Curriculum implementation in relation to School Supervision and Learner
Performance in Zimbabwe’s ten Provinces
DR ELISHA CHAMUNORWA KUJEKE (Ph.D)
eckujeke@gmail.com, elishakujeke@yahoo.com 263772854115, 263771858661
HARARE, ZIMBABWE
2020
Introduction
Education remains the biggest instrument for academic progress, social mobilization, political survival
and effective national development of any country, it constitutes the largest enterprise/industry in
Zimbabwe that is why, the government continues to ensure that policies, funds, school facilities,
instructional materials, teaching personnel and a beneficial learning environment are made available
for the sector in in the ten provinces. Successful provision of education is the bedrock of national
development. It is for this reason that Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) is
committed to curricular supervision as an integral strategy to ensuring successful execution of the
ministry’s mandate. The coming in of the updated curriculum is a clear indication that the country is
using empirical data to try and address concerns over irrelevant curriculum and poor performance of
students in final examinations. This research proposal contains the introduction, background with
dependent and independent variables, conceptual and theoretical issues, guiding literature, research
methodology and design, research format, timelines, budget and reference.
1.1 Background to the study
Supervision of instruction is an important activity in promoting effective teaching and learning in
schools. It is focused towards the improvement of instruction and professional development of
teachers (Acheson, 1987). One of the major functions of a head teacher is supervision of instruction.
According to Sullivan and Glanz (2000a, 2000b) the inadequate supervision of instruction by head
teachers causes a lot of laxity amongst teachers in their work environment. Such laxity among teachers
most often results to poor performances from pupils during examinations which might lead to the
development of low self-esteem and they might end up as school dropouts at a very early stage in
schooling. It is against this backdrop that this research sought to examine the influence of various
instructional supervision practices on teachers’ performances in Zimbabwe in terms of Curriculum
implementation and its relationship to the supervisory role of various personnel. Some blamed the
school administrators and the teachers while some blamed the students themselves and the parents.
Whoever to be blamed, the fact remains that, the school and its organizational management has
correlation with the academic achievement of the students. helping them release their creative abilities
so that through them the instructional process is improved and well-articulated. School administration
is a difficult task involving sensitive and challenging functions relating to the supervision of students,
school personnel, instructional programme, school plants and statutory records. In the school system,
supervision is as antique as the teaching profession and has undergone series of evolution since the
colonial era. Every educational system at every level depends heavily on teachers for the execution of
its programmes. In this regard, Obadara (2005) viewed teachers to be highly essential for a successful
operation of the educational system and as a key to the educational development. Without teachers
with relevant behavioral traits, educational facilities cannot be used to facilitate academic performance
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of students. Undoubtedly the success and quality of any educational system depend on the quality of
teachers input into the system.
The declining results from school in terms of learning achievement, attitudes, values and other
effective measures in comparison with the huge investment in the sector are quite alarming. The main
thrust of the study therefore, is to establish the extent of relationship between Instructional Supervision
and academic Performance of students at Secondary Schools in ten province of Zimbabwe. The
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) undertakes this initiative in the broader
context of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 and its targets: “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality
education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.The principles of supervision indicates
very clearly that schools cannot function effectively as learning organizations when teachers are
unable to realize their key role and full potentials in the teaching-learning process and also effective
teaching-learning may not occur if adequate and regular supervision is lacking.
Variables associated with Supervision in Schools
Teaching
and
Learning
Materials
Teacher
Supervis
es Pupils
Head
Supervis
es
Teacher
s
Insitituti
onal
Supervis
ion
ICT
Integrati
on
Legal
issues
Time
Finance
Supervisors in educational organizations have individual goals for improvement and the purpose of
instructional supervision is to achieve those specified goals. Successful supervision promotes a vision
to implement change in organizations that facilitate improvement (Sergiovanni & Starratt, 1998;
Collins, 2001. Effective instructional leadership is generally recognized as the most important
characteristic of school administrators (Hoy & Hoy, 2009). According to Lezotte (2001) instructional
leadership is one of the correlates of effective schools and effective instructional leaders are proactive
and seek help in building team leadership and a culture conducive to learning and professional growth.
Lezotte, (2001) contends that the effective school, the Heads, Heads of Departments and others act as
instructional leaders and effectively and persistently communicate and model the mission of the
school to staff, parents, and students
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Effective instructional leadership has been shown to result in school improvement and effectiveness
(Lezotte, 2001). The indicators of schools having effective instructional leaders have been shown
through research to include factors like teacher morale and satisfaction (MacNeil, 1992), teacher selfefficacy (Lubbers, 1996), school and organizational culture (Reid, 1987), teacher effectiveness and
time on task (Watkins, 1992), and improved academic performance (Wilson, 2005). MoPSE in
Zimbabwe has clearly laid out objectives of secondary education which include providing learners
with the opportunity to: acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes for the development of self and nations;
build a firm foundation for further education; develop the ability to inquire, critical thinking and
rational judgment; and identify individual talents and develop them. In an effort to achieve these
objectives, MoPSE gives support to education by providing financial and material resources for
teacher training programmes, teacher salaries, supervision and inspection of schools to ensure that the
environment is appropriate for learning. One of the means of evaluating academic achievement is
through examination results. MoPSE observes that internationally, candidates‟ scores in examinations
are accepted as proxy of achievement in education. Kyalo (1992), states that “the certificate awarded
to successful candidates certifies that the candidate has fulfilled the requirements of the examining
board and his/her attainment compares favorably with that of a similar cohort.
Some major independent variables will be the source data used in the literature review., Benavot &
Resh (2003) found that successful implementation of a curriculum in Israel also depended on the
amount of instructional resources at a school’s disposal. Similar findings were revealed in separate
studies by Nyirenda (1994), Hart (1994), Fraser-Thomas & Beaudoin (2002), and Graham-Jolly
(2003) who highlighted lack or inadequacy of teaching and learning materials as a major challenge to
curriculum implementation. Lack of in-service training has also been reported in literature as one of
the challenges to curriculum implementation. In a study of teachers’ beliefs about the meaning and
relevance of problem solving in the Mathematics curriculum in Malaysia. Lack of teacher support
services militate against successful supervision and the current scenario in Zimbabwe is a bit tricky..
As if it is not enough MoPSE has no capacity to employ teachers as this is the responsibility of the
Public Service commission (PSC) who has not made significant strides to employ college graduates
dating back to 2016 due to cry of the fiscal space. This on its own will make it difficult for the teacher
to employ the best learner centred delivery methods which has positive attributes on the learners’
performance. It has been observed from the conceptual framework that the school environment plays
a pivotal role in determining the outputs and outcomes of a teaching and learning process. The issues
which are teacher related tends to have a serious knockout effect on the performance of learners, a
simple example of the Zimbabwean teacher who earns less than USD$50 per month is enough
mockery in expecting perfect delivery from an already incapacitated teacher. The overall result is that
the curriculum implementation process is compromised and ultimately affecting the life of the student
whose performance will not be anywhere near a competitive level. This research being guided by
Statement of the Problem
It is against this background that this research would like to find the relationship between management
supervision and students’ academic performance especially at O level in Zimbabwe.
Research Questions
What is the current situation with regards to the role of curriculum implementation in relation to
supervision in secondary schools in Harare, Zimbabwe?
Research Objectives
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In order to address the main research variables both dependent and independent the researcher would
focus on the following objectives
To find out the current situation with regards to the role of supervision in secondary schools in Harare,
Zimbabwe.
Research Hypothesis
H1.Regular instructional supervision has no significant relationship with student’s academic
performance in Secondary School.
Assumptions
It is assumed that most teachers are conversant with the updated curriculum and its demands in
developing a number of skills like communication, critical thinking and others
Significance of the Study
This is focused on how the research is influencing various stakeholders like the researcher, learners,
parents, guardians, methodological, management, colleagues , schools, communities , stakeholders,
policy makers and academic body of knowledge will also make sure that there is beneficial informal
knowledge transfer
Delimitation
The study will be confined to 10 provinces of Zimbabwe which has 72 districts, over 8000 primary
and secondary schools, 400000 teachers and as per 2019 Education Management Information
Systems there are 2 725 970 primary school learners (females -1 356 828: males -1 369 142)
with almost equal numbers for males and females. There are 1 093 550 learners enrolled in
secondary schools (Form 1-6), with 996 790 learners enrolled in lower secondary school
(Form 1-4) and 96 760 enrolled for upper secondary (Form 5-6).
Limitation
The research is likely to encounter the a number of limitations such as influences of the Covid 19 I
terms of data collection and adoption of digital means of data collection, processing and management
Key Operational terms
In order to share the same understanding , the research will operationalize some of the major concepts
and some may have authorities but this will not take away the authority this research has on the
concepts. Curriculum , curriculum implementation Inspection, Instructional Supervision ,
Instructional supervisor. supervision, teaching and learning
Literature review
The gaps relalised through literature reviewed and experiences of the reseracher are critical ingredients
in giving some empirical evidences with regards to effectiveness of outsourced services especially the
dimensions of quality. The researcher will examine literature extensively on a time series basis, and
all the relevant literature that the researcher cross-examined from the beginning of this research in line
with the gap and research objectives
Major variables for considerations
Availability of teaching and learning materials
Benavot & Resh (2003) found that successful implementation of a curriculum in Israel also depended
on the amount of instructional resources at a school’s disposal. Similar findings were revealed in
separate studies by Nyirenda (1994), Hart (1994), Fraser-Thomas & Beaudoin (2002), and GrahamJolly (2003) who highlighted lack or inadequacy of teaching and learning materials as a major
challenge to curriculum implementation.
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In-service training
Lack of in-service training has also been reported in literature as one of the challenges to curriculum
implementation. In a study of teachers’ beliefs about the meaning and relevance of problem solving
in the Mathematics curriculum in Malaysia, Zanzali (2003) \
Provision of teacher support services
Lack of supervisory support for teachers’ acts as a challenge to the effective implementation of any
curriculum (Glickman, 1990). The current scenario in Zimbabwe is a bit tricky as you find school
enrolments making it uncomfortable for the teacher with a work load of 50 to 60 learners against 35
to 40 as the recommended teacher : ratio at secondary school level.
School capacity to support curriculum implementation
The construct (capacity to support curriculum implementation) is an attempt to understand and
elaborate on the school-based factors that support or hinder the implementation of new curriculum
ideas and practices. Schools differ from one another and therefore not all schools have the same
capacity to implement a curriculum innovation to the same extent.
Lack of specialist teachers for the subject
For successful learner performance through institutional supervision, lack of specialist teachers for is
a factor that negatively affects the capacity of schools to support the implementation of the CBC. In
Zimbabwe , implementation of the CBC started when there were no specialised teachers for the
subject. As a result, teachers lacked confidence in their teaching due to possession of inadequate
knowledge of the subject matter. In most schools, the head teachers reported that, at its introduction
in the curriculum,
Inadequate teaching and learning resources
The theoretical framework gives availability of resources as one of the factors that can support the
implementation of a curriculum and textbooks are one of such teaching and learning resources.
Textbooks facilitate teaching and learning (Kuthemba Mwale, 2000) in that teachers can give reading
assignments to pupils when textbooks are available.
Inadequate capacity of school management to supervise curriculum implementation
In Zimbabwe, school level monitoring of curriculum implementation is the responsibility of head
teachers and heads of departments.
Inadequate supervision of implementation
This is a school management problem that weakens the capacity of schools to effectively implement
the approved Competence Based Curriculum.
Inadequate monitoring of curriculum implementation by school inspectors
It is important to note that monitoring curriculum implementation through regular supervision and
provision of advisory services help to promote professional growth of teachers.
Lack of supervision skills
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (MoPSE) in its Policy and Circular Frameworks
makes it clear it is MoPSE’s mandate to continue to take appropriate measures aimed at strengthening
the professional competence of secondary head teachers and heads of department to carry out methods
and advisory services within the schools. Provinces are supposed to monitor and supervise the teaching
and learning processes so that there is adherence to MoPSE expectations. Resistance to supervision
Raudenbush et al (1993) define supervision as referring to the activities of those invested with
administrative authority over teachers to monitor, observe, evaluate and provide feedback on
classroom teaching. It is the policy of the Ministry of Education that in order to realize its two key
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areas , quality and access, head teachers and heads of departments should carry out supervision of
teachers to provide advisory services..
Policy implications
The findings of various studies provide policy guidance for managing future curriculum
implementations. MoPSE should introduce a policy for ensuring that future curriculum review and
implementation are adequately planned for in terms of availability of instructional materials, teacher
training, and in-service training and orientation of teachers on content and pedagogical approaches
Some of the independent variables which can be put into context are found below
Checking of students’ notebooks so that teachers can trace extra work accomplishment by learners can
give insight into what is happening in the school system,
More factors to consider when evaluating attainment and progress
What teachers and administrators need to look at and analyse when making a judgement about
attainment and progress of learners is critical. Below are some of the considerations one has to make
Theoretical framework
The research on instructional supervision is informed by a number of theories from supervision
theories to learning theories.
Motivation theories
This study falls under the learning theories as well as the motivational theories. Maslow’s hierarchy
of needs postulates that if learners have a sense of belonging and feel of being loved they can perform
better that they can and they will feel motivated to learn.
Research methodology
The research design adopted for this study is the mixed methodology of the quantitative and qualitative
paradigms guided by a number of philosophies of the Ontological, Epistemological and axiological
assumptions In this study the case study design with attributes of exploratory, explanatory descriptive,
cross-sectional and retrospective survey design will be employed to collect quantitative and qualitative
data from secondary schools beneficiaries and stakeholders.
Population and Sample
Population. Target population, sample and sampling procedures +2200
Will use step multi stage sampling and a combination of multi stage purposive and random sampling
techniques will be used to select a representative sample of respondents highlighted. Provinces (10) ,
districts (72), DSI (72) Secondary Heads (72), Deputy Heads (72), Teachers (144), HODs (144),
Learners (1440), PEDs (10), EIs (10), SDA(72), Teachers Union (72), Teachers Colleges (10),
Educational Partners (10)
Research instruments
The following research instruments will be used to collect data depending on convenience to the
respondents and the researcher: Questionnaire, Strongly Agree. b) Agree (c) Not Sure (d) Disagree
(e) Strongly Disagree
1
Interview Schedule and construction
Interviews are used to gather information about beliefs or behaviours and information understudy, the
information one collect is not first hand like that gathered using observation method but rather self
reported data or data collected in an indirect manner. Observation form, The observation form will
be used to verify supervisory variables and there will be observable features which will be recorded.
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Focus group discussion guide. Focus group discussion guide will be used to collect data from
ordinary beneficiaries who will not have been selected to respond to the questionnaire as a way of
triangulating responses to the questionnaire.. Validity, Reliability, objectivity and credibility, Pilot
Testing, Triangulation, Ethical considerations will be looked into and used as criteria to makesure the
tools are compliant
Data collection procedures
The instruments will have a combination of administrative and demographic data plus the research
variables which focused on the relationship between the dependent and independent variables (Learner
performance and curriculum implementation)
Data presentation and analysis
The researcher will collect and code data and then use an analysis of statistical values that will be
required. in Word
Research Timelines
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Activity
Refining research proposal
Chapter 1 Background
Literature review
Research Methodology Write Up
Design research instruments
Piloting of research instruments
Data collection
Data Presentation, Analysis and Discussion
Writing of first draft
Writing of final Report
Revise final Report
Submission of Final Report
Timeframe
March 2020
June 2020
Ongoing 2020
Ongoing 2020
October - December 2020
January February 2021
April - June 2021
August – September 2021
September 2021
October 2021
November2021
November 2021
Research Budget
Item
Stationery
Research assistants
Workshops
Travel and Accommodation
Telephone and internet
Proof reading, editing and data Management
Data entry , analysis and report management
Total
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Cost (US$)
2000
4000
3000
10000
1000
2000
3000
25000