CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1. Background of the Study
Every institution has supervision because it is an important tool for ensuring that teachers follow the teaching principles necessary for efficient instructional delivery. Supervision arose from the discovery that when humans are left to work without supervision, they can only achieve a limited number of tasks. On this premise, a direction is required to channel the different and disorderly efforts of an institution's staff members into a meaningful stream of output in order to achieve a shared aim in the educational system. As a result, instructional monitoring has become an unavoidable instrument for improving teacher job performance in secondary schools (Ogakwu, 2019). Instructional supervision is a joint endeavor that consists of a series of tasks aimed at improving teaching and learning activities. Principals' role in secondary school instructional supervision is not to uncover flaws or penalize instructors; rather, it is to collaborate with teachers to enhance job performance. It is one of the administrative processes dealing with the day-to-day leading and directing of teachers' actions in order for them to successfully carry out their teaching duties (Akinwumi and Agabi, 2013). In any Nigerian educational system, instructional monitoring is the foundation of every approach to improve the quality and standard of the teaching- and learning process. Regardless of teachers' pre-job training, the importance of instructional supervision cannot be overstated since it is a process of aiding, guiding, stimulating, and encouraging instructors to improve teaching and learning in the educational system. Every principal's primary responsibility as a supervisor is to help teachers become more productive, efficient, and successful in carrying out their responsibilities.
The goal of instructional supervision is to ensure that teaching and learning take place under favorable settings and provide the desired results of assisting students in achieving positive outcomes. Principals are responsible for assisting secondary school teachers in being more productive, efficient, and effective in their work. The work performance of teachers determines the success or failure of any educational institution. Teacher job effectiveness is critical for secondary school system improvement. The act of carrying out a specified duty is referred to as performance. Teacher job performance refers to the obligations assumed by teachers over a specific period in the educational system in order to achieve predetermined goals. The extent of engagement of a teacher in the day-to-day academic and nonacademic activities of a school determines the teacher's work performance (Shuaibu, 2016). The tasks done by teachers in the school system to meet the specified school aims and objectives are referred to as teachers' job performance. It might alternatively be defined as instructors' capacity to incorporate relevant information to improve teaching and learning processes. The amount of engagement of teachers in the school system's day-to-day activities is used to assess job performance. Depending on the nature of their employment, teachers respond differently in different scenarios. The nature and conditions of the teaching profession, in large part, affect how instructors may carry out their teaching obligations. The talent, hard effort, and devotion of instructors in carrying out their given responsibilities determines the quality of secondary education (Yusuf, et al., 2015).
As a result, if principals fail in their administrative role of motivating, supporting, delegating responsibilities, and maintaining regular contact with teachers to observe their teaching techniques, they may become inefficient and ineffective in the teaching profession, as FGN (2013) stated that a teacher is the most important component in the implementation of all instructional policies at the school level. The frequency with which teachers carry out their daily tasks toward the achievement of educationally specified goals is used to assess teacher job performance. The more carefully instructors do their jobs, the greater their performance and the better the achievement of a school's specified goals.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The recent decline in educational quality in Nigeria has been a major source of concern for many, since it impacts nearly every aspect of life. Onyiq (2020) observed that the teaching force is now underutilized, and the level of performance is likewise poor, indicating that the standard of supervisory methods is suboptimal. Akpa's (2019) opined that educational supervisors are lax when it comes to monitoring and ensuring that instructors obey the established regulations, unless certain advantages are linked or they are forced to submit reports by the authorities. As a result, the researcher intends to determine the extent to which regular monitoring and supervision can affect teachers' effectiveness and performance, which will in turn affect students' academic performance, as well as improve the teaching and learning conditions within the school and the overall effectiveness and efficiency of the school system.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The broad objective of this study is focused on the impact of principal’s supervision on teachers job performance. Other specific objectives includes:
i. To determine what extent at which principals perform their supervision role in secondary schools
ii. To ascertain whether instructional supervision is a determinant of improved learning condition in secondary school
iii. To investigate whether principals supervision increases teachers job effectiveness
iv. To assess whether teachers performance through supervision improves school efficiency.
1.4 Research Questions
In the course of this study, the following research questions will be raised:
i. What is the extent at which principals perform their supervision role in secondary schools?
ii. Does instructional supervision is a determinant of improved learning condition in secondary school?
iii. Does principals supervision increases teachers job effectiveness?
iv. Doe teachers performance through supervision improves school efficiency?
1.5 Significance of the Study
The study will reveal to school administrator, teachers, government, counselors the need to always supervise teachers and how it will bring about effectiveness in the school system, since the success of any school in meeting its goal depend on its chief administrators particularly his supervisory functions. It will create an awareness that a study has been done in the area of teachers effectiveness and supervision, thereby encourage teachers to put more effort, abide by rules and regulation and take necessary recommendation and correction given to them so as to make students learning performance good.Empirically, the study will add to the general body of knowledge and serve as a reference material to student and scholars who wishes to conduct further studies in related field.
1.6 Scope of Study
This scope of this study borders on impact of principal’s supervision on teachers job performance. The study is however delimited to secondary school in Aba South Local government area in Abia State.
1.7 Limitation of Study
Like in every human endeavour, the researchers encountered slight constraints while carrying out the study. The significant constraint was the scanty literature on the subject owing that it is a new discourse thus the researcher incurred more financial expenses and much time was required in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size covering Aba South Local government area in Abia State. Thus findings of this study cannot be used for generalization for other private schools in other states within Nigeria. Additionally, the researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work will impede maximum devotion to the research. Howbeit, despite the constraint encountered during the research, all factors were downplayed in other to give the best and make the research successful.