Influence of head teachers’ supervision practices on teachers’ performance in bidibidi refugee settlement

Abstract

This study examined the influence of head teachers' supervision practices on teachers' performance in secondary schools within Bidibidi Refugee Settlement, Yumbe District, Uganda. Despite government interventions such as Universal Secondary Education (USE) and the emphasis on effective teacher supervision, schools in Bidibidi have persistently registered poor academic performance in national examinations, with many schools recording few or no candidates in the top divisions between 2015 and 2019. The study was guided by four specific objectives: (i) to identify the supervision practices employed by head teachers in secondary schools within Bidibidi Refugee Settlement; (ii) to assess the level of teacher performance in relation to instructional supervision practices; (iii) to examine the relationship between head teachers' supervision practices and teachers' performance; and (iv) to analyse the contextual challenges that affect the effectiveness of head teachers' supervision. The study was anchored on McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, which explains how supervisors' assumptions about workers' motivation shape their supervisory approaches. A convergent parallel mixed methods design was adopted. Data were collected from 46 respondents, including 25 teachers selected through simple random sampling, and 5 head teachers, 5 deputy head teachers, 5 Directors of Studies, 5 BOG chairpersons, 5 PTA chairpersons, and 1 District Inspector of Schools selected purposively. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis with the aid of SPSS. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed thematically. The findings revealed that core supervision practices—including classroom observation, monitoring teacher punctuality and attendance, reviewing lesson plans and schemes of work, and conducting staff meetings—were widely implemented. However, formalised mechanisms such as teacher performance appraisal, participatory decision- making, and the use of structured supervision tools were less consistently applied. Teachers generally perceived supervision as beneficial for lesson planning, classroom instruction, classroom management, and learner academic performance, though its motivational impact was somewhat lower. Correlation analysis revealed that all eight identified contextual challenges exhibited moderate to strong negative relationships with teachers' performance, with large class sizes (r = -0.57, p < 0.01) and limited time/heavy workload (r = -0.51, p < 0.01) demonstrating the strongest negative associations. Multiple regression analysis confirmed that these challenges collectively explained 52% of the variance in v teacher performance (R² = 0.52, p < 0.001), with large class sizes (β = -0.29, p = 0.003) and inadequate teaching and learning materials (β = -0.25, p = 0.004) emerging as the most influential predictors. The study concludes that while supervision practices are operational and positively perceived, systemic, resource, and contextual challenges significantly limit their full potential. The study recommends the formalisation of supervision systems through standardised tools and guidelines, targeted capacity-building programmes in instructional leadership for head teachers, promotion of participatory supervision models, interventions to address contextual challenges such as class size and resource availability, strengthened stakeholder collaboration, and psychosocial support systems for teachers in refugee settlement schools.