The Role of Inspectors in Guiding Primary School Teachers: Teachers’ Perspectives in Al Ajilat Primary Schools

Abstract

School inspection is one of the factors that sustain and improve educational quality in schools worldwide. Inspectors have a variety of roles including the assessment of teacher’s performance in addition to offering advice and support. It is not clear yet if inspection functions as a mechanism of control or support to teachers. This study attempts to find out the primary school teachers’ perspectives in respect of the role of inspectors in supporting their performance in the schools of Al Ajilat primary schools. To achieve this end, the study adopted a qualitative approach. Fifteen open-ended items in a 16 items questionnaire were administered to 45 primary school teachers selected randomly from five primary schools located in the city of Al Ajilat. The information collected were looked at closely to see what teachers thought about the people who checked on them and the help these people gave. The researcher wanted to know how the teachers feel when they are checked on and what they think would make things better. The researcher is trying to figure out if teachers see the inspectors who check on them as people who just check or as people who help them get better. The researcher wanted to know what kind of help teachers like the most. What is learnt from this study will help policy makers in the Ministry of Education and will help train the inspectors who check on teachers, in Al Ajilat and in cities that are similar. This will help teachers get better and will help students learn more.