An Exploration of the Utilization of Supervision Feedbacks: The Case of Some Secondary Schools in Jimma Zone

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to explore how secondary schools use the feedback they receive from the supervisors. Qualitative approach is holistic, contextual and focuses on design, and procedures to gain real, rich and deep data to have a wide understanding of the entire situation which is also applicable to this study. With this understanding therefore, qualitative approach was employed for this study. Accordingly, data were collected from Woreda education offices, school administration board, principals, vice-principals, supervisors, department heads, and senior teachers through in depth interview, FGD and document analysis. Then, the data were analyzed qualitatively theme by theme through narrative descriptions. The finding revealed that, there no difference among the schools concerning the importance of utilizing supervision feedbacks in improving teaching learning activities in schools. On the contrary, the actual utilization of supervision feedback is not as per the intended in all the schools under the study which indicates supervision feedback utilization is under challenge. Thus, majority of the schools have mentioned the followings as problems. These are supervision roles are simplified by the respective offices, low readiness of teachers to positively see the comments of supervisor, supervisor’s lack of supervision skills to supervise teachers in giving objective feedback, lack of close cooperation from the side of Woreda education offices. They are criticizing the school being at a distance rather than arranging conditions to work in collaboration. Finally, measures to be taken by the concerned bodies to alleviate the problems were suggested both by research participants and researchers