Empowering Quality Education: The Role of Power in School Supervisory Leadership in Primary Education

Abstract

This study examined the utilization of authority and the implementation of policies in the supervisory leadership within schools to improve the quality of primary education in Addis Ababa City Administration (Ethiopia). The scope of study extended from the Ministry of Education to the individual schools. The research design employed mixed methods incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The sample included 35 districts, 40 public primary schools, 96 supervisors, and 135 principals. Also, 18 supervisors participated in the interview. Closed-ended questionnaires were administered to supervisors and principals, while interview and document review guides were utilized. Descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent sample t-test) were used. The study found a policy framework in place for school supervision, although not consistently executed. The execution of this framework has been informed by various policy documents, namely Business Process Re-engineering, Balanced scorecard, and Job Evaluation Grading Manuals. However, the policies were inconsistent and not uniformly known and accessible to supervisors. The hiring process for supervisors did not comply with the established guidelines, resulting in the dismissal of highly experienced and trained supervisors and their replacement by less experienced teachers. The lack of policies that grant power to supervisors and the shortage of resources hindered the effective utilization of their institutional authority. The existing supervision policies were fragmented, lacked empowerment, and were not effectively implemented. These gaps are unlikely to have a constructive impact on the efficiency of school leadership and the overall setback of schools.