EXPLORING PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ ABILITY TO COPE WITH CLINICAL SUPERVISION: CASE STUDY OF BLANTYRE URBAN

Abstract

In Malawi, primary school teachers are frequently supervised through un-announced inspection visits which evoke fear and uncertainty in teachers. However, collegial relationship with the supervisee can be enhanced using clinical supervision model. This study explored primary school teachers’ ability to cope with clinical supervision process in order to improve their performance in instructional delivery. Four Social and Environmental Sciences (SES) teachers for standard six were purposively sampled from four different Teacher Development Centre (TDC) primary schools in Blantyre Urban. A qualitative multiple case study design was used during the study. Lesson observations, face to face interviews and document analysis were used to generate data for the study. Fourteen lessons were observed in five weeks to determine how professionally qualified primary school teachers with secondary school academic qualification coped with clinical supervision process using Goldhammer’s five stage clinical supervision model. This model was originally used to supervise graduate teachers in America. Qualitative data analysis following thematic analysis approach was used. The findings revealed that teachers faced difficulties in performing required abilities during different stages of clinical supervision process. They could not successfully improve on the challenges identified and had preferred directive approach on what to do to improve delivery of instruction. Teachers do not critically review lessons taught and fail to thoroughly prepare for lessons to be taught. The study recommends training of teachers by the Ministry of Education on how to cope with clinical supervision to enable teachers to critically reflect on their teaching. A deliberate policy on formative assessment of teachers using clinical supervision is also required.