Internal and External School Supervision: Issues ...

1 Kamla-Raj 2014 Int J Edu Sci, 7(2): 269-278 (2014) Internal and External School Supervision: Issues , Challenges and WayforwardEmmanuel O. Adu1*, Gbadegesin M. Akinloye2 and Olabisi F. Olaoye1#1 University of Fort Hare, East London, South Africa 5200E-mail: of Ibadan, Ibadan,NigeriaE-mail: Education Goals Relation It is important in educational administration to ascertain that educational activities are carried out inaccordance with the laid down educational goals and objectives. Hence, supervision, whether it is Internal orexternal should be seen as a conscious effort directed towards finding ways of improving the outcome of eachschool or educational institutions.

2 The paper, therefore, focused on the purpose, basic principles, classification,task areas of supervision; skills, ability required of supervisor, and problems of supervision. At the end of the paper,it was recommended that successful supervision depends considerably on the supervisors ability to forge a cohesiveworking group among his subordinates through the five principles of Human Relations School of thought which arethe humility, responsibility, human dignity, confidentiality, and changeability for correspondenceProf Emmanuel O.

3 AduFaculty of Education,University of Fort Hare,East London. 5200,South AfricaTelephone: +27 (0)84 925 1948,Fax: +27(0)43 704 7117,E-mail: countries across the globe have at-tempted to restructure their School supervisionservices to enhance educational quality. Thisdesire for restructure is stimulated and/or in-spired by disappointment probably with the ef-fectiveness of supervision and by the recentdrift towards more School independence. Indeed,the ability of schools to use their greater auton-omy effectively will depend to a large extent onthe support services on which they can rely,while supervision may be essential to guide themin their decision-making and to monitor theiruse of resources.

4 The judicious use of resourc-es is a fundamental principle that promotes qual-ity in education. While these restructuring havebeen met with diverse success, their overall anal-ysis allows us to gain deep insight into whatcan be achieved in a specific context (UNESCO2013)According to Tucker and Pounder (2010) cit-ed in Kalule and Bauchamina (2013), maintain-ing and nurturing quality instruction representa major trend in today s educational organiza-tions and thus calls for economic support andknowledge regarding the teaching and learningprocesses and effective teachers. According toZepeda (2006) cited in Tucker and Pounder(2013), to develop professionally and success-fully too, teachers need many learning opportu-nities including reflection, dialogue and collab-oration, particularly among their peers and withtheir Internal supervisors.

5 Effective School su-pervision provides relevant and continuoussupports and encouragement in order to improveteachers instructional practices. This could beachieved through the use of a differentiated su-pervision model. And the differentiated super-vision model is based on individual teacher char-acteristics such as age, teaching experience,working conditions, educational qualificationand individual teacher needs as well as avail-able time, resources and related learning oppor-tunities. That is why Bernard and Goodyear(2008: 1) said supervision is an interventionthat is provided by a senior member of a profes-sion to a junior member or members of that sameprofession.

6 This relationship is evaluative, ex-tends over time, and has the simultaneous pur-poses of enhancing the professional function-ing of the junior member(s), monitoring thequality of professional services offered to theclients she, he, or they see(s), and serving as agatekeeper of those who are to enter the par-ticular profession .McCann and Gail (2012) cit-270 EMMANUEL O. ADU, GBADEGESIN M. AKINLOYE AND OLABISI F. OLAOYEed in Kalule and Bouchamma (2013) noted thatto improve student learning outcome, teachersmust improve their instructional practices. Rein-forcing and improving their capabilities enablethem to reflect on their own practice and knowl-edge level and strive to develop greater compe-tency.

7 Instructional supervision does not onlyimprove decision-making skills but ultimatelystudent learning professional development throughregular supervision implies that they not onlylearn but also learn what tobe learnt and trans-form their knowledge into practice for the bet-terment of their student learning outcomes. Con-tinuous teacher professional developmentthrough supervision generally portrays teacherquality and this is germane and key componentof major reform programmes in education. Su-pervision, according to Nwaogu (1980) cited inChike-Okoli (2006) is a process whereby an indi-vidual by means of advising and stimulatinginterest in teachers and students, helps to im-prove teaching and learning situations in edu-cational institutions.

8 The definition goes furtherto describe the term supervision as involvingadvice, direction and discussion which help tosee the available resources-manpower, financeand capital equipment utilized for the achieve-ment of the set educational and Ogiamen (2007) defined educa-tional supervision as the systematic applica-tion of principles of supervision in solving edu-cational problems in order to get to a sustain-able level of achievement. On the other hand, School supervision according to Eregie andOgiamen (2007)is defined as a whole mechanismsystematically designed to accomplish the endof public education so that Internal structure ofthe School is determined by the functions whichare carried on towards those ends.

9 This cutsacross supervision of personnel, structures,equipment, laboratories, library, records and otherschool facilities to ascertain problems and de-fects and then recommend a satisfactory resultfor the School system. Based on the importanceattached to School supervision and improvementin teaching learning activities, the Federal Gov-ernment of Nigeria in the new National Policy onEducation (2004) states that: Government will continue to run good andwell staffed inspectorate services for all lev-els of education State ministries of education in collaborationwith the Federal inspectorate will be respon-sible for the inspection of all secondaryschools under their jurisdiction.

10 Regular courses will continue to be run toacquaint inspectors with their new roles asadvisers, guides, catalysts and sources ofnew ideas. Introduction and orientation courses willcontinue to be organized for newly appoint-ed inspectors of secondary schools. Government will expand and strengthen theFederal inspectorate service to supplementstate inspectorate Purpose of School SupervisionThe purpose of School supervision is thepromotion and development of favourable set-ting for teaching and learning which eventuallylead to the improvement of the society. Howev-er, the primary responsibility of School inspec-tors is to see that high standards are maintainedand that schools are run in accordance with laiddown rules and regulations.