INFUENCE OF PRINCIPALS’ INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISORY PRACTICES ON STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SAMBURU CENTRAL SUB-COUNTY, SAMBURU COUNTYKENYA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to determine how the Principals’ instructional supervisory practices influence students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools in Samburu Central, Samburu County. The study was guided by research questions that comprised of instructional supervisory roles of principals, effectiveness of Principals’ instructional supervisory roles on students’ academic achievement, the challenges principals face in carrying out their instructional supervisory roles and the measures to be put in place to improve instructional supervision in public secondary schools in Samburu County. The study was anchored in the Psychological Theory of supervision explored by Pantrurrot (2006). A mixed approach notably Convergent Parallel Mixed approach guided the study whereby in quantitative cross-sectional survey design and in qualitative phenomenology designs were used. The study targeted all day secondary school principals, teachers’ students and County Quality Assurance and Standards Officer Samburu County. Stratified random Sampling, Census method and cluster sampling techniques were used to select a sample size of 147 respondents. Data was collected by use of questionnaires, interview guides and document analysis guide. Cronbach Alpha technique was used to determine the reliability of quantitative items on Likert scale while those of qualitative items determined in terms of their trustworthiness notably credibility, dependability and transferability. Descriptive statistics notably frequencies and percentages analyzed quantitative data obtained from questionnaires with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20. The results were presented in frequency distribution tables. The qualitative data obtained from open-ended questions, interview guides and document analysis guide were analyzed thematically based on research questions and presented in form of narratives and direct quotes. Key findings showed that some of the principals inducted new teachers, checked schemes of work, visited classrooms for lesson observation and gave feedback, monitored students’ progress to a greater extent while others did not. Challenges encountered by principals included inadequate time, high teacher turnover, blackouts, indiscipline of students among others. The study concluded that in schools where principals performed their supervisory roles effectively enhanced students’ academic achievement than principal who did sparingly. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education strengthen follow up mechanisms on roles and practices of principals, thorough teacher preparations prior to lessons, good rapport as well as development good communication skills as some of the ways of improving the principal’s supervisory skills.