ABSTRACT
This study investigated the influence of teacher variables on the academic performance of pupils in mathematics in Imo State. The teacher variables considered are gender, qualification, experience, attitude and teacher-pupil relationship. Guided by five specific purposes, the researcher formulated five research questions and five hypotheses. A purposive sample of three hundred and sixty (360) primary six pupils and forty-two (42) primary six teachers were selected. Twenty-four out of sixty-four (64) public primary schools in Ikeduru LGA were used for the research. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. Two validated researcher-made instruments titled: Teacher Attitude Questionnaire (TAQ) and Teacher-Pupil relationship Questionnaire (TPRQ) with Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficients of 0.792 and 0.820 respectively were used for data collection. Also, pupils’ academic performance in mathematics culled from their 2019 Common Entrance Examination scores were utilised for the study. Research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used in testing the hypotheses at .05 level of significance. Findings showed that teachers’ gender, qualification, experience, attitude and teacher-pupil relationship have significant influence on the mathematics academic performance of primary school pupils in Imo State. Recommendations were made in line with the study outcome which include that teachers as the vehicle through which knowledge is passed to the pupils, should show more love, support, care and attention to the pupils in order to promote teacher-pupil relationship; they should endeavour to garner as much experience as possible during their service years as it makes them teach better along their professional career; Teachers with higher qualifications should be given preference during engagement while others with lower educational qualifications like NCE and TCII should be given on-the-job training as they are encouraged to add more qualifications to what they already have.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
Title Page i
Acknowledgement ii
Table of Contents iii
List of Appendices v
List of Tables vi
Abstract vii
CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the study 1
1.2 Statement of the problem 14
1.3 Purpose of the study
4 15
the benchmark mean of
2.5 72
4.6: Teachers’ Gender
on Pupils Academic Performance in Mathematics using ANOVA 73
4.7: Teachers’ Qualifications (TCII, NCE, BEd, MEd)
on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Mathematics using ANOVA 74
4.8: Teachers’
Years of Experience (1-5, 6-11 and 12+) and pupils’ academic performance in Mathematics using
ANOVA 75
4.9: ANOVA on Responses from the Teachers’ Attitude Questionnaire
on Pupils’ Academic Performance in Mathematics 75
4.10:
ANOVA on Responses
from TPRQ and pupils’ academic performance in Mathematics 76
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Mathematics is the study of relationships and patterns which
can be adequately expressed in symbolic
form. It is the study of numbers, quantities, shapes and spaces (Chukwu, 2010). Mathematics is regarded as an aspect of science
that deals with quantity, shapes,
measurement and arrangement, with methods of discovering concepts and
symbols as well as quantities, magnitude, properties and inter-relationships between them.
Mathematics, which is one of the foremost fields of
study in the history of humanity, has long
been one of the basic components of human thought (Mohamed, 2010). The study of mathematics as a subject began with the
Ancient Greeks (Pythagoreans) in the 6th century. They coined the term “mathematics” from the ancient
Greek word (máthema), meaning "that which is learnt" or "what one
gets to know", hence also "study" and "science". The
word "mathematics" came to have "mathematical study" as the more technical meaning
in Classical times. During the Renaissance of 16th century
in Italy, new mathematical developments along with evolving
scientific findings were made at a growing pace that continued through the present day. Mathematics has since been
prominently developed, and there has been a fruitful relationship between science and mathematics, to the benefit
of both.
Mathematics is a physical science that is practical and
activity-oriented which uses abstract symbols, axioms and facts to deal with numbers,
shapes and equally
solve day-to-day problems. It
is a conglomeration of different but
related topics including number and numeration,
basic operations (arithmetic), algebra, geometry and mensuration and
statistics. Ekwueme (2013) defines
Mathematics as a creation of the human mind, which is concerned with ideas, processes and reasoning.
Odili (2006) and Ekwueme (2013) also described
mathematics as a study of measurements, relationships and properties of quantities and sets; hence, its list of definitions is
inexhaustible. According to Azuka and Okwuoza (2015), Mathematics could be said to be as old as man because
man used and developed Mathematics to count, keep
records, and trade items with one another in various societies.
Mathematics has been described by many as the 'Queen' of
the sciences due to its powerful application in almost all spheres of life and into all aspects of human endeavours. This means that the knowledge of this subject has
superior power and influence on the success of every man in his numerous day-to-day activities. Mathematics is an
essential aspect of human knowledge,
and a major contributor to human civilization and development (Arup &
Aditi, 2016). Furthermore, the
application of mathematical knowledge is indispensable in our everyday life. The utilization of
mathematical principles has been a constant feature of mankind's existence and therefore is not alien to the human
race. It finds its applicability in things
like the measurements of ingredients in the kitchen during cooking to the
monetary transactions and most prominently, in science and technology.
Stressing the role of Mathematics in various vocations,
Ekwueme (2013) made it clear that there is virtually no profession in today's world one can specialize in without doing Mathematics, thus one deceives himself who thinks of any
profession without Mathematics especially
one that involves creativity and imagination. Mathematics equips the learner to reason logically and know how to reach a
reasonable conclusion from a given premise (Azuka & Okwuoza,
2015).
From the foregoing, Mathematics education enables
individuals to utilise
mathematics knowledge to the everyday
problems they encounter and hence develops
the individuals to a level that they are rational and sound
in their minds. Right from the pre-historic days of the early human societies to the present
age of high technology, mathematics has played essential
roles in the economic development of many countries of the world
(Popoola, 2005). In every country, notwithstanding the level of
scientific, economic, and technological development, mathematics has to be taught to a number of scientists,
technicians, technologists, scientific researchers,
among others. The service of these professionals are continuously required for the welfare of the people and societal
development. Nigeria as a nation requires to strive for an advanced technological and scientific breakthrough to take
care of her domestic and international
needs which will, in turn, enable her to affirm her greatness among the United Nations member states. The importance of
mathematics including its contributions to the
development of mankind
has earned the subject the prominence it enjoys among
other school subjects.
The importance attached to mathematics in the primary
school curriculum reflects vividly the essential role it plays
in contemporary society.
NOUN (2012) viewed the value of mathematics as training pupils on reasoning power. While
mathematics teaching develops pupils' intelligence that leads to discovery and inventions, teachers
are to emphasise reasonable thinking
than rote memorization. Okpala (2015) affirmed
that mathematics focuses on giving the pupils the
opportunities to acquire mathematical literacy which will empower them to thrive in the
ever-changing technology in the world. However, NOUN (2012) also remarked
that mathematics is to develop
pupils' attitude to numeracy and solving of mathematics word problems. The study of the subject
was established in Nigerian schools
to produce competent persons who are skilful in the usage of
mathematical knowledge to solve
everyday life problems. The national policy on education (FME, 2013), shows
that improvements in the teaching
and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is necessary to create the basis for technologically sound workforce in tandem with the nation's developmental needs.
In the view of Olaniyan and Salman (2015), mathematics is the foundation for innovation in the areas of science
and technology. The subject is the bedrock
for scientific and technological advancement. Experimentation and analysis
which are significant in the scientific process cannot be done
without the knowledge of certain mathematical concepts. Technological areas such as constructions, fabrications, designs, among others involve
huge traces of mathematics in them.
This means that Mathematics is much more than a collection of definitions, theories and proofs which
consists of connections that involve visualizing, imagining, manipulating, analysing, abstracting and associating
ideas (Gbolagade, Waheed & Sangoniyi, 2013). It is a key to positive
and cognitive development, successful daily living, scientific development and lifelong learning. Little
wonder, Udousoro (2011) affirmed that Mathematics
has generally been accepted as the bedrock of scientific and technological growth and development and as a very
important subject in school curriculum. Unodiaku (2012) also affirmed that Mathematics is a veritable tool for achieving success in the scientific and
technological development of any nation. The
rudiments of science and technology
have their basis in Mathematics, without which no reasonable advancement would be achieved. From the foregoing,
Mathematics can be termed a language of science and technology.
Mathematics as the science of space and numbers and as
the language of science and technology
is a necessity in every aspect of intellectual endeavour and development of mankind to cope with the issues of life.
Mathematics can also be regarded as the queen and servant of other primary
school subjects since it embraces
every area of the school
curriculum (Martins, 2013).
It is in this realization that Nigeria resolved to make comprehensive and well-coordinated efforts towards the
impactful teaching and learning of the subject at all levels of education through the improvement and implementation
of innovative academic packages and
projects (Azuka, 2009). Mathematics, therefore, finds useful applications in business, industry, music, history,
politics, sports, medicine, agriculture, engineering, and the social and natural sciences.
Mathematics is the foundation for other science
subjects like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Further Mathematics (Temitope & Olabanji, 2015).
The relationship between mathematics and the other
fields of basic and applied sciences is especially strong.
Science provides mathematics with stimulating problems
to investigate, and mathematics, in turn, provides science with potent
tools to use in analysing data in scientific
studies. The signs and symbols used in mathematics have become extremely appreciated for expressing scientific ideas unambiguously. For instance, the statement 
is not simply
a concise way of saying
that the acceleration of a body is a ratio of the force exerted on it to its mass; rather, it is a
precise expression of the quantitative relationship
among the three variables (acceleration, force and mass). Mathematics and technology have also formed a productive
relationship with each other. For instance, the connections, patterns and logic as used on mathematics have
contributed immensely to the design
of computer hardware and programming techniques. Furthermore, Mathematics has made more contributions to the field of
engineering, as it is handy in describing complex systems whose behaviour can then be replicated by the computer.
In those replications, operating
conditions and their design features, mathematics can be a means of
constructing the finest designs.
There is no gainsaying mathematics is regarded as an
indispensable tool for the scientific, technological and economic development of any nation
without which the growth of a nation
is set to a standstill (Umameh, 2011). In all this importance of the
subject, Sam (2018) regrettably observed
that excellence in academics has since departed
the nation while failure has taken over letting out itself on
pupils as the years go by. This is evident in the below- average mathematics performance of pupils in external
examinations like the Common Entrance
Examinations (Sam, 2018). Given this disturbing observation, it is necessary to devise best practices
on educating learners
on this all-important subject. Educating
learners here refers to a training process and instruction,
especially of children and young people in schools and colleges designed
to give knowledge and develop
skills (Hornby, 2010).
According to the National Policy on Education, the general objectives of teaching mathematics at the primary level of
education include, to develop a kind of competence amongst pupils in the basic skills for dealing with number and
form, and to develop a habit of
effective critical reasoning ability which will lead to effective and objective
thinking (FME, 2013). From the foregoing, pupils
are expected to develop a scientific attitude
to their immediate world as well as the creative ability
to use numbers to find solutions to mathematics
problems That may involve calculations in any vocation which they may face after school life. In the view of
Fajemidagba, Salman and Ayinla (2012), Mathematics is a principal subject and veritable tool for the growth of any
discipline related to science which includes
but are not limited to, technology, industry, astronomy, graphics and
analytical reasoning in daily
living.
Thus, excellent performance in mathematics is imperative
for effective participation in national economic
development. For someone
to contribute towards
economic development, the individual's academic performance
should be improved upon as this reveals the extent the learning content was exposed to the comprehension of the
pupil and how it could be applied in
real-life situations. To improve pupils' performance in Mathematics, there is a need to examine the factors that might be
affecting pupils' performance as this will provide a guide on the approach to be adopted in handling them, to enhance their academic performance. However, education in Nigeria is dwindling
and has led to the poor academic performance
of pupils. This is not unconnected with several factors which include high teacher-pupil ratio,
shortage of competent teachers, excessive classroom size, poor quality
in the educational leadership, political instability and politicization of educational programmes, teachers' age, qualification and inadequate teaching aids and
equipment (Ewetan, 2010; Akinwunmi
& Odunsi, 2008). In all these, teachers are highly essential for the
successful operation of the
educational system and constitute an important
factor for educational development. Undoubtedly, the success and
superiority of any educational system solely
depend on the number of teachers and the quality
of their input into their educational system.
Meanwhile, Etuk, Maria and Asukwo
(2013) posited that the solid rock of education system
lies on knowledgeable, competent, well-trained and devoted teachers as
they are the major agents of curriculum implementation. Lending credence to this, teacher
variables are regarded to have significant influence on
how pupils perform in their academic work with
special regards to mathematics. The teacher variables that will be x-rayed in this research
are gender, qualification, experience, attitude and teacher-pupil relationship.
Adigun, Irunokhai, Sada and Adesina (2015) see gender as
the array of physical, biological, mental
and attitudinal physiognomies pertaining to and distinguishing between males
and female. However, the dualism
between man and woman is the fundamental fact of our existence and the attitudes towards
this issue are diverse in different cultures. Therefore, the distinction of humankind (in males and females) is conditioned not only by biology and genetics but also by those socially learned roles,
functions, norms, behavioural patterns and
expectations that are associated with masculinity and femininity in the
physical societal setting. Gender,
therefore, entails issues, activities and functions concerning masculine or feminine relations. It deals with the fact
of being either male or female and their respective roles. World Health Organization (WHO) describes gender to be
those socially fashioned features of
both men and women, such as roles, norms, and relationships between these two groups
in a particular society (WHO, 2002).
By nature, women are known to have an abundance of
patience and calm attitude and this makes
a female mathematics teacher know how to convey the knowledge of mathematics soothingly, knowing fully well that the subject can be tedious
and frustrating for most pupils
(Ogbonna, 2016). Women are known to be good listeners
to complaints, they are trustworthy, and can exhibit a lot of positive influence on people around
them (Kelly, 2013). As such, they are role models
who offer high-quality affective and educational care. However, Rocco,
Francesca, Maria and Claudio (2013) concluded that women have more tendency
to discriminate amongst a
child's characteristics than men do. On the contrary, male teachers are known to be rigid in acts of
disciplining a pupil. Most disciplinarians are known to be males and mathematics is a subject that
requires a lot of discipline for one to excel in it. Discipline here arouses
commitment, interest and strict adherence
to instructions and procedures
for solving any mathematical problem (Rocco et
al, 2013). Although, teachers may
have the same qualification, yet their gender makes a remarkable difference in
the area of nurturing and disciplining the pupils which is highly required in teaching mathematics to primary school pupils.
However, teachers' qualification has a way of enhancing
teaching methods and strategies. Qualification
could be regarded as a special skill or type of experience or knowledge that makes someone due to do particular jobs or
activities. Therefore, teachers' qualification
involves those required skills or experiences or knowledge a
practitioner in the teaching profession
possesses to make him or her suitable to teach effectively. Such skills involve formal education, certificate/licensing,
subject matter knowledge, experience, pedagogical prowess, duration of training, and professional development (Zuzovsky, 2009). An individual may have a teaching certificate at hand but without satisfactory knowledge
of the subject matter,
thus the individual has no complete teaching qualifications
yet.
Similarly, someone who does not possess adequate
knowledge of pedagogy or have only spent
a few years in training without concluding the required number of years does
not possess adequate
teacher qualifications (Darling-Hammond, Berry & Thoreson,
2010). More so, according to Rice (2003), teachers’
professional development and experience also count for teachers' qualifications because some studies have
revealed this (Helk, 2007). Teachers’ qualification is one of the central
factors that drive
pupils' academic performance (Hakielimu, 2011).
Eryilmaz and Laslan (2004) discovered that one of the crucial factors in the
teaching process is the teacher's
qualification. The perspective of Ibrahim (2010) was that teachers' qualifications can go to a reasonable
extent in bringing about pupils' higher academic performance. This is because, according
to Hamilton-Ekeke (2013),
Teachers'
professionalism relates to proficiency in instruction and management of pupils and materials in the classroom.
In the past, to secure a teaching job in the primary
school, one needs to obtain a Teacher Certificate
Grade II (TCII) from a Grade II Teacher-training college. Subsequently, in 2001 the Nigerian Certificate of Education
(NCE) took centre stage as it became the required diploma for all teachers in the primary
and junior secondary
schools (Sam, 2018). Nonetheless,
teachers with BSc/Ed and MEd also teach in Nigeria primary schools, with perceived greater competence than those
with TCII and NCE. Little wonder, Agharuwhe (2013)
opined that a teacher who does not have both the academic and the professional teaching qualifications would certainly
have a negative influence on the
teaching and learning of his/her subject.
However, educational researchers have been able to pin down how much teacher
experience matters. Experienced teachers are believed
to be more effective in raising pupils'
performance than their less experienced counterparts (Ladd, 2008). Many
occupations see employees' years of
experience as a relevant factor in their personnel policies, and as a criterion for making decisions on
compensation systems, benefits packages and promotion. The central idea is that experience, garnered over time improves
the skills, knowledge, and productivity of employees. The fundamental supposition is that experience stimulates effectiveness. In education, teacher
experience is undoubtedly the main element
in personnel programmes used in teacher transfer
policies which prioritizes seniority amongst teachers.
Most times the attitude teachers portray towards
mathematics has a way of influencing the mathematics
learning outcomes of pupils. The attitude of teachers is important because of their perceived influence
on pupils' understanding and performance in Mathematics. Olasedidun (2014) stated that attitudes towards
any object perform
a starring role in influencing subsequent behaviour towards
it while Cherry
(2015) defined attitude
as learned tendency to assess things in certain
ways, including objects, people, events and issues. Such assessment can be positive or negative but at times uncertain. Attitude
involves an individual's mode of reasoning, acting and
behaving. It has very significant implications for both the learner and the teacher. By association and
imitation, a learner draws from his/her teachers'
personality to form his/her attitude, and this may likely affect his/her
learning outcomes (Yara, 2009). Attitude
is further classified into cognitive, affective, and behavioural components. The cognitive component
comprises of beliefs,
the affective component consists of emotions and
feelings, while the behavioural component involves actions and observational responses. Azuka, Durojaiye, Okwuoza
and Jekayinfa (2013) averred that a
teacher's attitude towards Mathematics may affect the teaching and learning of Mathematics which in turn has a
significant influence on the atmosphere and ethos of Mathematics classroom.
Teachers should first understand the endless utility of
mathematics, develop motivational drive towards
the subject and thereafter devise various means of ensuring
that pupils develop
interest and perform well in the subject.
The passion demonstrated by the teachers in their mathematics classes will certainly rub-off on the pupils
and better their performance. The attitude
of teachers generally influences pupils' attitude towards Mathematics. This
means primary school teachers need to
be excited and interested in mathematics while utilising models as well as improvising instructional materials for
meaningful teaching and learning of
the subject to take place. This will make them have confidence in teaching the
subject to their pupils.
They should be happy in helping pupils solve problems in
mathematics and even put extra lesson time in the teaching of the subject.
Unarguably, primary school
teachers need to have positive attitude and be passionate for
impactful teaching of Mathematics to take place. Furthermore, the key term used to describe teachers' individual
thought processes and implicit
theories about mathematics and its teaching is attitude. The choice of this
term presupposes the view that, in
addition to cognitive factors associated with mathematics, affective variables play a significant
role in informing teachers' practices. Not only does attitude remain one of the significant factors that characterise
human uniqueness, but it is also a
factor that impacts on pupils’ performance. Indeed, primary school teachers’
attitude towards Mathematics influences pupils' attitude
as well as their performance.
A pupil that portrays a positive attitude towards mathematics
learning is more likely to develop
his/her computational and numeracy skills. Therefore, for greater mathematics learning
outcome, primary school teachers must cultivate a positive attitude
towards mathematics. Since it is recognized that the level of education
in the developed countries is far higher than in the developing countries, it stands
to mean that education has an essential part to play in the growth of these developing countries. Our present
state of education
system shows that knowledge
should be dispersed by the teacher to pupils. This indicates that teachers make choices of subject
materials, textbooks, design the framework of the subject, conceptualize, analyse and synthesize the
subject content and deliver it face-to-face to the pupils.
To evaluate the success of this transfer of knowledge,
evaluation systems such as tests, quizzes,
assignments, examinations to project work, are all generally based on a
teacher- centred mathematics
learning. The pupils' performance activity is thereby relegated to just passive reception of knowledge. The pupil
listens, remembers, and regurgitates what has
been fed him/her to produce the desired outcome. This is by far the most
common approach used by most education establishments in Nigeria.
Whatever the teaching
technique is in any given setup, there are two important
aspects in the process of education- the teacher and learner. It appears that good teachers
will promote a great amount of learning in pupils.
In any interactive process, the utilisation of a human approach plays a basic role in achieving success. Education is one such processes,
the success of which is influenced by the teacher- pupil relationship. Communication in the classroom
is the exchange of feelings, information, and thoughts
between the pupil and teacher
and it opens up the door for the teacher
to provide guidance, motivation and encouragement.
Excellent communication plays a major role in
establishing a quality
teacher-pupil relationship (UKessays.com, 2018). Thus a good rapport with the pupil is achieved by combining excellent
interpersonal and listening skills. In other
words, teacher-pupil relationship is an important element in the process
of teaching and learning (Rocco et al, 2013). The more teachers know
about their pupils, the better they rapport with them and the more likely they are to benefit from the teachers' experience of the world
(Akinleye, 2011). This, in turn, translates into better understanding in
mathematics classes because knowing
what a pupil is interested in can help the teacher come up with examples to match up with their interests.
For instance, a pupil who has passion for football and has a difficult time understanding certain
mathematics concepts, the teacher can incorporate
football in his/her illustrations to aid the pupil’s understanding of the
concepts. This shows that the teacher
cares about the pupil and has taken time to observe the pupil’s interest.
Thus positive teacher-pupil relationship is a crucial
factor for a child’s learning. Teachers who
maintain a good relationship with their pupils develop an environment where
pupils’ emotional, academic and
developmental needs are met (Pianta, 2011). From the discussion above,
teachers have an important influence on pupils' academic performance. This
because they stand at the interface of the impartation of skills, knowledge
and values in the mathematics learning process. If the teacher
is ineffective, pupils under the teacher's tutelage
will achieve inadequate progress academically.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Despite the importance of Mathematics to mankind and the nation at large, the poor performance
of pupils recorded annually in both external and internal examinations in mathematics has been a great concern to stakeholders in Nigeria.
Expectedly, pupils' poor performance is traceable to a
number of factors such as teacher- pupil
relationship, teaching methods, teachers' attitude, qualification, gender,
interest and inadequate understanding of basic concepts
in mathematics (Gimba,
2013). Observations and reports
from examining bodies showed that a high percentage of pupils in primary
schools continue to perform dismally
in mathematics examinations. This stems from their poor understanding of the subject at their foundational level of
education. This poor performance continues
to generate much concern among parents, teachers, pupils and other stakeholders in the education sector. As a result, in
Nigeria today, pupils avoid classes that involve calculations (Erinosho, 2013). This is as an effect of
mathematics anxiety which is an emotion
based on the reaction to mathematics, causing
pupils to freeze
up when they confront mathematics tests. The failure is likely
to be caused by some factors
which include teachers' gender,
experience, qualification, attitude as well as teacher-pupil relationship.
Although teachers' gender, attitude,
qualification, experience and teacher-pupil relationship affect pupils' performance in mathematics, one
cannot say the level of influence they have on
pupils' Mathematics
performance in the public
primary schools in Imo State.
In the light of the above problems, the researcher
intends to carry out this study in order to emerge with some empirical data relating to the extent
to which teacher's gender, experience, qualifications, attitude and teacher-pupil relationship determine the mathematics performance of primary school pupils.
1.3
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study investigated the influence that can be exerted by teacher variables on the academic
performance of pupils in public primary schools in Ikeduru Local
Government Area (LGA) of Imo State.
To this end, the study specifically sought to:
i.
Examine the influence of teachers' gender on pupils'
academic performance in Mathematics in the
selected public primary schools in Ikeduru LGA.
ii.
Examine the influence of teachers' qualifications on pupils' academic
performance in Mathematics in the selected
public primary schools in Ikeduru
LGA.
iii.
Examine the influence of teachers' year of experience on pupils' academic
performance in Mathematics in the selected public primary schools in Ikeduru LGA.
iv.
Examine the influence of teachers' attitude
on the academic performance in Mathematics in the
selected public primary schools in Ikeduru LGA.
v.
Examine the influence of teacher-pupil relationship on the academic
performance in Mathematics in the selected
public primary schools in Ikeduru
LGA.
In addressing the research problem, this study sought to
provide answers to the following research questions:
1.
What influence does teachers'
gender have on pupils' academic
performance in mathematics?
2. What influence does teachers' qualifications have on pupils'
academic performance in mathematics?
3. What influence
does teachers' year of experience have on pupils' academic performance in mathematics?
4. What influence
does teachers' attitude
have on pupils'
academic performance in mathematics?
5. What influence
does teacher-pupil relationship have on pupils' academic performance in mathematics?
1.5
HYPOTHESES
The following Null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of
significance in the study:
H01: There is no significant influence of teachers'
gender on pupils' academic performance in
mathematics.
H02: There is no significant influence of teachers'
qualifications on pupils'
academic performance in
mathematics.
H03: There is no significant influence of teachers'
year of experience on pupils' academic
performance in
mathematics.
H04: There is no significant influence of teachers'
attitude on pupils' academic performance in
mathematics.
H05: There is no significant influence of teacher-pupil relationship on pupils'
academic performance in mathematics.
The outcome of this study will significantly be useful
to teachers, educational curriculum planners,
educational administrators and ministries of education as well as researchers.
The teachers are the vehicle through which
knowledge is passed to the pupils in school.
This work will enhance teachers' professional
development and will cause them to become more
reflective and active practitioners of the profession. Thus, this work will
enable them to appreciate the biases in their teaching
behaviour as well as those inherent in the curriculum and correct such in
their classrooms activities.
Furthermore, this research will help educational
administrators and ministries of education to organize
enrolment procedure for teachers
especially in primary schools. This will enable
them to know the proportion of male to female teachers required for
active teaching to take place in our primary
schools. Educational curriculum planners will from the outcome
of this research enshrine into the curriculum the necessary attributes required of the teacher for each particular topic.
This determines if the teacher should adopt a motherly
and caring countenance or put up a disciplinary
outlook that depicts total adherence to instruction (discipline). It will also
be significant to the Education
agencies to always monitor the quality of teachers they post to primary schools in the state. Also, the Guardians and
Counsellors as the advisory personnel in
schools will be equipped with the knowledge of the extent to which teachers'
gender can affect the performance of
the pupils and be able to guide the school in order to make use of gender as well as other teacher variables to the advantage of mathematics learning
in schools.
Lastly, the outcome
of this research work adds to the field of research on influence of teacher variables such as gender,
qualifications, attitude, years of experience as well as teacher-pupil relationship in relation to the
mathematics performance at the primary level of education. Thus it may serve as a guide and reference for the educational researchers undertaking similar
studies.
This study focused on the influence of teachers' gender,
qualification, experience, attitude and
teacher-pupil relationship on academic performance of pupils in mathematics in
public primary schools in Ikeduru
Local Government Area of Imo State. It was restricted to the Primary Six pupils and teachers in the
sixty-four (64) public primary schools of Ikeduru Local Government
Area, Imo State Nigeria.
These primary schools are categorised into Atta, Amaimo
and Uzoagba zones with twenty (20),
twenty-one (21) and twenty-three schools (23) primary schools respectively.
Primary Six pupils were chosen
because they participated in the 2019 common entrance
examination which is a standardised test for easy correlation by the researcher. More so, these pupils may
have covered to a large extent the curriculum of primary mathematics education. In addition,
this study also captured teachers
whose years of experience ranged from 0 to 12+ years. The idea is that experience, gained over time, enhances teachers'
knowledge, skills, and productivity.
Also, the study took into cognisance the qualifications of these teachers. Such qualifications include National
Certificate on Education (NCE), Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.), Masters in Education (M.Ed.) and Teachers' Certificate
(TCII). Furthermore, the teachers related
their attitude they have
towards mathematics classes
while the pupils
provided answers to how well their teachers relate with them in terms of
receiving support, care, love, guidance,
among others.
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