Induction Needs of Secondary School Leaders in Curriculum Supervision: A Case of Kisii Central District

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the induction needs of school leaders in curriculum supervision in public secondary schools in Kisii Central District. Specifically, the study sought to examine the effects of school leaders' personal characteristics on curriculum supervision, determine school leaders' skills for curriculum supervision, establish how institutional factors influence school leaders' roles in curriculum supervision, establish the effectiveness of secondary school leaders in curriculum supervision, determine the induction needs of secondary school leaders in curriculum supervision and establish the challenges facing school leaders in curriculum supervision. The study was both qualitative and quantitative in nature. Descriptive survey research design was used in conducting the study. The study was based on the needs assessment process as defined by English and Kaufman (1975). The respondents were: Quality Assurance and Standards Officers, Head teachers, Deputy Head teachers, Heads of Departments and form three students. In sampling, 36 secondary schools were stratified into educational divisions from which proportionate random sampling was used to select 11 schools that participated in this study. All the 11 principals from the selected schools and their deputies were automatically selected for inclusion in the study sample. This is because they were considered to posses the information the researcher required. All the 8 QASOs in the district were purposively sampled, because they were assumed to posses the information required by the researcher. While 17 HODs and 152 students were selected through simple random sampling for inclusion in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules. Reliability of the research instruments was tested through test-retest method after a pilot study that was conducted in one school in the neighboring district. The collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistical techniques which included frequencies, means, modes, standard deviation and percentages. The study established that lack of inspection of students' lesson notes, inadequacy of teachers, lack of learning facilities, the location of the school and the school environment were the factors that hindered the students' academic performance. It was also found that secondary school leaders sometimes practice the competencies in supervision in their capacity as curriculum supervisors. Further, leaders' supervisory skills were sometimes practiced whereas the least practiced was the effectiveness in supervision. It was also established that competencies in the areas of leaders' supervisory skills and effectiveness of supervision were the most desired and therefore need to be performed more frequently. The least desired macro-competency was institutional influence in supervision. Generally, all the areas of macro-competencies covered in this study required an improvement so that they can be practiced often. This calls for induction of the secondary school leaders on curriculum supervision. It is hoped that the findings and recommendations of this study will be useful to educational administrators in curriculum supervision in secondary schools.