School management committee practices and teacher performance in universal primary education in Uganda. A case of selected schools in Wakiso district.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of School Management Committee (SMC) practices on teacher performance in Universal Primary Education (UPE) schools in Wakiso District, Uganda, by examining three core objectives: (1) the influence of supervision on teacher performance, (2) the relationship between school monitoring and teacher performance, and (3) the role of planning in improving teacher performance. Guided by Henri Fayol’s Administrative Management Theory, the research assessed how these decentralized management functions (supervision, monitoring, and planning) collectively influenced instructional quality. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, involving 116 respondents comprising head teachers, teachers, SMC members, and district education officials. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data from interviews and observations were thematically analyzed. Key findings for objective one were that supervision had a positive but relatively smaller effect on teacher performance (β = 0.28, ΔR² = 0.19). Supportive supervision, characterized by timely feedback and participatory evaluation, improved teacher performance, while irregular or punitive supervision limited teacher performance. For objective two, monitoring practices had a moderate positive impact on teacher performance (β = 0.32, ΔR² = 0.31, r = 0.71). Regular scheme verification and attendance checks had significant positive influence on teacher performance, whereas limited feedback and inadequate technical capacity reduced the effectiveness of monitoring. Lastly, objective 3, Planning, emerged as the strongest predictor of teacher performance (β = 0.39, ΔR² = 0.41) with adherence to schemes of work, active meeting participation, and goal alignment, reporting higher levels of instructional quality and teacher commitment. The three management practices: supervision, monitoring, and planning jointly explained 59% of the variation in teacher performance (R² = 0.59), emphasizing the value of coordinated management practices. The study concluded that SMC practices were effective in improving teacher performance. The study recommended that the Ministry of Education and Sports and District Education Officers should promote supportive, formative supervision rather than fault-finding. SMCs should strengthen feedback loops following monitoring visits, receive targeted training, and institutionalize participatory planning through quarterly co-creation meetings to ensure shared goals and ownership to enhance teacher professionalism and improve learning outcomes across Uganda’s UPE schools.