PERCEPTION, PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN INBUILT SUPERVISION IN SOUTHERN ZONE OF TIGRAI

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the perceptions, practices, and challenges of secondary school teachers regarding inbuilt supervision in the secondary schools of the Southern Zone of Tigrai. Specifically, it sought to gain an in-depth understanding of teachers' and school leaders' experiences with inbuilt supervision. A mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. Convenient sampling was used to select four woredas, while simple random sampling was applied to select four secondary schools and 128 teachers (81 males and 47 females). Additionally, a purposive sampling technique was used to select four male principals and 28 department heads (21 males and 7 females). Data were collected through questionnaires, focus group discussions, document analysis, and interviews. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and grand mean, and further examined through a paired sample t-test to determine significant differences between teachers’ perceptions and actual practices of inbuilt supervision. The findings revealed that school leadership-related factors were the primary challenges affecting inbuilt supervision practices. These included a lack of commitment and motivation among school leaders, insufficient technical expertise (knowledge and skills), limited emphasis on inbuilt supervision, and inadequate follow-up mechanisms. Teacher-related factors were identified as the second major hindrance, with teachers exhibiting low levels of commitment, motivation, and interest, primarily as a result of leadership deficiencies. Based on these findings, the study recommends raising awareness among stakeholders about the importance of inbuilt supervision and providing targeted capacity-building training programs for school leaders to enhance their effectiveness in supervision practices.