A Study On Secondary School Inspection In Malawi

The purpose of this study was to examine the school inspection process in the Malawian secondary schools,looking at how it impacts on quality education,and what needs to be done in order to make the school inspection process more effective in enhancing quality education in the Malawian education system.The study used the Scientific Management,the Human Relations,and Critical Theories which helped clarify definitions and the role of school inspection in the education sector.A qualitative approach was picked for the study with reference to the qualitative research design.The study data was collected by means of a structured interview schedule which targeted school teachers,secondary school head teachers,and school inspectors.The respondents were purposively selected depending on the school category they represented;12 teachers,4 head teachers,and 4 school inspectors.A thematic narrative data analysis was employed to arrive at findings.The study looks at how school inspection enhances quality education through the quality control mechanisms inspectors employ working with teachers and head teachers during inspection.The findings of this study emphasise the important role school inspection plays as a very pertinent aspect of quality of education in the Malawi education system in that the work of inspectors informs the education ministry to institute reforms in national education to align education provision to the development needs of the country.Finally,recommendations were made drawing from the challenges faced during the course of school inspection calling on the Malawian government to strengthen and support the school inspection process for its effective promotion of quality education in the country's schools through enhancement of professionalism in the way instruction and management of the schools are carried out.While the study was conducted on a small scale due to the research design adopted,and a small number of informants used in the data collection,its findings cannot be generalized to the entire country,however it is evident that school inspection plays an important role in influencing and improving the quality of education particularly in the South East Education Division where the study was conducted.