Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to assess the practices and challenges of school based supervision in secondary schools of East Hararghe Zone, Oromia Regional State. Mixed method research design was employed with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The participants of the study were 196 secondary school teachers, 8 principals and 7 supervisors, and 15 department heads selected using systematic random, purposive and, simple random sampling techniques respectively. The data were collected using questionnaire, interview guides and document review. The collected data through questionaries were analysedquantitatively using descriptive statistical tools like frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation through stastical package for social science software (SPSS Version 20). The qualitative data were analyzed qualitatively in descriptive narrative method. Pilot test was conducted to test the reliability of the instruments using cronbach alpha modeland the coefficient was0.984 .The findings show that there was a gap concerning practices of school based supervision. Besides, the major gaps that present in the secondary schools were lacuna of conceptual understanding and practical skill of proper implementation of school based supervision activities. The results alsorevealed that the practices and implementation of school based supervision in secondary schools were poor. School based supervision activities were not organized and managed properly. The major factors that negatively affect the practices of school based supervision in secondary schools were: lack of teachers understanding, shortage of budget allocation for supervision activities, absence of specialized and skilled manpower, absence of pre-service and in-service training system, lack of supervisors’ knowledge and skill in supervision, and shortage of relevant supervision manual. Generally, the organization and management of school based supervision, the current practices of school based supervision and the implementation of procedures of school based supervision for classroom observation were also low. The major recommendations include that Woreda Education office and school leaders should allocate necessary budgets for the improvement of school based supervision activities. The school principals and supervisors should be trained and skilled well to support teachers. The procedures of classroom observation before classroom visit, during classroom visit and after classroom visit should be implemented properly and completely in the schools by internal and external school based supervisors
