Volume 4, Issue 7, July – 2019 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ISSN No:-2456-2165 IJISRT19JL73 www.ijisrt.com 238 Teacher Supervision Support and Its Impact on Professional Development of Teachers in Primary Schools Philemon Antonio Abstract:- This paper discusses the finding of the study conducted to explore professional support strategies planned by the head teacher to assist the supervisors and teachers to carry out their instructional duties. The study employs qualitative research with the total of 14 participants including the head teacher, senior teachers and assistant teachers. The reason for using purposive sampling to select the research site was due to financial and time limitations. The findings show that supervisors were inadequately supported on supervision training and induction to equip them perform their supervisory duties effectively. As a result, conventional supervision strategies using observation checklist, conferencing and sectional in-service were the dominant supervision techniques employed to supervise teachers. In order for supervision to improve, the supervisors are of the view that supervision training and induction are necessary support strategies to equip the supervisors with necessary knowledge and skills to equip them execute their supervisory responsibilities. The study also found that supervision has a tremendous impact in improving teacher’s instructional skills and fosters teacher motivation which contributes significantly to their continuous professional development. Keywords:- Teacher Supervision, Supervision Strategies, Conferencing, Supervisory Visits, Observation Checklist, In- Service. I. INTRODUCTION Supervision plays a significant role in the enterprise of teaching and learning. Quality teaching occurs when the supervisor continuously interact with teachers and students to provide mediated assistance to improve instructional practices in the classroom. The supervisor guides, directs and provide leadership to ensure that teachers are performing their duties according to the organizational goals and aspiration of the school. As Rashid (2001) explains, teaching and supervision are bound together and mutually reflect and reinforce one another. In expounding this, Nolan & Hoor (2004 as cited in Burant, 2009) posit that when the supervision is strengthened in schools it builds a strong foundation of teacher growth and in turn improves student learning outcomes positively. In his discussion paper, Kants (2008) however, pointed that lack of supervision and limited support in professional development of field teachers were among the many factors that caused the dramatic downfall of students’ academic results in the mainstream schools in PNG. Teacher supervision is the immediate intervention that deals directly with the teacher’s effectiveness in the classroom. The supervisor potentially close the skill and knowledge gaps encountered in the teaching process. For effective teaching and learning to occur, supervisors need to be empowered with necessary professional support to enhance their supervisory skills to provide sound subjective assessment on teachers performance so that they can supervise and mentor the teachers well. Instructional deficiencies creeps in when supervision is weak. Glickman, Gorden, and Ros-Gorden (1998) concurs that supervision hinges on teacher effectiveness that significantly contributes to the success of the school. When teacher supervision is not given attention in schools, with very little support to equip the supervisors to undertake their supervisory roles, the Governments attempt to provide quality education will remain to fail.Therefore, this research aims to find out what support strategies are inbuilt in schools to assist the senior teachers to carry out their supervisory responsibilities effectively. II. LITERATURE REVIEW Despite the Governments attempt to invest much of its resources to support education, quality of education remains the biggest challenge for main stream schools in Papua New Guinea. Research evidence reveals that academic results in literacy and numeracy have been very poor in this current times. For example, comprehensive assessment study conducted by Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA) in Madang, National Capital District and East New Britain in 2011 and 2012 found that student’s progress to read unfamiliar text and comprehension level were slow because teachers lack language teaching skills and strategies to teach the students ( Machuca-Sierra;De-Silva;William,2011). Consistent with this finding, Czuba Report (2013) affirms that low performance standard among other things is attributed to teaching quality. The teachers are the key players who facilitate teaching and learning. Behind the teachers are the supervisors whose prime function is to ensure that teachers are guided, mentored and directed adequately to deliver quality teaching and learning. Thus,