Teachers’ Perceptions towards Classroom Instructional Supervision: A Case Study of Nkayi District in Zimbabwe

Learning is central to the functions of a school and it is important that instruction which is used as a basic tool to promote learning is perfected. It is generally believed that if teachers are left to themselves they may not try to develop their teaching skills. This then, underlines the significance of instructional supervision to help teachers improve their teaching skills. However, as Harris (1985) observes there is a general belief that teachers tend to associate instructional supervision with fault-finding. As a result, it is argued that most teachers tend to become anxious and resentful of the process of instructional supervision. Against the background of literature review which projects instructional supervision as a useful activity, this article draws on a qualitative inquiry of teachers’ perceptions towards instructional supervision. The study purposively sampled 48 qualified teachers from Nkayi District in Matabeleland North in Zimbabwe. The sample had 31 males and 17 females. The findings indicate that school teachers in the sample perceived classroom instructional supervision in a positive way. The preferences for the frequency of supervision of instruction, types of supervisors and purposes of supervision all point to the fact that teachers perceive supervision in a positive way. However, findings revealed that in spite of their positive attitudes towards supervision, teachers felt that the way it was carried out in their schools left a lot to be desired. The study recommends that there must be well planned programmes of instructional supervision which can promote the quality of teaching in the schools.