Instructional supervision as a quality assurance mechanism in primary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria

This study was informed by the need to investigate the extent to which effective instructional supervision can be employed as a quality assurance mechanism in primary schools in Cross River State. One hundred and eighty primary school teachers from eighteen primary schools randomly selected from the sampled schools from the three senatorial districts of the state. The instrument used for data collection and collation was a structured Lesson Observation Form (LOF) adapted from the federal inspectorate service as a quality assurance instrument. All the teachers were observed and evaluated while teaching. The analysis of data was based on pitched judgments after lesson observation on key issues and their sources of evidence. The findings revealed that most teachers assessed, showed good knowledge and understanding of the subject they taught, while in many cases, lessons were not planned effectively by the teachers, and specific objectives were often not clearly stated, nor shared with learners. It was recommended that since teachers are a critical factor in quality education delivery, the Cross River State Government and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) should accord teachers the opportunity for continuous professional development, as most teachers have received no other in-service training after certification, the resultant effect is that many of them are poorly equipped, ill motivated with obsolete instructional delivery skills.