ABSTRACT
This study investigated ‘Teachers’ Perception of Supervisors’ Roles in Primary Schools in
Minna Education Zone, Niger State.’ Six research questions answered using Mean and SD
and three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-test statistic and ANOVA
guided the study. Population of the study was 8,087 primary school teachers in the 764
public primary schools in the zone. The sample was 404 teachers drawn though multi-stage
sampling technique. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The instrument for data
collection was a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher and was validated by
three experts from the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Main findings of
the study revealed, among others, that supervision in primary schools is perceived by
teachers as one of the ways of improving the quality of primary education and facilitating the
achievement of school goals and objectives. Supervision makes teachers sit up and be more
committed to their duties thereby making them more effective and efficient. There was no
significant difference in the mean ratings of male and female teachers in the study area on
their perception of supervision. Major implication of the findings is that quality of primary
education in the zone will highly be enhanced if the supervisors carry out their supervisory
functions diligently. The researcher therefore recommended that though supervision in
primary schools in the zone is regular, it should be more regular in order to keep enhancing
teachers’ performance. Supervisors should allow clinical supervision and human relations
theories to come into play while interacting with teachers during supervision. These would in
turn translate into effective and qualitative teaching which will ultimately benefit the pupils
and result into better academic performance of the schools.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Organizations are established essentially to achieve their stated objectives or targets.
Such objectives cannot be achieved without putting in place strong mechanisms. One of such
mechanisms is supervision. Supervision of educational activities generally and in particular
classroom instructions is not only necessary but important to evaluate teachers’ performance
and their effectiveness in the discharge of their duties as transmitters of education. Education
is the transmission of what is worthwhile from generation to generation. It is the process of
assisting learners to acquire knowledge, skills and acceptable attitudes and moral behaviours
that would make them responsible citizens able to take care of themselves, their families and
contribute to society (Chukwu, 2011). In agreement with this, Joseph (2014) stated that
education is the principal method through which society transmits knowledge from one
generation to another. Education can be described therefore, as a very strong weapon used by
the society to instill in learners its norms and values that they can use to appreciate the past,
reshape the present in order to advance the future of their societies. It is the means through
which individuals acquire relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes that would help them fit
well into the society and shape their lives for the better and enable them contribute toward the
general development of their society.
The essence of education is to change positively, the behaviour of the learner and to
make him a better citizen of his society who can contribute to national development.
Education is a vital instrument ‘par excellence’ for effecting and achieving national
development (Federal Republic of Nigeria, FRN, 2004). In line with this, the second Nigeria
philosophy of education states that education fosters the worth and development of the
individual for each individual’s sake and for the general development of the society. Kimani,
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Kara and Njagi (2013) stated that education helps societies fashion out and model individuals
to function well in their environment. Education serves a lot of purposes. It equips the
citizenry to reshape their society and eliminate inequality (Boit, Njoki and Chang’arc (2012)
as mentioned by Kimani et- al (2013). The Government of Trinidad and Tabago (2005)
regards education generally as a tool for bringing about a relative change in behaviour of the
learner as a result of learning. According to Ekundayo, Oyerinde and Kolawole (2013), the
behavior change can only occur in learners based on the quality of instructions given to them
at any level of education vis-à-vis how such instruction is delivered during the teachinglearning
process. However, no matter how well packaged an instruction may be at any level
of education, particularly at the primary school level, if there is no effective supervision,
especially during the delivery period, such instruction may fail to achieve the expected or
desired results.
Primary education, as stated in the National Policy on Education (FRN, 2004), is the
education given in institutions for children aged six to eleven years plus. The policy states
that this level of education is the basic foundation upon which the rest of the education
system is built. It is therefore the key to the success or failure of the whole education system.
This is because, if the foundation is solidly laid, the main building, that is, the rest of the
system (of education) would equally be solid and would stand the test of time.