Perceptions on headteachers' supervisory competencies in public basic schools in the Kwaebibirem district in the Eastern region of Ghana

Abstract

The study sought to find out the perceptions of teachers, headteachers and circuit supervisors on headteachers’ supervisory competence at the basic school level. It sought to find out whether and how headteachers are trained, how they are developed, how teachers and circuit supervisors perceive headteachers as being competent, how the headteachers perceive their own level of competence, and the support the headteachers receive from their circuit supervisors. The views of a total of 240 teachers, 60 headteachers and 10 circuit supervisors were sought. Two self - designed instruments (questionnaire and interview guide) were used for collecting information from teachers, headteachers, and circuit supervisors. The major findings indicated that headteachers are more competent in administrative duties than in instructional supervisory duties. The conclusion drawn was that if the school would attain its goals, then that aspect of the classic Scientific Theory of supervision within which workers are viewed as appendages of management in the country should be seriously looked at. Again, the position of the headteacher should be competed for by selective means rather than appointive and that, the managerial competence of the prospective headteacher should be focused by public schools.