In the recent years, Tanzanian educators have
experienced an impetus on school supervision as a catalyst
for quality education. As a result, a significant number of
Word Educational Officers have been appointed for the
purpose of increasing human resources with the role of
school supervision as a necessary tool for quality
education. Although we are aware of their frequent visit to
the schools, little is known about their effectiveness of such
visits. For this reason, this study sought to assess the
effectiveness of the Ward Education Officers’ (WEO)
supervision role in promoting quality education. To
conduct this study, a mixed research approach and a
convergent parallel design. Data was obtained through
individual interviews, questionnaires and document
review. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze
quantitative data by means of Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS) while quantitative data were
analyzed thematically. A sample of 124 respondents which
included, teachers, heads of school and other
administrative officials were selected using purposive and
simple random sampling from 5 secondary schools. The
findings indicate that supervision process was contributing
very little to promoting quality education due to low
academic qualifications of supervisors and their lack of
knowledge on curriculum matters. Despite the limited
academic background of supervisors, the study found out
that little was being done to equip them with the necessary
knowledge which they were lacking. Insufficient resources
and lack of commitment for both teachers and Ward
Education Officers to school supervision was also one of
the major hindrances to effective supervision for quality
education. Based on these findings the study recommends
that strategic steps are taken to provide relevant training
to all those involved in school supervision and also raise
more awareness about the significance of school
supervision and teachers’ roles in ensuring its
effectiveness.
Keywords : Effectiveness, Quality Education, School Supervision, Ward Education Officers.
