Towards Enhancing Effective Instructional Supervision in Technical Colleges in Ogun State, Nigeria

Instructional supervision in schools in general and technical colleges in particular is a precursor to goal attainment. This study focused on enhancing effective instructional supervision in Ogun State technical colleges. Being a descriptive research of the survey type, the study raised two research questions focusing on activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges and mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. Also, two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 significant level were formulated. The instrument developed and used for the study was the Effective Instructional Supervision Questionnaire (EISQ). The EISQ contained 22 items which was validated by three experts, and tested to obtain 0.92 reliability coefficient using Cronbach Alpha method. The EISQ was used for collecting data from 21 respondents made of technical college administrators in Ogun State. The data collected were descriptively analyzed using mean for the raised research questions and inferential statistics of t-test for the formulated hypotheses. The study recognized the potency of instructional supervision and the need for embracing it in Ogun State technical colleges. The study recommended that technical college administrators should ensure effective instructional supervision in Ogun State technical colleges for overt instructional improvement and as well adopt global best practices to ensure that teachers are motivationally carried along in instructional supervision activities. Article history: Received: 04 November 2019 Received in revised form: 16 December 2019 Accepted: 27 January 2020 Available online: 29 February 2020


Introduction
There has been an increasing skill shortage and a pool of incompetent manpower in the nation's industrial sector which scholars of varying degrees have attributed to factors ranging from inadequate funding to absence of functional machines. One may not be categorical that the scholars are wrong, but one may be categorical that the scholars have infinite sized the issue of supervision which perhaps birth all other known factors. It has been observed that the issue of supervision is being trivialized in Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions in general and technical colleges in particular. Not only that supervision is being trivialized, lip service is also being

Innovation of Vocational Technology Education
Available online at http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/invotec Instructional supervision in schools in general and technical colleges in particular is a precursor to goal attainment. This study focused on enhancing effective instructional supervision in Ogun State technical colleges. Being a descriptive research of the survey type, the study raised two research questions focusing on activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges and mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. Also, two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 significant level were formulated. The instrument developed and used for the study was the Effective Instructional Supervision Questionnaire (EISQ). The EISQ contained 22 items which was validated by three experts, and tested to obtain 0.92 reliability coefficient using Cronbach Alpha method. The EISQ was used for collecting data from 21 respondents made of technical college administrators in Ogun State. The data collected were descriptively analyzed using mean for the raised research questions and inferential statistics of t-test for the formulated hypotheses. The study recognized the potency of instructional supervision and the need for embracing it in Ogun State technical colleges. The study recommended that technical college administrators should ensure effective instructional supervision in Ogun State technical colleges for overt instructional improvement and as well adopt global best practices to ensure that teachers are motivationally carried along in instructional supervision activities. paid to it. The above assertion is buttressed by bt Johari (2017), Vijayaamalar and Suhaida (2013), Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2004). But, the World Bank (2010) asserted that one of the ways to improve education outcomes, mitigate education challenges with global education policies are through supervision.
Supervision is a vehicle that facilitates growth, adherence to professional standards and quality services which provides support and improves the practice of both teachers and supervisors (Delano & Shah in Umoh, 2013). Supervision in the view of Ogakwu (2010) requires the stimulation of professional growth and teachers' development which involves selection and revision of educational objectives, instructional materials, facilities, method of teaching and evaluation of instruction. In a similar vein, James and Yero (2018) affirmed that supervision is a vehicle that brings meaningful feedbacks on curriculum implementation with reference to challenges encountered and possible ways of averting them. Thus, effective supervision requires well trained personnel with knowledge, interpersonal skills, and technical skills that are prepared to provide the necessary and appropriate guidance and support to the teaching staff (Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2004). Accordingly, these personal attributes are essential for the administrators' supervisory role to ensure direct assistance to teachers as well as their professional development.
Instructional supervision is an act that aligns teachers' behaviour in such a way to facilitate student learning and achieve the goals of the school system (Ekundayo, Oyerinde, & Kolawole, 2013). Similarly, Oyewole and Alonge (2013) affirm that instructional supervision is one of the several techniques employed in achieving educational objectives. Therefore, instructional supervision enables teachers to discover self with reference to pedagogy, improvisation and use of relevant instructional materials (Panigrahi, 2012). Also, Eze cited in Onumah (2016) sees instructional supervision as all the programme activities and actions initiated by the school administrator to improve instructional process. Therefore, in a bid to ensure improved instructional process, school administrators must guarantee that teachers: planned their lessons promptly; structured their lessons with an interesting beginning; revise previous knowledge and summarize major points at the end of the lesson among others (Oyewole & Alonge, 2013;Ekundayo, Oyerinde, & Kolawole, 2013;Onumah, 2016). The supervision of instruction is by design a developmental process with the main purpose of improving the instructional programme generally, and teaching specifically (Ekundayo, Oyerinde, & Kolawole, 2013).
In addition, other activities expected of school administrators include guaranteeing: teachers' adequate usage of instructional materials; teachers' use of voice variation; teachers' full compliance with curriculum and teachers-student cordial relationship (Oyewole & Alonge, 2013;Ekundayo, Oyerinde, & Kolawole, 2013;Onumah, 2016). Also, Watene cited in Mbae (2016) noted that another important activity of a school administrator is to check teacher's professional records. This encompasses student's report forms, schemes of work, classroom attendance register, lesson plans, progress records, records of work and mark books among others.
It has been observed by several scholars that instructional supervision is a great determinant of a school's quality which can either mar or make a school. That is, the developmental progress achieved in a school per time, is dependent on thorough instructional supervision. The purposes of instructional supervision according to Ogunsaju (1983), Olatoye (2006), Chike-Okoli (2006) are but not limited to the following:  To directly influence the behaviour of teachers and the teaching process employed to promote students learning.
 To ensure that each individual teacher within the school system has been performing the duties to which he was scheduled; and to cooperatively develop favourable climate for effective teaching and learning.
 To know the performance of the teachers recruited to teach in the school system.
 To determine whether a teacher should be transferred, promoted, retrained or dismissed.
 To provide professional information to teachers.
It has been observed that the value of education supervision lies in the improvements of teaching and learning situations and consequently students' achievements (Deebom & Zite, 2016;Kotirde & Yunos, 2014;Muthoni, 2012). However, students' achievement at the technical college level should centrally focus on skills, knowledge and attitude needed to thrive amidst growing unemployment in Nigeria. Hence, the preparation of students at the technical college must be allencompassing devoid of any hitch on the part of the teachers and administrators to ensure that the goals to which technical colleges are established are met.
Technical colleges constitute a vital aspect of Nigerian education system. This is because the goal of their establishment centers on the production of competent manpower for the nation.
Technical colleges are meant to equip recipients with usable skills, knowledge and attitude that will benefit self and the society at large. Therefore, owing to the importance attached to this level of education, it becomes imperative to ensure effective instructional supervision in the technical colleges.

Statement of the problem
The decline in education at the technical college level is a serious pointer to the fact that instructions have been hampered as a result of trivialized instructional supervision. However much still need to be done to ensure that instructions at the technical college level are on the right footing.
The essence of ensuring that instructions are on the right footing is to enable the facilitation of the achievement of the goals of technical college education. One important way to ensure this is creating an enabling atmosphere for instructional supervision to thrive at the technical college level especially as it concerns Ogun State, Nigeria.

Purpose of the study
This study focused on enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges in Ogun state. Specifically, the study determined:  Activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges.
 Mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges.

Research questions
The following research questions guided the study:

Methods
This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of this study was all the technical college administrators in Ogun State. No sampling technique was used for this study as all the 21 administrators comprising 7 principals and 14 vice-principals were the participants for the study. Effective Instructional Supervision Questionnaire (EISQ) containing 22 items was developed and used for the study. The responses for the instrument was based on adapted Likert Rating Scale viz: Highly Required (HR) -5, Required (A) -4, Undecided (U) -3, Slightly Required (SR) -2 and Not Required (NR) -1. The instrument was validated by three experts and was tested for reliability at 0.92 employing Cronbach Alpha coefficient technique. The instruments were personally administered on the respondents by the researcher. Due to adequate monitoring and guidance of the instrument, 100% return rate was achieved. The data collected were statistically analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean to answer the research questions and inferential statistics of t-test to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. A mean of 3.50 and above was considered positive and required; while a mean rating of less than 3.50 was regarded as negative and not required.

Research question 1
What are the activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges? The data presented in Table 1 revealed activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. All the 12 items (Items 1-12) had a mean range of 4.14 to 4.95.
This indicated that the respondents agreed on all the 12 items as activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges because their means were above the cut-off point of 3.50. The standard deviation of the items also ranged from .22 to .70. This showed the respondents' homogeneity and consensus.

Research question 2
What are the mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges? This indicated that the respondents agreed on all the 10 items as mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges because their means were above the cut-off point of 3.50. The standard deviation of the items also ranged from .30 to .51. This showed the respondents' homogeneity and consensus.

Hypothesis 1
Ho1: there is no significant difference in the mean responses of principals and vice-principals on activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges.

Hypothesis 2
Ho2: there is no significant difference in the mean responses of principals and vice principals on mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges.

Discussion of findings
There is no doubt that instructional supervision influence teachers' behaviour, disposition and the entire teaching and learning situations. The findings of this study as presented in Table 1 revealed activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. The findings are in consonance with the submissions of Oyewole and Alonge (2013), Ekundayo, Oyerinde, andKolawole (2013), Onumah (2016). The consensus of these authors to the findings of this study substantiate the need for administrators to guarantee prompt lesson planning with structured interesting beginning that enables learning to progress from known to unknown and also with suitable conclusion. Additionally, Oyewole and Alonge (2013), Ekundayo, Oyerinde, and Kolawole (2013), Onumah (2016) noted that administrators must as well guarantee: teachers' adequate usage of instructional materials, voice variation with full compliance to the curriculum without also jettisoning teachers-student cordial relationship. Similarly, this study's findings were buttressed by Watene cited in Mbae (2016) and Panigrahi (2012). Panigrahi (2012) was of the view that instructional supervision enables teachers to discover self with reference to pedagogy, improvisation and use of relevant instructional materials. The position of Watene cited in Mbae (2016) in relation to the findings of this study centers on checking teacher's professional records as appropriate. Consequently, the field survey indicated guaranteeing quality practical sessions without compromising school/industry synergy due to the nature of the goals for which technical colleges are established.
In research question 2, the findings of the study as presented in Table 2 revealed mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. The findings were in consonance with the submission of scholars like: James and Yero (2018), Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2004). James and Yero (2018) affirmed that supervision is a vehicle that brings meaningful feedbacks on curriculum implementation with reference to challenges encountered and possible ways of averting them. While Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon, (2004) noted that effective supervision requires well trained personnel with knowledge, interpersonal skills, and technical skills that are prepared to provide the necessary and appropriate guidance and support to the teaching staff. Similarly, World Bank (2010) asserted that one of the ways to improve education outcomes, mitigate education challenges with global education policies are through supervision.
Also, the positions of Deebom and Zite (2016), Kotirde and Yunos (2014), Muthoni (2012) also buttressed with the findings of this study as the authors noted that supervision improves teaching and learning situations and consequently students' achievements.
A t-test of significance was used to test the first hypothesis on activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. Table 3 revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean responses of principals and vice-principals on activities for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. Therefore the null hypothesis is not rejected. Also, the second hypothesis on mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges was tested using t-test. Table 4 revealed that there is no significant difference between the mean responses of principals and vice-principals on mechanisms for enhancing effective instructional supervision in technical colleges. Therefore the null hypothesis is not rejected.

Conclusion
The impact of instructional supervision in the actualization of school goals cannot be overemphasized. The enormous benefits embedded in instructional supervision are revealed in this study and substantiated by the research findings of several scholars. Consequently, it would be to the utmost advantage of technical colleges in Ogun State Nigeria that instructional supervision is handled and embraced with all seriousness so as to ensure that the goals of the establishment of technical colleges in the state are achieved.

Recommendations
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were suggested:  Technical college administrators should ensure effective instructional supervision in Ogun State technical colleges for over instructional improvement.
 Technical college administrators should adopt global best practices to ensure that teachers are motivationally carried along in instructional supervision activities.