Teacher monitoring in The Gambia : a case study of rural primary school instructional practices through the lens of developmental supervision

Abstract

Quality education can be achieved through competent and effective teachers. To ensure this quality, it is essential to monitor the process of teaching and learning in the classroom. Teacher monitoring is regarded as an important quality assurance tool which ensures the alignment of teaching methodologies with educational standards, and students receive effective learning experiences. Literature has shown that when teachers’ attendance, lesson plans, teaching pedagogies, and assessment methods are effectively monitored and evaluated, it influences their teaching practices and improves students’ learning. However, the monitoring of teachers, particularly classroom observation, has been ineffectively implemented in many low- and middle-income countries. This is as a result of challenges faced by monitors and administrators, which include insufficient training, a lack of resources for mobility, and poor allowances that hinder monitoring activities. Therefore, this research explored the nature of teacher monitoring in rural Gambian primary schools to understand teachers’ perception and response to the process on their instructional practices. The study used a qualitative single case study design, and data was collected from school leaders, classroom teachers, and cluster monitors. The researcher used online semi-structured interviews and document analysis in gathering the data, which was analyzed thematically. The study was guided by Glickman’s developmental supervision theory to understand the nature of teacher monitoring in The Gambia. The findings revealed that the process is structured, conducted by internal monitors (school leaders) and external monitors (cluster monitors). Monitoring schedules are planned and shared with teachers to ensure preparedness, and strengthen its effectiveness. The goal of monitoring teachers is to identify instructional challenges and provide support for improvement. The findings also showed that teacher supervision in Gambian schools is collaborative and instructional adjustments are not imposed on teachers. They are involved in the process and their professional judgement is respected. However, the monitoring process faces some challenges, which include supervisor approach, teacher unpreparedness, administrative inaction, compliance monitoring, untrained supervisors, lack of or insufficient resources, and mobility challenges for cluster monitors, which creates a monitoring gap that undermines the achievement of its goals. MoBSE should allocate more resources and build the capacity of monitors to ensure the effective implementation of the process.