Supervision of Physical Education Teaching Practice in Colleges of Education in the South West Zone

Teaching practice supervision is a critical quality assurance mechanism in physical education teacher education, shaping the professional competencies of future physical and health education specialists. This study examines the effectiveness of teaching practice supervision in physical and health education departments of colleges of education in the South West geopolitical zone of Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with 180 student teachers on teaching practice placement and 60 supervising lecturers from eight colleges of education completing structured questionnaires. Supervision quality dimensions assessed include frequency of supervisory visits, feedback quality, use of structured observation instruments, pre-lesson conferencing, and supervisor-student relationship quality. Findings indicate that the frequency of supervisory visits falls below the recommended minimum of three visits per placement period in 48 percent of cases, attributed to supervisor workload and transportation resource limitations. Feedback quality is rated as adequate by only 39 percent of student teachers, with most citing insufficiently specific and actionable guidance. Structured lesson observation instruments are used in only 41 percent of supervision visits. Supervisors with advanced degrees and those who actively teach physical education courses are rated more effective by student teachers. Recommendations include standardising teaching practice supervision protocols, increasing supervisory visit frequency through improved resource allocation, training supervisors in evidence-based coaching and feedback methods, and incorporating peer and self-assessment components into teaching practice evaluation. Keywords: teaching practice supervision, physical education, colleges of education, South West Nigeria, teacher training