the study. The study employed the descriptive survey design. Data was collected by use of questionnaires and document analysis. The study found out that the headteachers rarely engaged in class observation visits. All the headteachers confirmed that teachers in their schools prepared lesson plans. The teachers equally confirmed that the headteachers supervised and observed the activity of lesson plan preparation in their schools. The headteachers confirmed that they assessed pupils’ notebooks regularly. The responses by the headteachers showed that most of them deemed the teaching and learning materials provision for the schools as inadequate. The study thus concluded that headteachers’ engagement in class observation visits was infrequent; checking of professional records; and that assessment of pupils’ notebooks was done irregularly. In addition the study determined that the provision of teaching and learning materials was deemed inadequate by many headteachers. The study recommended that the headteachers should enhance classroom observation as an instructional supervisory tool, TSC should enhance headteachers’ professional qualification, MOEST should make sure timely provision of teaching and learning resources to ensure good performance in the KCPE examination by the learners. The study suggested that a study with a bigger scope like a nationwide survey should be carried out to find out if the factors in Ololulunga Division are applying to other area