The role of quality assurance and standards officers in enhancing primary school teachers’ effectiveness in Marani division, Marani district Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the role of Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASOs) in enhancing primary school teachers’ effectiveness in Marani division, Marani district. The study also examined challenges QASOs face in enhancing primary school teachers’ effectiveness and ways of mitigating factors that impede efficient and quality supervision. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The researcher sampled 15 public mixed day primary schools which represented 45.45% of primary schools in 2 zones of the division. A stratified sampling technique was used to allow proportional allocation in terms of class streams and gender. The sample attracted 60 teachers, 15 head teachers and 2 QASOs. Data was collected by use of two sets of questionnaires and interview schedule which were administered to the sampled respondents. Data collected was analyzed manually and was presented in form of tables, figures, frequencies and percentages. The findings of the study indicated that insufficient funding, dearth of teaching and learning resource materials, understaffing of teachers and QASOs, insufficient use teaching and learning strategies by teachers, irregular visitation by QASOs to provide advice on curriculum and instruction, inadequate seminars and workshops on curriculum and instruction to refresh teachers on current educational trends and inadequate preparations of professional documents by teachers impeded the role of QASOs of enhancing teachers’ effectiveness. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education to allocate more funds towards recruitment of more teachers and QASOs to alleviate the challenge of understaffing, QASOs to scale up assessment frequencies in order to improve academic performance and to conduct regular seminars and workshops in order to help teachers keep abreast with current curriculum trends. In addition, stakeholders to partner with the government especially in provision of adequate teaching- learning resources.