SUPERVISORY PRACTICES AND STUDENT TEACHERS' PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ESAN WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined supervisory practices and student teachers’ performance in secondary schools in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Specifically, it investigated the supervisory practices experienced by student teachers, examined their perceived contribution to teaching performance, and determined whether significant gender differences existed in perceptions of supervision and performance. A descriptive survey research design was adopted. The study involved 94 student teachers selected through a multistage sampling procedure from public and private secondary schools in the study area. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Supervisory Practices and Student Teachers’ Performance Questionnaire. The instrument covered supervisory practices and teaching performance and was subjected to face and content validation. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation and independent-samples t-test at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that respondents generally reported favourable supervisory experiences, with item mean scores ranging from 3.01 to 3.51. Similarly, student teachers reported positive performance outcomes, with mean scores ranging from 3.04 to 3.67. The gender comparison revealed a statistically significant difference in student teachers’ performance, with male respondents recording a higher mean score (32.54) than their female counterparts (30.71), t(92) = 2.396, p = .019. However, no significant gender difference was established in perceptions of supervisory practices, t(92) = 1.691, p = .094. The study concludes that supervisory practices constitute an important component of student teacher development, particularly in strengthening instructional competence and professional confidence. It recommends regular classroom supervision, constructive feedback, improved supervisory training and stronger collaboration between university supervisors and cooperating teachers