Instructional Improvement of Secondary School Teachers through Effective Academic Supervision by the Vice-Principals

Orenaiya Solomon Adewale 1

Journal of Education and Human Development
June 2014, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 607-617
ISSN: 2334-296X (Print), 2334-2978 (Online)
Copyright © The Author(s). 2014. All Rights Reserved.
Published by American Research Institute for Policy Development

Astract
Academic  supervision  and  teachers’  classroom  instruction  are  two  instructional
activities  which  closely  related  with  the  intention  of  developing  teachers  to  the
required  higher  level  of  instructional  competencies.  Research  questions  and
hypotheses were formulated to provide insight into the instructional improvement
level of classroom teachers by the effective monitoring by  the vice-principal. The
role of vice-principal as instructional leaders is to influence the quality of secondary
school education. The teachers’ improvement level will be evaluated in mastery of
subject  matter,  teaching  skills,  and  use  of  teaching  resources.  From  the  internal
academic supervision, there are three levels namely; the upper level (principals/viceprincipals),  middle  level  (head  of  departments)  and  the  lower  level  (subject
heads).From  all  indications,  internal  academic  supervision  is  the  sure  best  for
improving the present quality and also maintaining higher standards because of its
ease  of  access,  cordial  relationship  to  teachers  for  monitoring,  correction  and
entrenchment  of  ideas  and  innovations.  The  implication  of  this  paper  is  to  be
manifested in instructional practices which will facilitate students’ learning status to
improve  to  higher  level  of  academic  achievement  which  we  all  desired  by  all
stakeholders in education.
Keywords:  Instructional  improvement,  secondary  school  teachers,  effective
supervision, vice-principals and Nigeria
Introduction
The  last  ten  to  twelve  years  of  educational  performance  and  evaluation  in
Ogun State, Nigeria had witnessed a drastic down trend in the academic performance
of  secondary  school  students,  dwindling  image  of  teachers  and  academic  and
economic values of secondary education in its entirety.
This  could  be  due  to  a  number  of  factors  from  the  parents,  students,
Governmenteducational policies, teachers highly accused, and Government’s agency
responsible  for  control,  monitoring  and  supervision  and  economic  recessio n  and
political  instability.  The  most  influential  and  impacting  to  the  existing  status  is  the
supervision  which  hither  to  had been  the  sole  responsibility  of  external  supervisors
from  the  Governmental  agencies  such  as  inspectorate  services  of  the  ministry  of
education and teaching service commission but their effects were not reflected in the
academic performance of students because of distance between them and teachers on
the  field,  thus  vice  principals  are  academically  and  professionally  qualified  to
effectively complement and further supervise classroom instruction for higher level
performance. An effective vice principal will develop teachers, while an effectiveness
in   teaching  will  produce  academically  and  economically  good  students  that  will  be
useful to themselves, parents ,government and society at large.
Therefore,  nature  of  academic  supervision  responsibility  required  from  the
vice-principals is to focus on the process of overseeing what the teachers teach, the
medium of teaching, how the teaching is done and giving solutions to challenges. The
processes encompasses spending quite number of hours/periods on teachers’ content
of instruction, usage of teaching materials and demonstrate the expected practices that
will improve academic achievement of students in examinations. This is because the
most  significant  criteria  or  factor  directly  influencing  the  quality  of  the  education  a
child receives is the quality of his teacher.
The principals and vice-principals have tailored their daily activities in schools
to  administrative  supervision,  leaving  the  academic  supervision  barely  open  to
external  supervisors  whose  efforts  have  no  continuity  and  constancy,  thereby
academic achievements of students under the responsibility of teachers have continue
to be declining. This has provided escape route for external supervisors to declare that
they have played their own part, what is now left is for the teachers to do their own
part.
And  to  be  practical,  there  is  a  wide  gap  between  external  supervisors  and
teachers,  which  the  vice  principals  can  academically  and  professionally  filled  as
connectors  and  implementers between  supervisors and  teachers of  which  my  paper
want  to  fill  the  missing  gap.  A  question  requiring  answer  is  “where  does  the  viceprincipal derive their positional role as instructional leader”?
The  simple  answer  is  that  the  teaching  service  ‘s  teachers  ‘manual  of  Ogun
State  teaching  service  commission  confers  the  position  of  principal  as  the
instructional leader, academic and administrative heads.  It further states that the vice
principal is to assist principal in the day to day activities of the school and act in the
absence  of  the  principal.  The  principal  is  the  headteacher,  instructionalsupervisor,
chief education officer, executor of instructional programme, teacher of teachers and
curriculum directorNakpodia( 2011)
Cawood&Gibbon (1990) opined academic supervision in terms of leadership
aims  at  renewal  of  objectives,  professional  growth  and  educational  improvements
also;  Gorton  (1983)  defined  academic  supervision  as  those  activities  engaged  by
individual,  groups  whose  main  purpose  is  the  improvement  of  person,  group  or
programme. I  will  end  this  introductory  review  with  Beach&Reinhartz  (2000)  while
emphasizing  that  supervisors  should  be  mentors  and  friends  in  relationships  to
support teachers and provide support in a relaxed atmosphere for providing learning
environment in the classroom.
Therefore, the various elements or constructs in the definitions above such as
interactions,/relationship  ,co-operative  behaviours  ,leaderships,mentors,support  to
teachers and improvement which the vice-principals can and will fill adequately and
efficiently in this paper.Moreover,the content of this paper will focus on the following
areas  of  academic  supervision  on  mastery  of  subject  matter,  usage  of  teaching
resources  and  teaching  skills.  The  effectiveness  of  instructional  supervision  implies
that a desired effect will be observed to take place as an improvement in the teachers’
teaching process supervised by the vice-principals in secondary schools.
Objectives of the Paper
1.To improve the quality of secondary school education through regular instructional
supervision in the classroom.
2.To measure effectiveness of instructional supervision in relation to teachers level of
instruction.
3.  To  find  out  the  contribution  of  the  frequency  of  vice  principals’  visitation  to
classrooms for instructional monitoring.
4.  To  find  out  if  there  is  a  relationship  between  vice  principals  and  teachers  in
instructional improvement of secondary schools.
5. To ascertain if vice-principals have portfolio documents for professional growth
of teachers.
Statement of Problem
Since the last ten years of academic achievement results of secondary school
students  released  by  the  internal  and  external  examination  bodies  in  Ogun  State,
Nigeria  has  not  been  impressive.  This  has  generated  negative  comments  and  poor
evaluation  on  the  part  of  teachers,  educationinspectors,  recruitment  agency  for
teachers and the government for not alive to their responsibility.
The state and federal government responded by conceiving and conceding to
re-organise  the  inspectorate  department  so  that  education  inspectors/external
supervisors  would  be  more  effective  in  their  duties  to  improve  instructions  in
secondary schools FGN(2006).
The  irregularity  and  low  frequency  of  visitation  to  schools  by  education
inspectors  because  of  transportation  challenges  and  low  numbers  of  staff  in  their
department  makes  the  problem  unresolved  thus  form  the  platform  to  look  inward
into  the  school  site  to  find  a  connector  who  will  continue  from  where  external
supervisors  stops  and  serve  as  a  bridge  between  education  inspectors  and  teachers
hence the reason underlying my resolve to conduct a study on the contributory role of
vice-principal  in  ensuring  instructional  improvement  of  teaching  workforce  in
secondary schools.
In  addition  to  the  above  justification,  is  that  the  principals  are  surrounded
with administrative and social matters justified their less concentration on academics
but  vice principals  who sits endlessly  in the office without any designated duties as
some principals exclude their vices or deputies from administrative duties support the
need for the principals to concede academic supervision to their vices while countersupervise or demand for daily or weekly report of instructional duties in the schools.
Instructional  supervision  is  less  monitored  or  not  done  at  all  in  secondary  schools
because the external supervisors such as the education inspectors, zonal secretaries are
not impacting positively over long period of time because their periods of visitations
is low or extremely scanty.
In addition, the quality of supervision may be doubtful because most external
supervisors are highly deficient in most subject mastery an d professional competence,
thus there is no guarantee for increased performance of teachers. This is in support of
Ogunlabi (2008).
Among  other  reasons  for  improving  instruction  in  schools  is  that  large
percentages  of  teaching  workforce  in  most  states  in  Nigeria  are  not  professionally
certified  unlike  in  the  developed  countries  where  no  one  can  teach  in  secondary
schools  except  you  are  academically  and  professionally  certified,  as  such  there  is
another opportunity to learn required teaching methodology while on the job.
Most  importantly,  there  is  a  missing  gap  in  the  implementation  of  policies,
practices and instructional innovations between external supervisors and teachers as
such vice principals would play a complimentary role to ensure effectiveness of  best
practices in the secondary school system.
Research Questions
This paper would attempt to provide answers to the following;
1. How is instructional supervision carried out in secondary schools in Ogun State,
Nigeria?
2. How is effective supervision going to be carried out in secondary schools?
3.  To  what  extent  does  vice  principals  monitoring/supervision  of  classroom
teachers’ instruction influencestudents’ performance?
4.  How  should  we  improve  instructional  supervision  by  vice  principals  in
secondary schools?
Significance of the Study
1.  To  ensure  accountability  and  increased  level  of  teachers  instructions  in  the
secondary school.
2. To encourage frequency of instructional supervision at the classroom level.
3. For achieving increased level of students’ academic performance in school.
4. To establish co-operative attitudes in teachers toward academic supervision.
5. To achieve educational effectiveness and quality improvement.
Theoretical  Construct:  Theory  of  Student-Centred  Accountability  and
Connection
A  theory  developed  by  Marzano  (2003)and  improved  upon  by  Reeves  (
2004).The focus of this theory is emphasized on instructional leaders, instruction and
students  in  order  to  improve  teaching  and  learning  processes.  For  fuller
understanding of instructional  supervision by supervisors, certain factors fundamental
for  coverage  by  this  theory  are  instructional  leaders,  frequency  of  supervision,
teachingskills, mastery of subject matter, curriculum, andinstruction. Accountability of
student  centered  learning  cannot  be  achieved  if  there  has  not  been  effective  input
from teachers, and for the students centered to improve vice supervisors must visits
classroom daily or regularly through observation and recognition of best practices.
Content
A  supervisor  is  a  person  engaged  in  conducting  instructional  monitoring  or
supervision. Those persons are education inspectors, zonalsecretaries, principals, vice
principals,  head  of  staff,  head  of  departments,  subjectheads,  form  cocoordinators/class  co-ordinators.The  concept  of  instructional  supervision  is  a
classroom based supervision conducted by external and internal supervision for the
purpose of provision of guidance, support and continuous evaluation of teachers for
improvement in teaching and learning process and profe ssional development through
collegial approach.(Beach&Reinhartz;2000 &Tyagi,2010).
Fullan(2007) stated why there is no effectiveness in supervision of instruction
in classrooms is because principals and vice principals spend most school time in their
offices  managing  facilities,  resolving  students’  indiscipline,  purchase  of  office  and
facilities materials thereby devoting less time or no time to instructional matters.
In a related development, Bloom et al(2003) echoed that principals and team
of  supervisors  who  receives  coaching  are  more  engaged  in  instructional  leadership,
spends more time on instructional issues, addressing those issues than those without
any knowledge of coaching.
UNESCO  (2007)&WORLD  BANK,(2011),reported  that  there  is  a  growing
conviction that empowerment of school-site supervision can make school respond to
needs of students. The monitoring of teachers is a guarantee for better qualities which
is  possible  with  co-operation  between  principals,  and  teachers  including  the  vice
principals.  This  author  is  of  the  view  that  with  vice  principals  always  available  in
classroom monitoring will ensure teachers ‘ usage of instructional time, check pupils
books,  give  classwork  and  assignments  which  automatically  discourages  perpentual
absentees and late comers.
The scope of the content of this paper will cover mastery of subject matter,
teaching materials and teaching skills which the vice principals will execute properly to
ensure increase level in academic achievement in secondary schools.
Mastery Of Subject Matter
Kimberly (2009) stated that teachers must have sufficient knowledge in their
areas of study. Therefore, effectiveness of teaching and learning can best be measured
by teachers’ level of teachers’ capability in subject mastery which  have direct impact
and a good predictor of students learning. In like manner, Adegbile&Adeyemi (2008)
confirmed  that  usage  of  highly  knowledgeable  in  his  area  of  specialization  in  low
performance  students  will  eventually  be  rewarding.  Competency  in  subject
matter/content in association with teaching skills,  while teacher-student relationship
are connecting variables that can improve academic achievement of secondary school
students.
Teaching Resources
Instructional  resources  or  teaching  resources  are  instructional  materials  for
conveying  essential  knowledge  and  skill  of  subject  in  school  curriculum.  Teaching
resources suitable and available for use in secondary school’s instructional process are
books,  workbooks,  computer  software,  maps,  wall  charts,  flip  charts  and  academic
libraries.  In  a  research  carried  out  by  Popoola  (1990)   investigated  the  effects  of
instructional  materials  on  the  academic  achievement of  students  in  some  secondary
schools. He compared the West African Examinations Council results fo r five years
and  compares  d  achievement  of  students  in  schools  with  inadequate  teaching
resources  and  found  a  significant  difference  in  the  achievement  of  the  two  sets  of
students.
The  vice  principals  have  a  significant  role  to  monitor  usage  and  records  of
teaching resources in a pool or in school stores from school’s purchase or produce
teaching  aids  and  shared  among  teachers  for  use  in  the  classrooms.  Every  school
should keep an inventory of available teaching aids by quantity and conditions for use.
The  teaching aids inventory should be able to show frequency usage of each resource
on  a  weekly  basis.  It  must  be  emphasized  that  teaching  and  learning  materials  are
determinant of quality of education, thus it is essential for quality teaching materials to
be made available to teachers and students in adequate quantity to support teaching
and learning processes.
Teaching Skills
Reigner(2000)&Berry,B.(2011)  reiterates  that  teachers  needs  to  be
curious,imaginative,interesting,friendly  and  hard  working  in  order  to  be  effective  in
the  classroom,  thereby  creating  a  learning  environment  that  results  in  enhancing
learners  disposition.  Interesting  teachers  keep  students  alive,  attentive  and  focused based to hear and learn more from classroom instruction.
The  nature  of  effective  teaching  skills  is  that  the  teacher  should  renew  and
innovate,  and  enlighten  the  minds  of  students  so  that  linkage  can  be  established
between past, present and build positive hope by preparing them to build meaningful
knowledge for correct application.
An  effective  teacher  realize  that  students  learn  in  a  diverse  ways  hence,  a
skilled teacher should adjust lessons to reach all students, responding to multiples of
learning  in  classroom  in  addition  to  usage  of  remediation  and  enhancement,
responding to students need and getting students actively engaged in the lesson will
increase  rate  of  retention  and  reproduction  .Therefore,  effective  teaching  skills  are
essential  to  successful  school  outcomes  resulting  from  instructional  supervision  by
vice principals.
Researches  and  experiences  had  revealed  that  teachers’  actions  in  their
classroom especially teaching skills have twice impact on students’ achievement as do
school  policies  regarding  curriculum,  assessment,  staff  collegiality  and  community
involvement Marzano (2003).
Challenges
1.  The  vice  principal  knowledge  on  the  new  instructional  practices  gained  from
attending  conferences,  seminars  and  training  of  external  supervisors  may  be
limiting.
2.  Overburden  of  vice  principals  with  some  administrative  duties  of  conducting
examination, carrying out special duties  as  it is mandatory for vice principals to
carry out instructions from the principals as his role is that of assistants.
4.  There  may  not  be  absolute  authority  given  to  vice  principals  to  back-up  the
academic responsibility in order to deal with erring teachers and ensure realization
of goals and objectives of teaching.
5.  There  may  be  possibility  of  clash  of  interest  of  power  between  principals  to
absolutely hand over academic tasks to vice principals with power and authority as
some  teachers  might  play  themselves  in-between  the  two  power  personality  of
administering the school effectively.
6.. The vice principals’ overzealousness for absolute power and decisions regarding
instructional monitoring.
Conclusions
Teachers’  effectiveness  in  classroom  instruction  in  evaluated  with  their
mastery of subject matter, teaching resources, teaching skills and school records have
impacts on learners’ academic achievement.
This  is  in  agreement  with  Campbell,J.M.(2004)  that  teachers’  level  of
instruction  arising  from  instructional  supervision  under the  office of  vice  principals
will ensure effectiveness resulting in improved academic achievement of students in
the secondary schools in Ogun State, Nigeria.
Recommendations and Suggestions
1.vice  principals  should  co-opt  the  most  senior  members  of  staff/head  of  staff  as
workload shared is half-solved to avoid stress and excess burdens ,this will be a
breeding  ground  for  excellence  and  continuation  of  good  value.  More  so  that
most  senior  members  of  staff  will  soon  be  assigned  vice  principal-ship
position/duty –post.
2. Vice-principals should be given one or two periods per week in a lower class to
serve  as  good  role  models  so  that  instructions  will  b e  matched  with
action/activity.
3.Training  should  be  given  to  vice  principals  on  the  nature,  process,  roles  and
limitations of academic responsibility in relation to principals(superior boss) and
external  supervisors  from  ministry  of  education,  teaching  service  commission(
regulating  and  supervising  agencies).This  can  be  a  good  avenue  to  deploy
experienced  supervisors  on  ad-hoc(short)  and  permanent  position  and  use  vice
principals as resource-persons as those who performs such job are less ranked and
equipped with fewer experiences on instructional level of teachers.
4.Vice  principals  can  occasionally  be  part  of  supervision  or  inspection   team  as
observer  to  further  learn  the  rudiments  of  measuring  scales  and  check-list  for
application in their various schools to ensure effective connection between external
supervisors and teachers for effectiveness in academic activities for productiveness
towards students in secondary schools/secondary education.
5.Let  there  be  a  policy  in  place  to  deploy  experienced  vice  principals  to  the
inspectorate department of the ministry of education to give required experiences
to  new  and  inexperienced  education  inspectors  for  stability  and  quality
effectiveness of instructional supervision in schools.
6.There should be a policy statement for the vice principals to be given constitutional
duties in the school with authority for effectiveness of work assigned and to also
give good image to the office of vice principal.
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