Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.

org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper ISSN 2222-2!!" (#nline
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A Critical Analysis of Qasos Supervisory Practices on Teacher
Effectiveness in Gatundu District of Kiambu County

(o)inson *wangi+iiru% Est,er -aruguru *uc,iri% .r. (ut, /,inguri
Sc,ool of Education% *ount +en0a 1ni2ersit0% P. #. 3o4% 3'2-&1&&&% /,i5a% +en0a
6orresponding 7ut,or E8ail9 ro)in5iiru:g8ail.co8

Abstract
/,e .irectorate of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards is c,arged wit, t,e responsi)ilit0 of ensuring <ualit0
education w,ic, entails 8onitoring of curriculu8 i8ple8entation in sc,ools. /,e 8e8)ers of staff of t,e
directorate are e4pected to 2isit sc,ools regularl0% conduct se8inars and in-ser2ice courses for teac,ers a8ong
ot,er acti2ities./,e researc,ers= ai8 was to conduct a criti<ue re2iew of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards
#fficers (;7S#=s super2isor0 practices on teac,ers= effecti2eness. It was noted t,at t,e funds allocated to t,e
.irectorate of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards was not enoug,. #nl0 a few sc,ools were sa8pled for
super2ision especiall0 due to poor acade8ic perfor8ance or students= unrests. ;7S#s lac5ed t,e necessar0
5nowledge and s5ills a8ong ot,er s,ortco8ings. /,e researc,ers concluded t,at .irectorate of ;7S# needed to
)e strengt,ened to i8pro2e teac,ers= effecti2eness leading to i8pro2e8ent in students= acade8ic perfor8ance.
/,is could )e done t,roug, allocation of 8ore funds% training a8ong ot,ers.
Keyords!.irectorate of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards (.;7S% ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards #fficers
(;7S#s% and teac,ers= effecti2eness.

"# $ACKG%&'(D T& T)E ST'D*
.uff (2&&& defines <ualit0 assurance as a process t,roug, w,ic, an education institution guarantees to itself and
its sta5e,olders t,at its teac,ing% learning and ot,er ser2ices constantl0 reac, a standard of e4cellence.In England%
t,e earliest for8 of inspection 8eant c,ec5ing t,e wor5 of teac,ers. /,e sc,ool inspector was in c,arge. /,is
title is still applied to certain super2isor0 officers in England and in 3ritis, 6o88onwealt,. /,e inspection )0
t,en was not an atte8pt to ,elp t,e teac,ers i8pro2e instructions )ut was designed to deter8ine w,et,er or not
t,e teac,ers did t,eir wor5 t,e wa0 t,e0 were supposed to and if t,e0 didn=t to replace t,e8 wit, teac,ers w,o
would do t,e >o) entrusted to. (Els)ree% and Nall0% 1?@7.7ccording to Els)ree and Nall0 (1?@7% t,e inspection
was focused on t,e teac,er and its i88ediate purpose was to teac, ,i8A,er ,ow to teac, ot,ers. /,e approac,
was direct and was assu8ed t,at t,e super2isor ,ad 5nowledge and t,e a)ilit0 sufficienc0 superior to t,at of t,e
teac,ers to <ualif0 ,i8A,er to do t,e >o).
*ost European countries are decentraliBing t,eir sc,ool s0ste8s. /,is ,as ad2ersel0 affected t,e traditional
inspection t,at was used in ensuring <ualit0 in sc,ools. /raditionall0% t,e inspectorate inspected and controlled
sc,ool and teac,ers. Craduall0 wit, t,e new pedagogical doctrines and ideas% t,e process ,as )eco8e two wa0D
on one ,and% pro2iding infor8ation and an e2aluati2e >udg8ent a)out sc,ools and teac,ers% and on t,e ot,er
,and pro2iding sc,ools and teac,ers wit, ad2ice% assistance and feed)ac5 (+a=allen% 1??7.
In 8an0 countries in 7frica% t,ere are pro)le8s of illiterac0% ine<ualit0% lac5 of <ualit0 and rele2ance of t,eir
education policies and s0ste8s w,ic, +en0a is struggling wit,. *an0 educational institutions are wor5ing
towards t,e i8pro2e8ent of <ualit0 of education. /,ere is a growing concern )0 2arious sta5e,olders a)out t,e
declining student ac,ie2e8ent and teac,er perfor8ance ,ig,lig,ted )0 strong 8edia pu)licit0 and fre<uentl0
ac5nowledged educational anal0sis in +en0a sc,ools (#d,ia8)o% 2&&!.
;ualit0 7ssurance and Standard #fficer (;7S#% is a recent ter8 w,ic, refers to an educational officer
responsi)le for super2ision of t,e curriculu8 i8ple8entation in sc,ools. /,is new ter8 replaced t,e traditional
ter8 of EinspectorF. /,e ter8 inspector portra0ed t,e ;7S# as a person w,o co8es fro8 a)o2e to see t,at
policies de2eloped at t,e central education office were )eing i8ple8ented in sc,ools. /,is idea created a rift
)etween inspectors and teac,ers. /eac,ers tended to s,0 awa0 fro8 interacting freel0 wit, t,e inspectors for fear
of fault finding and 2icti8iBation (-anBare% 2&&@. /,e new ter8 of ;7S# is intended to re8o2e t,e stig8a
associated wit, t,e inspector and to portra0 t,e officers as people concerned wit, i8pro2ing <ualit0 and standard
of education )0 wor5ing as partners wit, teac,ers. ;7S#=s are persons appointed )0 t,e .epart8ent of ;ualit0
7ssurance and Standards (.;7S w,ic, a depart8ent in t,e *inistr0 of Education to super2ise curriculu8
i8ple8entation in sc,ools. (-anBare% 2&&@.
In +en0a% education refor8s in t,e past ,a2e failed to ac,ie2e t,e desired outco8es due to ineffecti2e and
inefficient super2ision. /,is ,as negati2el0 affected teac,ers= effecti2eness. /,is ,as led to calls for t,e
strengt,ening of t,e .irectorate of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards (.;7S particularl0 i8pro2ing t,e
5nowledge s5ills and attitudes of t,e officers w,o carr0 out t,e role of 8aintaining <ualit0 in learning
institutions (7>uoga% 2&1&./,e stud0 ai8ed at e2aluating t,e ;7S# super2isor0 practices on teac,er=s
effecti2eness in Catundu Nort, .istrict of +ia8)u 6ount0.
Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper ISSN 2222-2!!" (#nline
$ol.5% No.21% 2&1'

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+# ,-P&%TA(CE &. Q'A/,T* ASS'%A(CE &( TEAC)E%S E..ECT,0E(ESS
2.1 Promotion of 1noled2e and s1ills
/,e <ualit0 assurance and standards officers ,elp t,e teac,ers in de2eloping personal 5nowledge% s5ills and
co8petencies in t,e classroo8. (-ang and +arugu% 1??5. /eac,ers are supposed to learn 8an0 new s5ills and
enlarge t,eir 5nowledge )ase as t,e0 interact wit, t,e ;7S#=s. /,is is t,roug, t,e feed)ac5 t,e0 get after
assess8ent in class.
7ccording to #c,uo)a (2&&?% t,e essence of <ualit0 assurance s0ste8s is to ensure t,at t,e <ualit0 of teac,ing
wor5force is 8aintained. /eac,ers are supposed to )eco8e 8ore effecti2e in t,e teac,ing learning process as
t,e0 interact wit, t,e ;7S#s. /,e0 8a0 ac<uire new teac,ing pedagogical s5ills w,ic, en,ances t,eir teac,ing
8et,ods% t,us i8pro2ing t,eir teac,ing.
+#+ Professional Guidance and Encoura2ement
Garrant (1?!& notes t,at t,e ;7S#s offer professional guidance and encourage8ent to teac,ers. /,e ;7S# are
supposed to guide teac,ers on ,ow to conduct t,e teac,ing and learning processes as professionals. /,e0 oug,t
to guide teac,ers on 8an0 aspects of education. Including teac,ing 8et,ods% creating conduci2e learning
en2iron8ent% use of teac,ing learning 8aterials as well as curriculu8 interpretation. ;7S# oug,t to encourage
teac,ers w,o at ti8es are de8oraliBed )0 suc, factors as poor re8uneration% poor student acade8ic perfor8ance%
ad8inistrator=s 8anage8ent st0le and t,eir own personal conflicts.
+#3 Evaluatin2 Professional Documents
7ccording to *o)egi% #dingi and #)uru (2&1& t,e ;7S# are in2ol2ed in c,ec5ing t,e teac,ers docu8ents i.e.
professional docu8ents. Suc, docu8ents include t,e s0lla)us used in drawing t,e sc,e8es of wor5% t,e record
of wor5% t,e record of wor5% t,e student=s progress record% t,e lesson plan and lesson notes as well as student=s
lesson notes. /,e0 are supposed to guide t,e teac,ers in preparation of t,e sa8e% in order to )e effecti2e in t,e
teac,ing learning process.
+#4 Providin2 .eedbac1 to Teachers
3o0d (1?!? notes t,at if t,e ;7S# pro2ide i88ediate feed)ac5 to teac,ers it could i8pro2e t,e teac,ers=
perfor8ance )ecause t,e0 will )e a)le to identif0 t,eir strengt,s and wea5ness and i8pro2e on t,eir wor5
perfor8ance. ;7S#s offer feed)ac5 to teac,ers on t,eir personal presentation in class% 8aster0 of content%
teac,ing 8et,ods% use of teac,ing aids and t,eir a)ilit0 to co88unicate effecti2el0 to t,e learners. /,e0 also
c,ec5 on ,ow well teac,ers= docu8ents were prepared and put into use. Suc, feed)ac5 is 2ital )ecause t,e
teac,ers will )e a)le to 5now ,is or ,er strengt, and areas of i8pro2e8ent so as to act accordingl0.
;7S# super2isor0 practices are supposed to i8pro2e teac,ers= perfor8ance in class w,ic, will en,ance
student=s acade8ic perfor8ance. Students are supposed to perfor8 in a )etter wa0 )ecause teac,ers are using t,e
rig,t teac,ing 8et,ods% t,e0 ,a2e t,e rig,t content% t,eir docu8entation is well done and t,e0 are 8oti2ated to
teac,.
+#5 .osterin2 Positive Attitudes to Teachers
;7S# are supposed to foster positi2e attitudes towards t,e teac,ers on teac,ing profession. /,e teac,ers are
supposed to li5e and en>o0 teac,ing% and ,a2e fa2ora)le attitudes towards t,eir learners% )e positi2e towards t,e
sc,ool ad8inistrators. Ga2ora)le attitudes will 8a5e t,e teac,ers to )e ,ig,l0 8oti2ated and wor5 effecti2el0
towards i8pro2e8ent of teac,ing learning processes.

3#C%,T,Q'ES
.espite t,e fact t,at ;7S# are supposed to pla0 a 2ital role in education and specificall0 on teac,ers
effecti2eness% t,eir role ,as )een co8pro8ised )0 8an0 factors9 -
7ccording to Hangat 7l)ert +ip5irui (2&11 t,e ;7S# lac5 enoug, funds to underta5e super2ision a8ong
teac,ers. /,e *inistr0 of Education does not allocate enoug, funds for super2ision. /,e ;7S#s onl0 sa8ple a
few sc,ools wit, issues suc, as poor national e4a8ination results and ,ig, indiscipline cases. /,e0 2isit suc,
sc,ools and repri8and t,e teac,ers% w,o are left confused and ps0c,ologicall0 tortured% wit, little infor8ation
on t,e wa0 forward. So8e sc,ools are rarel0 2isited )0 t,e ;7S# due to t,e sa8e issue of lac5 of finance and
teac,ers are left wit,out proper guidance on t,e teac,ing-learning processes.
*ost of t,e ;7S# were pro8oted fro8 t,e classroo8 and t,erefore t,e0 did not possess t,e 5nowledge and
s5ills on super2ision. -,en suc, ;7S# 2isit sc,ools% t,e0 do it on for8alit0 )asis )ut t,e0 rarel0 ,elp teac,ers
to i8pro2e on t,eir teac,ing. /eac,ers pro8oted to t,e ;7S#s ,a2e not ,ad an0 for8al training on super2ision
)ecause colleges and uni2ersities do not offer it in t,eir curriculu8 and t,us t,e0 are ,ig,l0 li8ited in t,eir
super2isor0 practices. *il5a 7o5o 7>uoga% Grancis 6,isi5wa Indos,i and Jo,n #. 7ga5 (1'
t,
*a0% 2&1&.
In 8ost cases% ;7S#s are not o)>ecti2e in t,eir super2ision% )ecause t,e0 are co8pro8ised )0 corrupt sc,ool
ad8inistrators w,o gi2e t,e8 5ic5)ac5s% in return for a 2er0 good super2isor0 report. So8e ;7S#s >ust 2isit t,e
office and t,en write a 2er0 good report a)out t,eir super2ision regardless of t,e situation on t,e ground as
colla)orated )0 ( *il5a 7o5o 7>uoga% Grancis 6,isi5wa Indos,i and Jo,n #. 7ga5 1'
t,
*a0% 2&1&.
/,e ;7S# are 2er0 few and t,erefore t,eir areas of specialiBation do not cater for all t,e teac,ing su)>ects in
Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper ISSN 2222-2!!" (#nline
$ol.5% No.21% 2&1'

25
sc,ools. So8e w,o are specialists in sciences are forced to super2ise teac,ers w,ose area of specialiBation is
languages or ,u8anit0. In so8e cases% t,e0 end up onl0 super2ising teac,ers in t,eir areas of t,eir specialt0 and
ignore t,e ot,ers. In case t,e0 super2ise an area outside t,eir specialt0% t,e0 end up 8isguiding t,e teac,ers
since different su)>ects are ,andled differentl0. Hangat 7l)ert +ip5irui% (2&11.
In so8e instances ;7S#s infor8 t,e sc,ool ad8inistrators on t,e intentions to 2isit t,eir sc,ools.
7d8inistrators li5ewise infor8 t,eir teac,ers on t,e sa8e. 7d8inistrators prepare t,eir docu8ents 2er0 well
)ecause t,e I2isitors= will )e co8ing to sc,ool. /eac,ers also update t,eir records )efore t,e super2isors co8e
t,us a lot of artificiall0 is created in t,e w,ole sc,ool. Gor e4a8ple t,e teac,er will drill t,e learners on ,ow to
respond to ,isA,er <uestions. S,e will also infor8 t,e8 to respond to an0 na8e s,e will call t,e8 in order to )e
seen to ,a2e 8astered all t,eir na8es.
-,en t,ere are conflicts )etween sc,ools and t,e teac,ers% t,e ad8inistrators liaise wit, t,e ;7S#s to 2isit t,eir
sc,ools% in order to silenceArepri8and suc, teac,ers. /,is 5ind of super2ision is counterproducti2e )ecause it is
not for t,e good of t,e teac,ers. /,eir wea5nesses are capitaliBed on% and t,eir strengt,s ignored. /,is
de8oraliBes teac,ers w,ic, affect t,eir teac,ing and t,e wa0 t,e0 relate./,ere is a lot of su)>ecti2it0 in ;7S#
super2ision on teac,ers )ecause of factors suc, as dual relations,ip% pre>udices and )iasness )ased on different
acade8ic le2els and gender differences due to 2ested personal interests.
So8e ;7S#s are under instruction fro8 ,ig,er aut,orities to 2isit specific sc,ools on fault finding t,us produce
a negati2e report so t,at sc,ool ad8inistrators can )e punis,ed eit,er t,roug, transfer or de8otion./,ere is a
strong delin5 )etween t,e internal e2aluation on t,e sc,ool ad8inistration and t,e e4ternal e2aluators i.e. ;7S#.
/,e super2ision report t,e ;7S# gi2e oug,t to )e i8ple8ented and followed up )0 t,e principal )ut it is
s,el2ed. /eac,ers ,a2e no access to suc, reports and t,e0 continue wit, t,eir earlier teac,ing practices

4#C&(C/'S,&(
Gro8 t,e a)o2e discussions% it is e2ident t,at despite t,e essence of ;7S# in i8pro2ing t,e teac,ing learning
processes in +en0a% it is faced wit, a 80riad of pro)le8s% w,ic, i8pact 2er0 negati2el0 on teac,ers=
effecti2eness and in turn student=s acade8ic perfor8ance.

5# %EC&--E(DAT,&(S
1. /,e *inistr0 of Education s,ould allocate enoug, funds to t,e directorate of ;7S# so t,at t,e0 are
a)le to super2ise as 8an0 sc,ools as possi)le in continuous 8anners.
2. ;7S# officer s,ould )e ade<uatel0 trained to e<uip t,e8 wit, proper 5nowledge and s5ills t,at will
ena)le t,e8 offer proper guidance to teac,ers.
3. /,e nu8)er of ;7S# s,ould )e increased to cater for all t,e acade8ic disciplines in sc,ools
'. ;7S#s s,ould )e constantl0 deplo0ed to different stations to a2oid dual relations,ips and reduce
su)>ecti2it0 in t,eir super2ision.
5. /,ere s,ould )e a 2er0 clear polic0 )0 t,e *inistr0 of Education on w,en and ,ow super2ision s,ould
)e conducted. /,is will increase its o)>ecti2it0.
@. /,e internal e2aluator s,ould 8a5e sure t,at t,e e4ternal e2aluation report for t,e ;7S# is
i8ple8ented to t,e full. E4ternal e2aluators s,ould 8a5e a follow up to see to it t,at t,eir e2aluation
reports are i8ple8ented.
7. /,e *inistr0 of Education s,ould regularl0 educate ;7S# and sc,ool ad8inistrators on t,e
repercussions of corruptions to our education s0ste8 i.e. t,e0 s,ould ad,ere to t,eir code of et,ics in
t,eir wor5.

%E.E%E(CES
7,a8ed% #. and /rup,ena% E.*. I8pro2ing leaders,ip in sc,ools t,roug, 3uilding principal=s capacit0. Journal
of Education and Practice $. '2 2&13.
7>uoga% *.% Indos,i% G and 7ga5 J. (2&1& Perception of <ualit0 assurance and standard officers a)out t,eir
co8petence9 I8plication for training. Education (esearc, 1 ('. 112-117
Els)ree% -. S.% *c Nall0 and Jerold% J. (1?@7 Ele8entar0 Sc,ool 7d8inistration and Super2ision. 3
rd
Edition.
1ni2ersit0 of 6alifornia9 78erican )oo5 6o8pan0.
Garrat% J.S. (1?!& Principles and practice of education. Nairo)i9 Hong8an Pu)lis,ers.
+allen% . (1??7 Secondar0 Education in Europe9 Pro)le8s and Prosperit0. Cer8an09 6ouncil of Europe
Stras)ourg 6ede4.
+ip5irui% H. 7. (2&11 (ole of perfor8ance of ;ualit0 7ssurance and Standards #fficers in instructional
super2ision. 7 case of secondar0 sc,ools in 3ureti% +en0a.
*oegi% G.% #ndigi% 7. and #)uru% P. (2&1& Secondar0 sc,ool principals. ;ualit0 assurance strategies in Cuc,a
.istrict% +en0a. 7cade8ic >ournals. E8ail9 err:acade8ic>ournals.org% e8ail9
ser2ice:acade8ic>ournals.org% we)site ,ttp9AAacade8ic >ournals.orgAE((S.
Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper ISSN 2222-2!!" (#nline
$ol.5% No.21% 2&1'

2@
#c,u)a% $.#. (2&&? I8pro2ing <ualit0 of education in Nigeria t,roug, effecti2e inspection of sc,ools.
7cade8ic Journal $ol. 12? No. '. Pg. 73'.
#d,ia8)o% C% (2&&5 Elusi2e (esearc, for <ualit0 education. /,e case of <ualit0 assurance and teac,ers
accounta)ilit0. International >ournal of *anage8ent 229117-131
-anBare K.# (2&&@ (et,in5ing Sc,ool inspection in t,e /,ird -orld. /,e case.
,ttp9AAwww.al)erta.ca.a5re)erpapersBa5.ut8D retrie2ed .ec 2&1&.




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