Heads of Department Supervisory Skills in Monitoring and Supporting Teachers' Planning, Delivery and Evaluation of Instructional Content in Public Secondary Schools in Nambale Sub-County, Kenya

Author: Wafula Stellah Nekesah, Dr Simon Kipkenei & Dr Manasi Echaune

Date: 2026

Abstract: Effective curriculum implementation in secondary schools depends heavily on the extent to which heads of department monitor and support teachers as they plan, deliver and evaluate instructional content. This paper reports findings on the first objective of a broader mixedmethods study that examined heads of department supervisory skills on curriculum implementation in public secondary schools in Nambale Sub-County, Busia County, Kenya. Anchored on McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y (1960) and Hallinger and Murphy's Instructional Leadership Theory (1985), the study targeted 400 respondents comprising heads of department, teachers and school principals from 25 public secondary schools, from which a sample of 200 was drawn using Yamane's formula. Purposive sampling selected 63 heads of department and 12 school principals, while simple random sampling selected 125 teachers. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and an interview guide, and analysed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages and means) through SPSS for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. Findings revealed that heads of department inadequately monitored and supported teachers in planning, delivering and evaluating instructional content, registering an overall composite mean of 2.70 on a four-point scale. Respondents disagreed that heads of department regularly monitored the preparation of professional documents (M = 2.49–2.63) and disagreed that they adequately monitored student assessment tools and records (M = 2.48–2.58) and appropriate teaching strategies during instruction (M = 2.32–2.33). However, respondents agreed that heads of department coordinated the acquisition (M = 3.00–3.01) and use (M = 3.04–3.11) of teaching–learning resources. Interview data corroborated these patterns, attributing gaps largely to high workloads, resource constraints and inconsistent enforcement. The study concludes that an imbalance in the utilisation of supervisory skills constrains heads of department from providing adequate direction and support to teachers, with implications for instructional continuity and learner outcomes. The paper recommends continuous professional development for heads of department, collaborative preparation and regular verification of professional documents, and the institutionalisation of structured monitoring schedules and standardised checklists.

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