Strengthening the foundation: the role of supervision in improving quality service provision in pre-primary education of Gambella Regional State, Ethiopia

Pre-primary education is critical for children’s cognitive, social and emotional development, forming the foundation for academic success. Grounded in Contingency Theory, which emphasizes the importance of aligning organizational structures and processes with the specific context and needs of the organization, this study investigates the role of supervision in quality service provision in pre-primary schools in Gambella Regional State, Ethiopia. Employing a convergent mixed-methods design, the study involved a census sample of 190 teachers and 95 principals from all pre-primary schools in four selected woredas. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with five education experts from the Regional Education Bureau, three from the zonal education department, and eight Parent–Teacher Association leaders, as well as four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 28 education experts from woreda education offices. The analysis revealed significant gaps in the quality of service provision and supervision practices. Effective supervision is essential for enhancing the physical learning environment, teacher–learner interactions, addressing diverse student needs, supporting play-based learning and fostering professional development. Inferential statistics, including correlation and linear regression analyses, were employed to assess the influence of supervision on quality service provision. The results indicate positive correlation (r = 0.250, p < 0.001) between supervision and quality service provision, with about 6.3% of the variability in quality being explained by supervision practices. This study contributes to the literature on pre-primary education in Ethiopia, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to enhance supervision and curriculum implementation.