Muhairwa, T. David2026-10-152026-10-152026Muhairwa, T. D. (2026). Influence of institutional support mechanisms on the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction in selected government-aided primary schools in Jinja district, Uganda. [Unpublished dissertation]. Busitema University.https://bdears.busitema.ac.ug/handle/123456789/10980Despite sustained government investment in curriculum reforms, instructional supervision, teacher professional development and the provision of teaching and learning materials, the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction in many government-aided primary schools in Uganda remains below expected standards. This study examined the influence of institutional support mechanisms on the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction in selected government-aided primary schools in Jinja District, Uganda. Specifically, the study examined the influence of instructional supervision and support, teachers' professional development, and the utilization of teaching and learning materials on instructional quality. The study adopted a convergent mixed-methods research design within a descriptive correlational framework. Data were collected from 69 respondents, comprising 60 literacy and numeracy teachers who completed structured questionnaires and 9 key informants who participated in semi-structured interviews, yielding an overall response rate of 88.5%. Classroom observations and document review were used to complement the primary data and facilitate methodological triangulation. Instrument validity was established using the Content Validity Index (CVI = 0.896), while reliability testing produced an overall Cronbach's Alpha coefficient of 0.808. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson Product Moment Correlation and simple linear regression. Whereas qualitative data were analyzed thematically and integrated with the quantitative findings. The findings revealed that instructional supervision and support had a positive and statistically significant influence on the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction (β = 0.403, R² = 0.124, p = 0.001). Teachers' professional development also exerted a positive and statistically significant influence (β = 0.363, R² = 0.132, p = 0.004). The utilization of teaching and learning materials emerged as the strongest predictor of instructional quality (β = 0.660, R² = 0.435, p < 0.001). Qualitative findings complemented these results by showing that although institutional support mechanisms existed in most schools, their effectiveness was constrained by irregular instructional supervision, inadequate funding, shortages of instructional materials, limited mentoring opportunities and weak follow-up after professional development activities, thereby reducing teachers' capacity to consistently implement learner-centered literacy and numeracy instruction. The study concludes that institutional support mechanisms significantly influence the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction, with the effective utilization of teaching and learning materials exerting the greatest influence, followed by instructional supervision and support and teachers' professional development. The study recommends strengthening school-based instructional supervision, institutionalizing regular needs-based professional development, and ensuring the adequate provision, equitable distribution and effective utilization of teaching and learning materials to enhance instructional quality and improve learners' literacy and numeracy outcomes in government-aided primary schools.enOther