Effectiveness of zonal quality assuarance and standards officers’ instructional supervision practices on curriculum implementation in public primary schools in Bureti division, Bureti sub-county, Kericho county, Kenya

Abstract

This study was set to investigate the effectiveness of Zonal Quality Assurance and Standards Officers’ (ZQASO’s) instructional supervision practices on curriculum implementation in public primary schools in Bureti Division, Bureti sub-county, Kericho County, Kenya. The study also examined the challenges ZQASOs face in carrying out their instructional supervision practices and ways of addressing factors that impede efficient and quality supervision. Independent variable for the study was instructional supervision practices of ZQASOs and dependent variable was curriculum implementation. The intervening variables were political interference, ZQASO’s leadership skills, funds and infrastructure. The study employed descriptive survey design, targeting all the 40 headteachers 542 TSC teachers 1 ZQASO and one sub-county director of education. Simple random sampling was used in selecting public primary school which represents the other public primary schools in Bureti Division. The researcher sampled six public mixed day primary schools which represented 15% of the primary schools in two zones of the divisions. All the headteachers in the sampled schools were studied. Simple random sampling was used in selecting teachers and headteachers from the sampled schools to participate in the study. The sample attracted 24 teachers, 6 headteachers and 1 ZQASO and 1 sub-county director of education. Data was collected using three sets of questionnaires, a checklist and an interview guide which was administered with the sample respondents. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics, using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer programme version 17.0 and presented in form of tables, figures and percentages. The major findings of the study indicated that instructional supervision practices of ZQASOs had a direct impact on curriculum implementation. The study found out that teachers were rarely in-serviced, newly recruited teachers lacked induction, no demonstration lessons were carried out in the classroom by ZQASOs, supervision was occasionally done. The study also found out that ZQASOs faced challenges in the course of executing their duties. The challenges include; insufficient funds, inaccessible roads, large area of jurisdiction, high enrolment in schools and understaffing. The study recommend that MOE should have clear training framework for ZQASOs for effective instructional supervision, to allocate more funds to facilitate recruitment of more ZQASOs and teachers, ZQASOs to scale up assessment frequencies so as to improve academic performance, in-service courses to be organized by ZQASOs to help teachers keep a break with current curriculum trends. It was concluded that instructional supervision practices by ZQASOs were not very effective due to various factors such as; inadequate resources required for supervision