Head teachers’ supervisory roles and their influence on teacher effectiveness in public secondary schools in Mayuge district, Uganda

Abstract

This study explored the influence of Head Teachers’ Supervisory Roles and Their Influence on Teacher Effectiveness in Public Secondary Schools in Mayuge District, Uganda. The specific objectives were to: (1) examine the various supervisory roles performed by head teachers, (2) identify various ways that determine the effectiveness of teachers, and (3) assess the impact of Head Teachers’ Supervision roles on the effectiveness of teachers. To achieve these, both quantitative and qualitative research approaches were employed. A cross-sectional research design was used to capture a snapshot of the current educational environment. The total sample included 144 participants, comprising 124 quantitative samples teachers, district education officers, and some head teachers selected through simple random sampling for representativeness, and 20 qualitative samples head teachers, parents, and district education officers chosen purposively and via snowball sampling for in-depth insights. Data collection involved questionnaires for quantitative data and face-to-face interviews for qualitative data. Quantitative data was analysed using SPSS to compute means, standard deviations, correlation coefficients, and regression models, while qualitative responses were thematically analysed for deeper understanding. Findings showed that the correlation between supervisory roles and teacher effectiveness have no correlations and the relationship is not significant relationship (P = 0.964, R = 0.004), suggesting these roles alone do not predict improved teaching performance. However, head teachers actively engaged in supervisory roles such as instructional leadership, mentorship, fostering collaboration, and classroom supervision, with high mean scores (ranging from 4.18 to 4.62), and indicating positive perceptions. This implies that the ministry of education should concentrate on other contributing factors that enhance teacher effectiveness other than enhancing Head teacher supervisory roles. The second objective identified factors such as ongoing training, resource availability, and teacher welfare, with mean scores from 2.56 to 4.54, but correlations indicated negligible relationships (P > 0.05, R ≈ 0). For the third objective, the impact of supervision roles on teacher effectiveness showed minimal association (P = 0.664, R = 0.040), with regression confirming the lack of significant influence. The study concludes that while head teachers perform various supervisory functions, these roles do not statistically predict teacher effectiveness. Nonetheless, qualitative findings highlighted that improving teachers’ welfare, remuneration, and ongoing training could strengthen the supervisory-effectiveness relationship. Recommendations include capacity building for supervision, enhancing teacher welfare, and fostering collaborative environments to improve teaching quality in Ugandan secondary schools.