Instructional supervisory roles and challenges of circuit supervisors in the North Tongu district

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine the instructional supervisory roles of Circuit Supervisors in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region. This was a qualitative research underpinned by the interpretive paradigm. The design for the study was case study. Purposive sampling technique was used to select 1 Director of Education, 7 Circuit Supervisors, 5 headteachers who were chairmen of Conference of Heads of Basic schools and 7 of their Assistant heads. Data was gathered using semi-structured interview guide and the data collected was analysed thematically. The study revealed that the supervisory roles of Circuit Supervisors included writing of regular reports, building relationship, occasional visitation to the schools and receiving complaints from field and settling disputes among staff. The main challenges facing the Circuit Supervisors were lack of logistics, lack of in-service training and uncooperative attitudes of headteachers and teachers. The main strategies for managing the challenges of the Circuit Supervisors are building capacity, incentivizing the Circuit Supervisors and frequent follow-up field visits by the District Director of Education. Among others, the study concluded that Circuit Supervisors should not be taken for granted, for their challenges are never ending. There may be weaknesses with their supervision, but it is the Ghana Education Service at the national, regional and district levels which would have to alleviate these weaknesses. They need to be properly managed to make them acquire the sense of working to improving academic performance and administrative efficiency. Therefore, the study recommended that the Circuit Supervisors’ job satisfaction should also be the top-most priority of the education directorates. When staff members feel secured, recognized and allowed to use their skills and abilities better, performance is highly assured.