PRINCIPALS’ UTILIZATION OF SUPERVISORY SKILLS FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN SOUTH EAST NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to investigate principals’ utilization of supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. Eight research questions were posed and  answered  while  eight  hypotheses  were  formulated and  tested at  0.05  level  of significance. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. Eight research questions and eight null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was 63,527 which comprised

1,244 principals and 58,343 teachers in public secondary schools in South-Eastern State. The

sample for the study was 1,980 made of teachers and 565 principals. A multi stage sampling technique was adopted to draw the sample for this study. The instrument for data collection was a researcher developed questionnaire titled “Principals’ Utilization of Supervisory Skills for Teachers Questionnaire (PUSSTQ). The questionnaire focused on specific areas of principals’   supervisory   skills   namely   communication,   problem   solving,   leadership, development,  resourcefulness and  empathy  skills.  The  study  also  investigated  the  factors impeding principals’ use of supervisory skills and ways of improving principals’ supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria. The instrument was subjected to face validation by three experts. The experts were requested to check the relevance, adequacy, language, comprehensiveness and appropriateness of the items bearing in mind the purpose of the study. To determine the reliability of the instrument, a trial-test was conducted with 15 teachers and 5 principals in public secondary schools in Kogi State which is outside the area of the study. Cronbach Alpha Method was used to determine the internal consistency of the clusters of the instrument and they yielded 0.89, 0.74, 0.70, 0.83, 0.90, 0.96,

0.91 and 0.82 for the eight clusters respectively. The data for the study were collected with the help of four research assistants. On-the spot method was used to administer the questionnaire to the respondents. Out of the 1,980 copies of the questionnaire administered, 1,923 copies were retrieved representing 97% return rate. The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation in answering the research questions while t-test statistics was used for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. From the data collected and analysed, the study found that principals in public secondary schools in south east, Nigeria to a little extent utilize communication, problem solving, leadership, development, resourcefulness and empathy skills in supervising teachers for quality assurance in the schools. The study also identified factors impeding principals’ use of supervisory skills and ways of improving principals’ supervisory skills for quality assurance in public schools in south east, Nigeria. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended among others that: the principals be given opportunities for self development through study leave with pay in order to acquire higher degree for better performance and that workshops, seminars, and conferences be organized by relevant  agencies  of  education  through  the  states  ministries  of  education  in  which  the principals as supervisors constitute the participants and major target of such programmes.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The quality of education provided in many schools depends on many factors which include supervision. Supervision is an essential activity of any organization, be it an industrial or  educational  establishment.  In  the  education  sector,  it  is  a  device  for  assisting  and encouraging teachers to improve their knowledge for ensuring the achievement of educational goals  and  objectives,  as  teachers  need  to  be  supervised  to  enable  them  do  their  work effectively. In the school system, supervision is very important in enhancing the effectiveness of teachers in performing their teaching functions. According to Ugwu (2001), supervision is the effort made to help the teachers in identifying and solving their professional problems for the purpose of improving the total teaching and learning situation. Naturally, some people, including teachers, do not take their work seriously unless they are monitored and assisted. To help teachers perform their teaching functions effectively and efficiently, there is need for effective supervision in schools.

Supervision  establishes  relationship  that  exists  between  the  supervisor  and  the supervisee in which the responsibility and accountability for the development of competence, demeanor, and ethical practice take place. The supervisor is responsible for providing direction to the supervisee, who applies teaching techniques, standardized knowledge, skills, competency and applicable ethical content in the school setting (National Association of Social Workers,

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2013). Egwunyenga (2005) defined supervision as that phase of school administration which focuses principally on the achievement of the appropriate instructional expectations of the educational system. Igbo (2002) opined that supervision is that which helps to improve the

teaching function. Supervision emphasizes guiding teachers for better performance and good leadership.  From  the  foregoing,  one  can  deduce  that  supervision  is  the  effort,  support, assistance, guidance, which a superior offers to the subordinates to enhance effective service delivery in schools and other establishments. Supervision is one of the major functions of the school principal, who is in-charge of the school activities.

Supervision aims at helping teachers to work harder for proper implementation of the curriculum  to  influence  students’  behaviour.  Onasanya  (2006)  emphasized  the  need  to supervise teachers closely to enable them work harder no matter their level of devotion and experience. Onasanya further observed that  without supervision, both teachers and  school administrators will decline rapidly in their performance of duties. Thus, the more teachers are supervised, guided and corrected, the more there will be better understanding of the knowledge content of the subjects. Supervision focuses on the needs and desires of the students and helps teachers to embrace new teaching aids and methods for effective teaching and learning. Supervision is designed to support, correct and motivate teachers to enhance the process of instructional delivery to accomplish educational goals and objectives.

Supervision  involves  assessing  performance  of  teachers’  activities.  According  to Kochler  (2005),  supervision  includes  those  activities  which  are  primarily  and  directly concerned with studying and improving the conditions which surround the learning and growth of students. Schools cannot do without supervision in facilitating achievement of school goals. Supervision helps incompetent teachers to  improve, and guides their teaching  methods. It provides a guide for staff development, discovers special methods and qualities possessed by teachers. It assesses the tone of the school and identifies the need to advise the government

about instructional materials that can be used to improve quality of instruction (Kochhlar,

2005). Supervision is therefore one of the major roles of the principal.

Principals are  the  heads of secondary schools  charged with the  responsibilities of overseeing the day-to-day activities of schools. Principals are the pillars of the school administration. According to Alpla (2005), the principal is the chief executive officer and the instructional leader of the school. As the chief executive, he oversees the management, administration, and supervision of instruction of the school. The achievement of the school goals depends on how effective the principal is in carrying out his/her supervisory role. Ayeni (2012)  defined  principal as  the  chief  executive  who  provides  instructional  leadership  by coordinating  both curricular, co-curricular programmes and  is  responsible  for  the  general administration of the  secondary school.  According to  Abiodun (2003), a principal is  one official charged with the responsibilities of insuring that the machinery set in motion for the implementation of education, functions. The principal assists and guides the teachers to deliver their  lessons effectively and  efficiently.  Fasasi (2006)  stated that  a  principal is  the  chief executive that assigns duties to those who perform them, though all responsibilities still reside on him as the accounting officer. In the context of this work, the principal is therefore defined as a school leader who oversees the day to day running of a school such as offering guidance to teachers, students and other staff of the school and represents the school before the government and parents.

Principals have important roles to play for the achievement of school goals. According to Oboegbulem and Onwurah (2011), the principal is expected to interpret and implement government’s educational policies, provide opportunities through which the school relates with the community, establish and develop the community in which the  institution is situated.

According to Mgbodile (2004), principals are responsible for implementing educational programmes in schools, ensuring that conducive atmosphere is created for learning.  Mgbodile further observed that principals are the hub on which the success of secondary education revolves   because   they   help   to   translate   policies,   and   guide   action   on   curriculum implementation. Emphasizing on the role of principals, Edem (2006) stated that a principal has the challenging task of providing in-service training and programmes aimed at  improving performance of staff. Such programmes, according to the author, are modern methods of teaching and evaluation, operation, and use of modern visual aids, training for improving teaching aids, training on the use of information and communication technology (ICT). To carry out  supervisory roles effectively, therefore, principals  need  instructional supervisory skills.

Skills enhance mental abilities to perform work. Skills are the ability to perform a work with ease, precision and adaptability to changing conditions. Osinem and Nwoji (2005) defined skills as the abilities to perform an activity expertly. The authors further added that skill is a well established habit of doing things and involves the acquisition of professional capability through repetitive performance of an operation.   According to Obi (2005), skill is a manual dexterity acquired through repetitive performance of operation. The author further stated that a person is said to possess a skill when such individual can finish a given work at a given time with minimum errors. Possession of skills facilitates action for efficient performance. In the context of this study, skills are defined as intellectual abilities and capabilities possessed by individuals to carry out work efficiently at a given time. Principals, in particular, and all the people in leadership positions need to apply skills as they work with their subordinates, to

achieve  organizational  goals.  Principals  therefore  utilize  some  notable  skills  in  effective management and supervision of schools.

Utilization is a generic term which means to employ or exploit something by a person for certain gain. It is the effort to put to use, especially to make profitable or effective use of time, tools, facilities and any other forms of materials. According to Leo Sun (2016), utilization is when one uses something, whether it is a tool, like when one uses a pen to write something down, or a skill or talent, like the speed used when running a race. Contextually, utilization is the act of employing or exploiting potentials or ability to carry out a task. In the school system, the supervision of the teachers by principals is ensured through the utilization of some skills. For instance, the principals utilize supervisory skills to cope with challenges and the demands of supervision.

Supervisory skills facilitate supervision of teachers. Supervisory skills, according to Lydiah and Nasongo (2009) are the strategies, actions, behaviours and functions found to have positive  impact  on  teachers’  performance. Supervisory skills  refer  to  those  personal  and professional abilities, knowledge and competencies principals use in the supervision of teachers for the purpose of achieving educational goals. According to Moore (2014) Supervisory skills are those skills that help a person to manage employees properly. Skills help to establish goals, creative ideas and lead a team of people to achieve increase in productivity. Supervisory skills are the practical knowledge and experience acquired to ensure that principals carry out their duties effectively. It is a strategy and expertise to manage, monitor and regulate teachers in their performance of their teaching duties. It also entails the ability to build and maintain a good working relationship with the employees. Principals’ major duty is to supervise teachers, assist and lead teachers to accomplish the school goals through effective supervision using

supervisory skills. Supervisory skills are therefore strategies, techniques, ideas and methods which principals use to facilitate the process of supervision and make it interesting through constant interaction with teachers in the classroom. Use of these supervisory skills increases work performance.

There are numerous supervisory skills principals should utilize to enhance supervisory activities. Among these skills are communication, problem-solving, leadership, development, resourcefulness, empathy, time management, delegation, budgeting, technical and human (Moore, 2014). Although there are many supervisory skills for supervision, the effectiveness of principals depends on how properly the skills are used to facilitate supervision. However, for the purpose of this study, the researcher will focus on six supervisory skills. These supervisory skills are communication, problem solving, leadership, development, resourcefulness and empathy skills. These six skills are the major skills in supervision and every other skill is subsumed in them. These skills are the skills employers seek in employees.

Communication skill is the process of using all the components involved in communication in giving and receiving information to facilitate supervision. Communication is the live wire of any organization. It is the means of interaction and exchange of ideas between one person and another. According to Omenyi (2007) communication is the means of imparting and exchanging attitude, ideas and information through human and technological media. Ojebode (2006) defined communication as the process of transmitting information to others. Furthermore, Ojebode stated that it is the process of sharing and exchanging meanings, ideas, feelings, information and thoughts. Communication skill is therefore the means of exchanging information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium to make the information clearer to the receiver.

Communication serves a lot of purposes in every organization. According to Oboegbulem and Onwurah (2011), communication is used for sharing and exchanging information, expressing feelings and controlling members of an organisation. For effective communication to take place, Mgbodile (2004) noted that the principle of effective communication demands that communication system be maintained in classroom as it enhances awareness, enlightenment, involvement and performance effectiveness. This is because it helps the principal to relate his ideas to teachers. It is therefore pertinent for the principal to utilize communication skills to enhance supervisory exercise.

Communication skill is the use of words, demonstration, gesticulation and facial expression in different forms to pass information to people appropriately. It makes the use of words, languages and expressions meaningful to receivers. Murray (2010) noted that communication skill is composed of four elements which are grammatical competence (concerned with the well-formedness of language), sociolinguistic competence (the ability to be appropriate with language), discourse competence (knowledge of the connections between utterances in a text to form a meaningful whole), and strategic competence (the ability to compensate for imperfect language knowledge). Dykstra (2008) gave the idea that communication skills, both written and oral are the most important quality employers seek in the ideal candidate. Communication skill is, therefore, very important for the success of school supervision, as it involves listening, understanding and passing information from one person to another. In the school system, supervision cannot be achieved without effective communication skills. Effective use of communication skill improves teaching and learning but when ineffectively used, students perform below expectation. Principals as guarantors of supervision

need communication skills to transfer messages from one teacher to another and to receive feedback. There is also the need for problem solving skills to harness supervision in schools.

Problem solving skill is one of the skills which is expected to be utilized by principals for effective supervision. According to Fredrick (2005), problem solving skill is an on-going activity that helps one to discover what one does not know. In the school system, principals encounter a lot of problems while carrying out supervisory activities in the school. With the knowledge of problem-solving skill, the principal is in a position to resolve these problems. With effective use of problem-solving skill, supervision becomes an interesting exercise. In this context, problem solving skill is the use of diplomacy in rectifying problems that  inhibit supervision. Used of problems skill is a quality that shows good leadership.

Leadership skill is one of the skills of supervision. Leadership is the process of co- coordinating the activities of people and directing them towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives. According to Flat (2002), leadership is the action taken by the principal to delegate work to teachers, promote and hasten growth in students’ learning. Robins in Eboka (2009) defined leadership as the ability to influence a group towards achievement of goals. Okorie (2012) defined leadership as the maintenance of the organization in terms of keeping the organization together, satisfying individual needs, encouraging self direction, promoting interdependence and preserving harmony. The process of influencing others in taking decision and  achieving  goals  together  is  leadership.  From  the  foregoing,  leadership  skill  is  the application of styles, techniques, and methods in organizing, directing and motivating a group of people in an organization to attain organizational goals. Thus, there is need for principals to use leadership skills in order to carry teachers along, give them proper direction and necessary assistance.

Leadership skill involves the use of leadership styles, such as democratic, autocratic and laissez-faire. The democratic leadership style is referred to as the participatory leadership style. The democratic leader recognizes the right of the worker to participate in decision-making (Mgbodile, 2004). Autocratic leadership is task-oriented. With an autocratic leader, group members are denied their due respect while their welfare is accorded little or no consideration (Olagboye, 2004). The laissez-faire leader is hpothesized to occur when there is an absence or avoidance of leadership (Bass & Avolio, 1997). Here, decisions are delayed and rewards for involvement are absent. The application of each of these styles depends on the leadership skills of the principal. Operationally, principals’ leadership skills deal with the ability to direct, control and carry teachers along for the purpose of achieving educational goals.   Principals therefore need leadership skills  for the development of teachers, and to  achieve effective supervision.

Development skill is the process of increasing knowledge, ideas, methods and techniques.  According  to  Moore  (2014),  it  is  a  process  of  enhancing  the  capability  of employees to improve the organizations’ efficiencies in the employees’ specific areas and ultimately achieve the organizational goals. Moore further stated that the essence of development skill is to improve productivity in the work place, improve competitiveness and also improve the quality of life of workers and their prospects in work activities.  Contextually, development skill is the process of increasing teachers’ knowledge in different areas through different training programmes such as in-service training, conferences, workshops, on-the-job training  among  others.  Development  skill  is  therefore  important  in  supervision to  enable principals help teachers increase their knowledge for effectiveness. To enable principals carry out supervisory activities, there is also need for resourcefulness.

Resourcefulness skill is one of the skills principals use in supervision. According to Cindy and Quarters (2011), resourcefulness means having the ability to approach a problem in different ways. It implies the ability to be creative and to find solution from different directions. Resourcefulness is not a built-in ability; rather it is learned over a time through a variety of experiences. Resourcefulness is the ability to cope with difficult situation to achieve result. In this context, it is the ability to make appropriate use of human and material resources available for effective management. Principals, therefore, need resourcefulness skills to cope with limited available resources as schools are not always provided with enough funds as demanded. For principals to forge ahead, there is need for resourcefulness skills. Apart from resourceful skills; there is also need for empathy skills in supervision.

Empathy skill is being able to understand peoples’ feelings, emotion, and situation. According  to  Goleman  (2011),  empathy  is  the  awareness  of  others’  feelings,  needs  and concerns. According to Minchin (2013) empathy is intuitive and something one can work on intellectually. It means being sensitive to what is happening to another person. To be empathic is to enter another’s world without being influenced. Principals are involved in intellectual and emotional development of teachers and therefore need empathy skills. According to Mclennan (2008), empathy means expressing care which is not an innate ability but rather a skill that can be nurtured through supportive educational environment. In this regard, empathy is the intellectual identification of thoughts, feelings or state of another person. This skill will enable the principal to listen to teachers, appreciate their problems and find solutions. The use of this skill will enhance supervision process and motivate teachers to improve their teaching performance. For effective and efficient performance of principals in supervision, there is a dire

need of empathy skills to understand and influence teachers’ performance to ensure quality assurance.

Quality assurance is one of the desirable issues in the educational system which has attracted public attention. Quality as a concept means fitness for purpose, transformation from one state to another (Association of African Universities, 2007).  According to Alaba (2010), quality  assurance  is  a  mechanism used  to  evaluate  the  efficiency  and  appropriateness of teaching and learning experience, so as to ensure delivery of high quality education. In a similar view, Nwite (2012) stated that quality assurance is systematic management, monitoring and evaluation of procedures adopted to measure the performance of students to ensure that the best  practices  in  instructional input  and  output are  maintained  in  schools.    According to Ayodele (2007), quality assurance means ascertaining that the available instructional materials, equipment, facility, school environment and pupils meet the required standard. It embraces all functions and activities that will ensure that quality education is achieved. The desire for quality  education  has  created  the  need  for  review  and  reform  in  education  to  achieve educational goals and objectives. Quality assurance covers the curriculum implementation, teachers’ qualifications, teacher-student ratio, quality of equipment, facilities, human resource, among other things. Implementation of all these measures appropriately ensures quality education. In the context of this study, quality assurance is the process of ascertaining that school activities are effectively and efficiently performed for achieving educational goals and objectives. Teachers are at the centre of curriculum implementation and as such principals need supervisory skills in order to ensure quality assurance in schools.

A teacher is described as the one that is mandated to implement the curriculum in the classroom.  According  to  Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria  (2004),  in  the  National  Policy  on

Education,  a  teacher  is  a  person  who  had  undergone  approved  professional  training  in education at appropriate levels capable of inculcating knowledge, attitude and skills to the learners. Oboegbulem (2011) described a teacher as one who imparts knowledge to students in the classroom where the interaction of the students and the teachers begins. In line with the above views, Lewin (2004) stated that teachers are the hub of the educational system. The author further stated that teachers are considered as the single and most important factor in the educational enterprise.  From  the  above  definitions,  teachers  are  knowledgeable  men  and women trained to impart knowledge to learners in and outside the classroom in order to modify their behaviour to be responsible citizens.

Teachers are therefore trained personnel who have the skills, tools, and information necessary to educate young people. They have the ability to impart knowledge to students through lectures, small group activities and hands-on learning activities. Teachers play many roles in the course of teaching and these facilitate learning. The ability to carry these out effectively will depend to  a large extent  on the  level of their  knowledge and principals’ utilization of supervisory skills in supervising them. In a school environment, teachers are best known for the role of educating the students that are placed in their care. Beyond this, teachers serve many other roles in the classroom such as building a warm environment, mentoring and nurturing students to become role models. Regardless of these roles they play, teacher’s shape the  culture  of  their  classrooms,  improve  student  learning,  and  influence  practice  and production. As an educator, a teacher is responsible for implementing the school’s curriculum by engaging students in lessons and activities to develop life-long learning skills. The success of the educational system depends on the knowledge and ability of teachers. Where teachers are

not well trained, the educational system will fail as a result of the inability of teachers to interpret the curriculum and impart knowledge at all levels of educational system.

Secondary education occupies an important position in the educational system. According to Lucas and Olaniyan (2008), it is that level of education where children receive basic education that enhances their advancement to higher professional and academic pursuit. According to Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) (2012), in her National Policy on Education, it is the education children receive after primary education and before tertiary stage. In this context, secondary education is therefore the education that children attend after their primary education which prepares them for college or university.

Secondary education has broad and specific goals as stated in the National Policy on Education. These broad goals are preparation of learners for useful living within the society and for higher education. The question, therefore, is whether the goals and objectives are being achieved as stated. According to Ajayi (2002), secondary education in Nigeria is riddled with crises of various dimensions and magnitude, such as overcrowding and indiscipline among students in classroom all of which combine to suggest that the system is at crossroads. Eya and Chukwu  (2012)  observed  a  downtrend  in  the  quality  of  supervision in  public  secondary schools, evidenced by poor students work and poor performance in external examinations. One of the reasons may be the poor performance of the principals in the supervision of teachers. The essence of supervision is to help teachers improve in instructional effectiveness that will, of course, lead to  students’ good performance in both internal and external examinations. If principals possess and utilize appropriate skills in supervision, teachers’ performance will be influenced positively.

Several situations have created doubts as to whether secondary school principals in South East, Nigeria utilize appropriate skills in supervision, and the extent to which they use them  for  achievement  of  school goals.  There  is  public  outcry  in  newspapers,  radio  and magazines on poor standard of education which may result from the fact that teachers are not properly supervised. Personal observation in newspapers and magazine have shown that  the effect of inadequate supervision of principals manifest in poor teachers instructional delivery and  students poor performance in external examinations such as  in  West  African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE), National Examination Council (NECO) and even Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). For example the 2011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTE) in Nigeria recorded the poorest result in recent times. Out of the 1,493,604 candidates that sat for the examination, 842, 651 or 56.4% percent scored 200 and above (JAMB, 2011). The 2012, 2013 and 2014 May/June WASCE results did not record better performance as only 35% of the candidates got credit level passes in core subjects. The above picture of general poor performance of secondary school students in their external examinations in Nigeria may be a pointer to the fact that teaching and learning in school is defective.

From the above picture, it appears that something is lacking in the quality and quantity of supervision by principals in schools. One of the reasons may be principals’ inability to utilize appropriate supervisory skills in the supervision of teachers. For instance, if the school principal as a supervisor fails to care about teachers’ welfare and engage in activities that are teacher oriented, it  may result to teachers not carrying out their teaching task effectively. Moreover, some experts and stakeholders are of the view that achievement of school goals depends on effective supervision by principals. The researcher therefore intends to investigate

the extent principals utilize supervisory skills for effective supervision of teachers for quality assurance in South East, Nigeria.

Statement of the Problem

The  aim  of secondary education  in  Nigeria  is  to  train  people  who  can  think  for themselves, respect the views and feelings of others and in all be useful in the development of the society. In order achieve this aim, it is pertinent that students and teacher activities and productivity be adequately guided, directed and supervised so as to help them improve on their performance and productivity. However, it appears that in most secondary schools in South- East Nigeria, the principals and teachers are not living up to expectation in discharging their duties in achieving the goals and objectives of secondary education. On the side of principals, it seems that they hardly maintain friendly tone while speaking with teachers, listen to understand teacher’s    point    of    view,    consider    teachers    opinion    in    decision    making    and consider teachers input when it is appropriate in   achieving   the   goals   and   objectives   of secondary education. On the side of teachers, they lack confidence in ability of principals to effectively supervise their work. Consequently, teachers come to school late, hawk and loiter during school hours as well as give students out-dated and wrong information. All these portray non-commitment to duty which might be due to poor utilization of supervisory skills in the part of principals which affect quality assurance in the school. This situation seems not to encourage students to engage in various kinds of in-discipline such as examination malpractice, truancy, stealing, bulling and above all, poor performance in both internal and external examinations. This unethical situation affects students’ performance in South-East, Nigeria, where only 31% and 29% of the candidates who sat for (WASSE) recorded credits in five core subjects in 2012 and 2013 respectively. This situation is worsened by the fact that principals who are expected

to supervise the work of teachers lack the skills to carry out supervision. The problem of this study therefore centered on the extent principals utilizes supervisory skill in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South-East, Nigeria.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to investigate principals’ utilization of supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to:

1.  Find out the extent principals use communication skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

2.  Ascertain the extent principals use problem solving skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

3.  Find out the extent principals use leadership skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

4.  Determine the extent   principals use development skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

5.  Ascertain the extent principals use resourcefulness skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

6.  Find out the extent principals use empathy skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

7.  Find out factors impeding principals’ use  of supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

8.  Evolve ways of improving principals’ supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

Significance of the Study

The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical significance. The theoretical significance is anchored on systems theory pioneered by Ludwig Von Bretalanffy. The systems theory sees an organization as a system made up of sub-systems which are interrelated and interdependent for efficient functioning of the entire system. The system theory stresses that if any part of a system is not functioning well, it will affect other parts of the system.  For  instance, within the  educational system,  there  are  other  sub-systems like  the primary, secondary and tertiary and where any level of the school system is not functioning well, it will affect the others. A school principal that accepts the assumption of this theory will of course utilize its idea in carrying out supervision, to make sure that the school achieves its goals and objectives. Principals should understand that teachers, learners, school facilities and equipment are all important in achieving quality assurance in schools. The findings of the study will contribute to the advancement of knowledge and new ideas in utilization of supervisory skills in supervision of teachers.

In practical terms, the findings of the study will be of immense benefit to State School Management Boards, principals, teachers, researchers, Association of Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), students and the society at  large. The state school management board could use information provided to organize capacity building intervention programme (supervisory skills development programmes) for retraining of the principals for supervision effectiveness in public secondary schools.

Principals of secondary schools will benefit from the findings of this study through in- service training programmes so that they will be equipped with the supervisory skills that will be  useful  in  enhancing  supervision exercises  in  schools.  The  study will  be  beneficial to

principals because it will reveal the supervisory skills needed by principals and other aspects of school administration. It will help principals discover areas of weakness in supervision and further instill the desire for improvement in applying skills during supervision.

The  information provided in this study will  help teachers of secondary schools to improve through effective supervision of principals that will motivate and stimulate them to teach better. The study will be beneficial to researchers because it will serve as a guide to future researchers and  students  in educational administration and  planning who  have  interest  in researching principals’ supervisory skills for quality assurance. It will serve as a reference material for researchers which will help to expand their horizon on the issues of principals’ utilization of supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools.

The findings of this study will serve as an eye opener to the Association of Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary School (ANCOPSS) as it will reveal to them the skills required for effective supervision for quality assurance. Students will benefit as any improvement in supervision will help them acquire more knowledge and skills in the content of the curriculum instruction through efficient teaching by the teachers.

On the whole, the study will be beneficial to the society because the application of supervisory skills during supervision/classroom teaching and learning process will increase students’ academic performance which will transform their overall behaviour and make them responsible citizens in the society.

Scope of the Study

The study was carried out in public secondary schools in South-East Nigeria. South- East Nigeria is made up of five states namely Abai, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. The choice of this area was based on the fact that they have interest in education but it was

observed that teachers have lukewarm attitude towards their teaching work which affected academic performance of students. It is expected that the result of this work would enhance principals and teachers interest in teaching. In terms of content, the study was delimited to the extent principals use supervisory skills such as communication skills, problems solving skills, leadership  skills,  development  skills,  resourcefulness skills and  empathy skills  for  quality assurance in secondary schools. The study also covered factors impeding principals utilization of supervisory skills and ways of improving principals supervisory skills for quality assurance. Research Questions

The following research questions were raised to guide the study.

1.  To what extent do principals use communication skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

2.  What  is the extent  to  which principals use problem solving skills in  supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

3.  To what extent do principals use leadership skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

4.  To what extent do principals use development skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

5.  To what extent do principals use resourcefulness skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

6.  To what extent do principals use empathy skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

7.  What are the factors impeding principals’ use of supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?

8.  What are the ways of improving principals’ supervisory skills for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at

0.05 level of significance.

Ho1: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the extent principals use communication skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

Ho2: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the extent principals use problem solving skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the extent principals use leadership skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

Ho4: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the  extent  principals  use  development  skills  in  supervision  of  teachers  for  quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

Ho5: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the extent principals use resourcefulness skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

Ho6: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the extent principals use empathy skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria

Ho7: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals on the factors that impede the use of supervisory skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in South, East, Nigeria.

Ho8: There is no significant difference between the mean ratings of teachers and principals with regard to ways of improving principals’ supervisory skills in supervision of teachers for quality assurance in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.

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