Instructional supervision and instructional strategies: A comparative analysis of P1 and P2 primary schools in Gweru urban, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

The study sought to compare instructional supervision and instructional strategies between P1 and P2 primary schools in Gweru urban schools. An explanatory sequential design was used. Two schools from each school type were randomly selected. A total of 11 grade 7 teachers from each school type and four head-teachers volunteered to participate. The results show that instructional supervision in P1 schools had higher scores (M = 37.36, SD = 60.72) than P2 schools (M = 26.73, SD = 3.74), t (20) = 6.38, p < 0.01, two tailed. The size of this effect was large (effect size r = 0.67). Head-teachers’ comments ndicated that they focus more on administrative roles such as school finances while their deputies’ carter for supervision. On instructional supervision, P1 schools had higher scores (M = 24.10, SD = 8.40) than P2 schools (M = 17.60, SD = 4.77), t (18) = 21.28, p < 0.01, two tailed. Both school types indicated that students’ learning preferences did not match their teachers’ teaching styles.