Exploring clinical supervision practices: a comparative study of a public and Private Primary Teachers’ College in Uganda

Abstract

This study sought to explore clinical supervision practices undertaken in pre-observation, observation as well as post-observation phases in selected Primary Teachers’ Colleges (PTCs) in Uganda. Informed by Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development, the study employed a qualitative approach, specifically a case study design, comparing clinical supervision practices using a case of a public PTC as well as a private PTC, in order to elicit best practices from each case, to inform the improvement of the quality of teachers produced by PTCs in Uganda. The data was collected from tutors and student teachers using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and lesson observations. The data was then analyzed using Creswell’s (2014) six-step data analysis procedure and findings elicited to address the research questions of the study, particularly eliciting clinical supervision practices undertaken within the pre-observation, observation and post-observation phases in selected PTCs in Uganda. First, the findings as regards the pre-observation phase revealed that PTC 2, a private institution, demonstrated the best practices in the pre-observation phase specifically in class allocation, topic allocation, tutor allocation, making and marking schemes of work while PTC 1, a public institution demonstrated best practices in lesson planning, making instructional materials, conducting demonstration lessons as well as pre-observation meetings. Second, as regards the observation phase, PTC 2 demonstrated best practices in checking pupils’ written activities, signing the SP assessment sheet, documenting progress, and grading as compared to PTC 1 whose best practice in this phase was in observing lessons. Third, within the post-observation phase, PTC 2 demonstrated best practices in documenting progress and grading as compared to PTC 1 whose best practices in this phase were conferencing, building rapport, self-assessment as well as setting an agenda for improving the next lesson. Both institutions can pick lessons from the other’s strengths. Further, both institutions showed gaps in documentation, microteaching, using audio-visual gadgets as supervision tools to capture data, as well as the faultfinding focus of the supervisors. The study recommended best practices in demonstration and group micro-teaching sessions; guided scheming and lesson planning coupled with provision of model schemes and lesson plans; guided creation, display and use of teaching aids, observation of the entire lesson; checking learner workbooks; joint tutor-student post-conferencing, signing of feedback sheets, training in the use of audio-visual gadgets and anecdotal records as tools to supplement and support clinical supervision; creating a jovial mood in order to build confidence in student teachers, giving student teachers opportunities to first talk about their taught lessons; tutors always leaving assessment reports with student teachers after post conferencing as well as helping student teachers to set strategies for improving the next lesson. As pointers for further research, the researcher recommends a future focus on challenges of clinical supervision in Government and private teachers’ colleges in Uganda, eliciting the experiences and/or perspectives from the stand point of schools of practice and exploring clinical supervision practices using mixed or quantitative approach in order to make the findings generalizable.