CLASSROOM VISITATIONS BY INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISORS AND TEACHERS’ EFFECTIVENESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPETENCY BASED APPROACH IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTH WEST REGION OF CAMEROON
Authors:   Department of Curriculum Studies and Teaching, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon, Maclin Mokini Sophie , Nalova Professor Endeley Margaret ,   Department of Curriculum Studies and Teaching, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon, Lyonga (AP) Dr. Agnes ,   Department of Educational Foundations and Administration, Faculty of Education of the University of Buea Cameroon
Published: August 2024

This study was designed to examine classroom visitations by instructional supervisors and teachers’ effectiveness in the implementation of the competency-based approach in secondary schools in the South West Region of Cameroon. The study was guided by one objective and one general research hypotheses. The mixed method approach particularly the concurrent triangulation design was used for the study. The population of the study comprise of the teachers and supervisors (principals in the South West Region of Cameroon. The target population of this study was made up of secondary school teachers and supervisors (principals or supervisors) selected from the three Divisions of the South West Region of Cameroon. The accessible population of this study will be made teachers and supervisors (principals) from; Fako, Meme, and Manyu Divisions of the South West Region. The sample size of the study will be 305 questionnaires administered to teachers and 12 interviewed guides given to supervisors (principals) from the 12 schools in the three Divisions of the South West Region of Cameroon. The instruments use for data collection were a questionnaire (closed ended questions) for teachers and an interview guide for principals. Data from the close ended questions was analysed using SPSS 23.0, with the aid of descriptive and inferential statistical tools while the interview was analysed thematically. The hypotheses of the study were tested using a non-parametric test (Spearman’s Rho test) presented at 95% level of confidence interval with alpha set at 0.05 levels accepting 5% margin of error. Findings reviled that descriptively, majority of the teachers (69.7%) strongly agreed and agreed that classroom visitation by their principals influence their effectiveness in the implementation of the CBA in secondary schools in the South West Region of Cameroon meanwhile (30.3%) of the teachers said classroom visitation by their principals do not influence their effective implementation of the CBA in secondary schools. Based on principal’s principals’ response if they visit classes to observe teachers all of them categorically said “YES” they visit classes to observe teachers during the teaching learning process. Also most of them indicating that they visit the classroom to observe teachers at list three times a year. Others said they visit the classroom to observe teachers mostly at the beginning of each term. While some of the principals printed out that they visit classes to observe teachers during the teaching learning process thrice a year. Lastly, the hypothetical statistics showed that there is a positive significant relationship between classroom visitations and teachers’ effectiveness in the implementation of the CBA in Secondary Schools in the South West Region of Cameroon with (R-value =0.117*, p-value < .043 < 0.05). The positive sign of the correlation value implies that frequent classroom visitations by principals or pedagogic inspectors would contribute to teachers’ effectiveness in the implementation of the CBA in secondary schools. Thus, this confirmed that rejection of the null hypothesis. while, the alternative was accepted. Therefore, it is recommended that the relevant educational authorities and school administrators should evaluate the quality and impact of the current supervision practices, provide professional development for instructional supervisors and foster a collaborative supervision approach.