The study examined inspection practices in secondary schools in Western Uganda. Towards achieving this objective, a Concurrent Triangulation Mixed Methods Design, involving questionnaire survey and interview, with a total of 399 participants in the categories of teachers, head teachers, school inspectors from 36 secondary schools in four districts of Western Uganda, was adopted. Quantitative data to test the resultant hypothesis were analysed using Chi Square Goodness of Fit Test while qualitative data were analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis. The study revealed that inspection practices in secondary schools were perceived as largely ineffective. The study concluded that despite the value attached to school inspection in the theoretical, political, and institutional and policy debates, inspectors continue to think and act according to the traditional notions of school inspection as evidenced by practices hinged on control. The major implication of the study is that understanding the practices before, during and after school inspection will allow policy makers, inspectors, teachers and headteachers to design better practices and benefit from them. The study also proposes a theoretical model for effective school inspection that requires further research and measurement to determine its validity so that lessons can be learnt that can assist inspectors in the future.

School inspection is one of the leading factors in attaining better pedagogy including lesson planning. To that end, any attempt to improve the quality of lesson planning should be given the attention it deserves. This paper, therefore, examines how and to what extent inspection influences teachers' lesson planning in secondary schools in Western Uganda. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods research design involving questionnaire survey and interview, with a total of 399 participants in the categories of school inspectors, teachers, head teachers, and deputy headteachers from 36 secondary school in Western Uganda, was adopted. Quantitative data were analysed using frequencies, ratios and Linear Regression Analysis while qualitative data were analysed using Qualitative Content Analysis. The study revealed that inspection did not significantly influence lesson planning in secondary schools. The study concluded that inspection has not contributed to improving lesson planning in secondary schools in Uganda. The research advances theory on inspection by demonstrating that merely visiting schools to conduct inspections does not necessarily lead to improvement in lesson planning. Improvement rather hinges on the ways that inspectors communicate, with teachers, prior, during and after the inspection. Understanding teachers' beliefs, practices, and perceptions is important for improving educational processes.