The Effectiveness of Supervision of Specialist Teachers in Special Schools and Resource Units in Mashonaland East and Harare Provinces (Zimbabwe)

Abstract

In the Zimbabwe education system, there are comprehensive programmes in the area of supervision. These programmes are offered by different institutions. Regrettably, none of these programmes has been extended to cover supervision of specialist teachers teaching in special schools, resource units and special classes. Determining the effectiveness of supervision of these teachers was the thrust of this research study. The study was carried out in two provinces of Mashonaland East and Harare. A qualitative descriptive survey was used to collect data from a sample of fifty teachers. Results indicated that supervision of specialist teachers left a lot to be desired. It was revealed that supervision by supervisors who were not trained in the area of special education was not benefiting the teachers. The study also found out that supervision was regarded as a way of finding faults and destroying the confidence of supervisees. On the whole, it was established that supervision of specialist teachers was not being carried out effectively. Recommendations made included the following: that teacher education colleges should offer a supervisory component in special needs education, that school heads needed staff development in supervision of specialist teachers and that there was urgent need to invest in financial and material resources to realize effective supervision. Attitudes of mainstream teachers and supervisors towards special needs education also needed to change for the better, since these were found to be a major factor in impeding effective supervision. The appointment of Education Officers and District Education Officers who are trained in special needs education also needed to be attended to as a matter of urgency.

Overcoming barriers for people with disabilities participating in income-generating activities: A proposed development framework

“…People with disabilities, like people without disabilities, need specific skill sets to participate in productive economic activities and compete in the job market. Job market trends indicate that people with disabilities need assistance with education and training to improve their employment prospects (Munemo & Tom 2013 ). Therefore, developing relevant skills is a key component of the countries’ efforts to reduce poverty and utilise human resources.…”