THE CURRENT PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION IN THE PRIMARY SCHOOLS

The study aims to investigate the current practices and challenges of instructional supervision of some selected primary schools in Chencha Woreda, Gamo Gofa Zone Ethiopia. Attempts have been made to explore the extent to which cluster supervisors implement instructional supervision with regard to various instructional supervisory tasks, assessing the major challenges, views and attitudes of teachers and supervisors towards the current practice of the service with a Sequential explanatory mixed research design. Data were collected through questionnaires, document observation, interview and focus group discussion. The data gathered through questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS. The data gathered through other instruments were analyzed qualitatively. The findings of the study indicated that majority of cluster supervisors were not trained and unskilled to carryout instructional supervision. Similarly, school-site supervisors were also found to be deficient in providing the expected support of the schools for the contributions to the improvement of the teaching-learning process. The current practices of instructional supervision in the study area was full of challenges and proper attention was not given by the teachers, school-site supervisors, and cluster in the Scholl system. Based on the findings and the conclusions drawn, possible recommendations were forwarded: woreda and zonal education offices together with regional education bureau should up-grade supervisors to the required qualifications and should facilitate working conditions and trainings for school-site supervisors. In addition, instructional supervision courses should be given for all trainees in teachers colleges and education faculties both in pre- and in- service trainings