Contribution of Instructional Supervision on Teachers’ Professional Development: A Focus on Public Secondary Schools in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro-Tanzania

Milton Mwakajitu & Chrispina Lekule
St. Augustine University of Tanzania
P. O. Box 307 Mwanza
Email: Miltonmwakajitu31@gmail.com; chrispina.lekule@saut.ac.tz

Abstract: This study examined the extent to which instructional supervision contributes to the enhancement of teachers’ professional development in public secondary schools. For the purpose of this study, instructional supervision refers to overseeing instruction as a means to promote teachers’ professional growth and so ensure effective teaching and learning. The study was guided by instructional leadership theory that was developed by Ronald Edmonds in the year 1970. The study, adopted mixed research approach with convergent parallel design. Cronbach Alpha Correlation Coefficient was used to ensure validity and reliability of research instruments. Quantitative data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics with the help of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21. Qualitative data were collected through interviews and analyzed thematically. A sample of 92 respondents who included one District Education Officer (DEO), one District Quality Assurance Officer (DQAO), three Ward Education Officers (WEO’s), four heads of schools and eighty-three teachers were involved. Stratified, simple random and purposive sampling was used to select the desired number of respondents. The findings indicate that instructional supervision contributes to enhancing teachers’ ability to use different instructional methods, ability to prepare teaching materials and enhances teaching performance. The study suggests instructional supervisors to continue providing feedback and giving suggestions for improving timely supervision process as intervention strategies to ensure teachers’ professional growth.