Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of principals Instructional Supervision
and its contribution to enhance instructional improvements and teachers professional development
in wadlaworeda Primary Schools. To conduct the study, descriptive survey design was employed
and random sampling technique especially, lottery method was employed to select the sample
clusters. School principals, teachers and cluster supervisors were selected holistically from sample
clusters. To this end, 3 cluster supervisors, 12 principals and 116 teachers were included in this
study. Questionnaire was the main data gathering instrument for this study. Thus, 116 teachers and
12 school principals filled the questionnaires. An interview was also conducted to enrich the
quantitative data. As a result, 3 cluster supervisors were interviewed. Quantitative data collected
through questionnaire was analyzed using mean square based on SPSS v.16.o program. The data
gathered through interview was discussed in line with questionnaire. Consequently, the main
findings come out from this study were: the school based instructional supervisory practices of
staff, curriculum, and instructional developments were ineffective. School principals were involved
in the difficult task of supervision without having prior trainings and without using technical
procedures of instructional supervision. Furthermore, the study revealed that: lack of support, lack
of training and experience sharing session, shortage of budget, big work load of principals and
inadequate communication skill of principals hinder proper implementation of school based
supervision. The conclusion of the study showed that the school based instructional supervisory
practices of staff, curriculum, and instructional developments, and using technical procedures of
instructional supervision, were inefficient.. Totally, the principals’ school based instructional
supervision was not adequate. Finally recommendations were drawn based on the above findings.
The point of the recommendations include: awareness, training, and experience sharing are needed
on the part of school principals and teachers through seminars, workshops and discussion forums
about the different strategies of supervision in order to bring professional growth of teachers and
improve their instructional practice
