Influence of Headteachers’ Supervision of Teachers on Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Moyale Sub-County, Marsabit County, Kenya

Influence of Headteachers’ Supervision of Teachers on Academic Performance in Public Primary Schools in Moyale Sub-County, Marsabit County, Kenya

Golicha Waqo Habiyu & Jane Njuguna
School of Education
Mount Kenya University
Email: waghabiyu2016@gmail.com

Abstract: Headteachers’ supervision of teachers is crucial in improving academic performance in schools. However, in public primary schools in Moyale Sub-county, academic performance has been low. Thus, this study sought to examine the influence of headteachers’ supervision of teachers on academic performance in public primary schools. The study was guided by systems theory and academic achievement theory. The study applied mixed methodology and thus adopted concurrent triangulation research design. Target population comprised 38 headteachers, 347 teachers and 2 Sub-county Directors of Education (SCDEs), which totaled 387 respondents from which a sample of 198 respondents was determined using the Yamane’s Formula. This comprised 10 headteachers, 186 teachers and 2 SCDEs. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from teachers whereas interviews were used to gather qualitative data from headteachers and SCDEs. Data analysis began by identifying common themes. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically based on the objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages and inferentially using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Analysis using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 25) and presented using tables. The study found that academic performance has been on the decline, which has prompted headteachers to adopt a multiplicity of teacher supervision practices. However, the study found that many headteachers are not actively involved in supervising teachers, which has contributed to a noticeable drop in academic performance. Hence, the Ministry of Education should provide adequate administrative workload for headteachers to enable them to undertake instructional supervision.